The devil is in the detail, as the saying goes, and that is particularly true when it comes to service charges. People spend so much energy on landing the property they want and getting their finances sorted that they can often miss vital details in the small print. However, service charges should be an important […]
The post Ten tips to help you manage your property’s service charges appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
Family and friends will support nearly one in four purchases in 2020, against one in five last year
Nearly one in four home purchases this year will be backed by the “bank of mum and dad” – up from fewer than one in five in 2019 – as buyers struggle with the economic fallout from the Covid-19 crisis.
Financial help provided by the bank of mum and dad, encompassing parents, grandparents, other family and friends, will be a driving force behind the recovery of Britain’s housing market. Those able to assist will lend an average of £20,000 towards a deposit on a home, said researchers from insurer Legal & General (L&G) and economics consultancy Cebr.
Continue reading...Home improvements are big business, with millions of homeowners opting to extend or upgrade their homes. Since 2013, some £40 billion has been spent on home improvements, according to research by NAEA Propertymark (formerly known as the National Association of Estate Agents), with redecorating, new flooring and garden landscaping the most popular options. Only 11 […]
The post How much value does a conservatory add? appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
I can afford a 17-year loan, but as a super-cautious person I’d prefer a slight reduction in monthly outgoings
Q I am expecting to buy a small flat, for between £90,000 and £120,000 with a deposit of 15% – just before my 50th birthday. I will retire at 67.
Although I can comfortably afford the payments of a 17-year mortgage, as a super-cautious person, I would prefer a slight reduction in the monthly outgoings of a 20-year mortgage. I like to save and have a good amount of emergency money.
Continue reading...Often touted as an easy solution to overwatering, the practice of placing ice cubes in orchids has become a ‘comedy horticultural moment’
One piece of houseplant folklore resurfaces from time to time: that we should water our plants with ice cubes.
For years everything from Reader’s Digest to Reddit offered up ice cubes as the trick to keeping potted friends alive. Recently the theory has returned thanks to a pair of meme pages.
Continue reading...Often touted as an easy solution to overwatering, the practice of placing ice cubes in orchids has become a ‘comedy horticultural moment’
One piece of houseplant folklore resurfaces from time to time: that we should water our plants with ice cubes.
For years everything from Reader’s Digest to Reddit offered up ice cubes as the trick to keeping potted friends alive. Recently the theory has returned thanks to a pair of meme pages.
Continue reading...It’s one thing turning your basement into a wine cellar, but some people are building replica streets, theme parks and even trains beneath their homes
When Jason Shron and his wife, Sidura, were house hunting in 2007, the Canadian model-train-seller would always head to the basement before viewing any other room. In fact, Shron had only viewed the basement of his current family home when he told his estate agent he’d purchase the property: provided Sidura liked the upstairs, he was ready to go. Shron needed the perfect basement because, for nearly 30 years, he had dreamed of building a life-size replica of a 1970s Canadian VIA Rail railway carriage inside his house, the exact train that took him from Toronto to Montreal to visit his grandmother when he was a little boy.
Step inside Shron’s basement today and you will be greeted by a 200lb blue-and-yellow train door. As you pass through it, an MP3 player will hiss the sounds of air circulation accompanied by the squeaking of gangway connections. Inside the carriage there are rows of vintage reclinable red-and-orange-striped seats, luggage racks, a real VIA garbage can removed from a scrapped train and a metal sign instructing passengers that smoking is indeed permitted. What Shron couldn’t find on the scrap heap, he made. He printed out orange litter bags, custom-printed napkins and engraved wine glasses.
Continue reading...They think they are still in the tropical Andean highlands, you have to talk them out of it
Ever since I can remember, I have had a passion for growing tomatoes. The diversity of colours and flavours of their fruit, the delicate ferny foliage of the young plants, even the resinous, green smell of the leaves, all bring me joy. However, there is one thing about these plants that is a constant source of frustration, particularly at this time of year: their infuriatingly slow ripening. As we edge towards the end of the growing season, here are a few tips and tricks to speed up their maturity.
Gardeners need to step in and stage a horticultural intervention to stop the self-destructive behaviour
Continue reading...They think they are still in the tropical Andean highlands, you have to talk them out of it
Ever since I can remember, I have had a passion for growing tomatoes. The diversity of colours and flavours of their fruit, the delicate ferny foliage of the young plants, even the resinous, green smell of the leaves, all bring me joy. However, there is one thing about these plants that is a constant source of frustration, particularly at this time of year: their infuriatingly slow ripening. As we edge towards the end of the growing season, here are a few tips and tricks to speed up their maturity.
Gardeners need to step in and stage a horticultural intervention to stop the self-destructive behaviour
Continue reading...It’s one thing turning your basement into a wine cellar, but some people are building replica streets, theme parks and even trains beneath their homes
When Jason Shron and his wife, Sidura, were house hunting in 2007, the Canadian model-train-seller would always head to the basement before viewing any other room. In fact, Shron had only viewed the basement of his current family home when he told his estate agent he’d purchase the property: provided Sidura liked the upstairs, he was ready to go. Shron needed the perfect basement because, for nearly 30 years, he had dreamed of building a life-size replica of a 1970s Canadian VIA Rail railway carriage inside his house, the exact train that took him from Toronto to Montreal to visit his grandmother when he was a little boy.
Step inside Shron’s basement today and you will be greeted by a 200lb blue-and-yellow train door. As you pass through it, an MP3 player will hiss the sounds of air circulation accompanied by the squeaking of gangway connections. Inside the carriage there are rows of vintage reclinable red-and-orange-striped seats, luggage racks, a real VIA garbage can removed from a scrapped train and a metal sign instructing passengers that smoking is indeed permitted. What Shron couldn’t find on the scrap heap, he made. He printed out orange litter bags, custom-printed napkins and engraved wine glasses.
Continue reading...The private rented sector of the UK property market has grown dramatically since the late 1990s and the growth is predicted to continue. OnTheMarket’s renting guide Private rentals accounted for 4.7 million or 20% of households in England in 2016/17, more than doubling in number since 2002 (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, July 2018). […]
The post Nine top tips for renting a property appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
There’s still time to make things grow! Just not very much of it
So, the plot is finally cleared and ready-ish for autumn. I resisted as long as I could – for which read the fag-end of July. I had become obsessed with summer’s almost feral growth. Left to its devices while I was away, it had a sprawling, falling beauty. But I needed room for two trays of Italian chicories (many more than 60 plants, ie, more than anyone would eat). Without action, the sprawl would soon die off and summer’s end would also mean the end of our growing year.
I restocked one set of the pea poles with beans and peas (hedging my bets). The other I trained with climbing nasturtium. I let the orache spike though and topped it with a giant bunch of cut coriander for the seeds to dry. We planted late corn. I went around on early mornings obsessively filling in the gaps in my new, more ordered, more elegant space. I ordered new seed: ‘Fordhook Giant’, a heritage, thick-stemmed Swiss chard, adding ruby chard and a red pak choi (there wasn’t room, but I find it hard to break bad habits), land cress, more chicory, corn salad. I sowed more calendula and nasturtium, telling myself they would get ahead for spring if they didn’t flower now (nonsensical, of course). I scattered more red burgundy amaranth seed, because why not? I knew I was likely too late. The light was already weaker in my early mornings. Dew and an occasional coolness spurred me ever on. I was a King Canute of growing, holding back the autumn tide.
Continue reading...There’s still time to make things grow! Just not very much of it
So, the plot is finally cleared and ready-ish for autumn. I resisted as long as I could – for which read the fag-end of July. I had become obsessed with summer’s almost feral growth. Left to its devices while I was away, it had a sprawling, falling beauty. But I needed room for two trays of Italian chicories (many more than 60 plants, ie, more than anyone would eat). Without action, the sprawl would soon die off and summer’s end would also mean the end of our growing year.
I restocked one set of the pea poles with beans and peas (hedging my bets). The other I trained with climbing nasturtium. I let the orache spike though and topped it with a giant bunch of cut coriander for the seeds to dry. We planted late corn. I went around on early mornings obsessively filling in the gaps in my new, more ordered, more elegant space. I ordered new seed: ‘Fordhook Giant’, a heritage, thick-stemmed Swiss chard, adding ruby chard and a red pak choi (there wasn’t room, but I find it hard to break bad habits), land cress, more chicory, corn salad. I sowed more calendula and nasturtium, telling myself they would get ahead for spring if they didn’t flower now (nonsensical, of course). I scattered more red burgundy amaranth seed, because why not? I knew I was likely too late. The light was already weaker in my early mornings. Dew and an occasional coolness spurred me ever on. I was a King Canute of growing, holding back the autumn tide.
Continue reading...Rare textiles from all over the world enhance the rustic style of this French country house
I loved the way the light from the river reflected on the ceilings,” says Susan Deliss of the moment she first saw her rural French home. Positioned by the Serein river, which flows through the wine-growing region of Chablis, the 18th-century house has a laid-back French charm about it. Stone steps in the garden lead down to the water, where a small blue boat belonging to Deliss’s sons, Al, 16, and Gus, 14, gently bobs. Bessie the lurcher hides from the hot sun underneath a nearby fig tree.
I made a deliberate choice to fill this house with things that are old
Continue reading...Rare textiles from all over the world enhance the rustic style of this French country house
I loved the way the light from the river reflected on the ceilings,” says Susan Deliss of the moment she first saw her rural French home. Positioned by the Serein river, which flows through the wine-growing region of Chablis, the 18th-century house has a laid-back French charm about it. Stone steps in the garden lead down to the water, where a small blue boat belonging to Deliss’s sons, Al, 16, and Gus, 14, gently bobs. Bessie the lurcher hides from the hot sun underneath a nearby fig tree.
I made a deliberate choice to fill this house with things that are old
Continue reading...There are many varieties and colours beyond the feral bush of our cities and railway lines
The ubiquitous butterfly bush, Buddleja davidii, so fond of the cracks in our concrete world, is familiar to all, particularly those that flutter. There is, however, a world beyond the feral bush of our cities and railway lines: those with deeply scented flower spikes in pinks, deep purples, bicolours and purest whites; those that tower as tall shrubs; and those that are happy to stay small enough to live in a pot on a patio.
The place to go and see them is in the national collection at Longstock Gardens in Hampshire. If you are passing, it is well worth dropping in to peruse the many colour variations. They are laid out in a rather splendid walled garden and there will be something in flower right into October, thanks to dedicated deadheading. If you are thinking that buddleia’s pretty spires are long gone by now, then that is the secret: when roughly half the flower spike starts to brown, remove it and this will spur the plant into producing more. Once the seed starts to set, the plant considers its job done for the summer and concentrates on producing as many babies as it can for you to weed out. If you can keep on top of deadheading, you’ll have flowers well into early autumn.
Continue reading...There are many varieties and colours beyond the feral bush of our cities and railway lines
The ubiquitous butterfly bush, Buddleja davidii, so fond of the cracks in our concrete world, is familiar to all, particularly those that flutter. There is, however, a world beyond the feral bush of our cities and railway lines: those with deeply scented flower spikes in pinks, deep purples, bicolours and purest whites; those that tower as tall shrubs; and those that are happy to stay small enough to live in a pot on a patio.
The place to go and see them is in the national collection at Longstock Gardens in Hampshire. If you are passing, it is well worth dropping in to peruse the many colour variations. They are laid out in a rather splendid walled garden and there will be something in flower right into October, thanks to dedicated deadheading. If you are thinking that buddleia’s pretty spires are long gone by now, then that is the secret: when roughly half the flower spike starts to brown, remove it and this will spur the plant into producing more. Once the seed starts to set, the plant considers its job done for the summer and concentrates on producing as many babies as it can for you to weed out. If you can keep on top of deadheading, you’ll have flowers well into early autumn.
Continue reading...The property world is full of words and expressions that may be unfamiliar to anyone who is not regularly buying, selling, letting or renting a home. This updated guide from OnTheMarket will help to shed light on what they all mean. Absent landlord A landlord described as “absent” is one who cannot be contacted. If […]
The post The ultimate property jargon buster appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
With spring almost here, and seeds and seedlings back in supply, it’s the ideal time to get busy in the garden
Farming is the utmost expression of optimism – nature charges ahead despite all the goings on of the human world, and you better keep up. There are really no alternatives. It is a time of manic activity around our farm.
While the growing season in our part of the New South Wales northern rivers region ticks on throughout the entire year, interspersed with green manure rotation, there’s a key indicator we need to start seeding our spring and summer crops. That sign comes from wild native raspberries (Rubus rosifolius). Now, the first canes are establishing on last year’s dieback wood, heralding their humble blossoms. The ground temperature is warming up, and daylight hours are long enough to sustain new growth.
Continue reading...With spring almost here, and seeds and seedlings back in supply, it’s the ideal time to get busy in the garden
Farming is the utmost expression of optimism – nature charges ahead despite all the goings on of the human world, and you better keep up. There are really no alternatives. It is a time of manic activity around our farm.
While the growing season in our part of the New South Wales northern rivers region ticks on throughout the entire year, interspersed with green manure rotation, there’s a key indicator we need to start seeding our spring and summer crops. That sign comes from wild native raspberries (Rubus rosifolius). Now, the first canes are establishing on last year’s dieback wood, heralding their humble blossoms. The ground temperature is warming up, and daylight hours are long enough to sustain new growth.
Continue reading...Mary Searle-Chatterjee says it would require a colossal cultural shift in the west to move away from chairs, so better design is the most we can hope for
Sara Hendren’s excellent article (The tyranny of chairs: why we need better design, The long read, 25 August) discusses the health problems produced by chairs. These have spread throughout the world due to the prestige of the west. Imperial officials viewed squatting, and other forms of sitting at ground level, as a mark of inferiority. Many in the west still see it as a sign of backwardness. Sadly in Asia too, sitting on chairs is often seen as a sign of modernity.
In Singapore, in private, people often squat on chairs. In public, people use chairs in the western way. In India, a doctor told me that he found an increase in leg and foot problems among middle-class women who had switched from squatting to standing, or sitting, in their new western-style kitchens. Studies have also found squatting for childbirth leads to easier deliveries.
Continue reading...For those who plan to buy or sell a property in the next year, there are some things you can do now to help your property transaction go more smoothly. If you really want to hit the ground running, having already appointed your conveyancer will mean you’ll be ready to go as soon as you’ve […]
The post Five top tips for choosing your conveyancer appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
From an award-winning seven-bedroom windmill and granary to a two-bedroom ‘bolt-hole’ barn conversion
Continue reading...Beloved by chefs and home cooks alike, gas burning stovetops come with drawbacks for human, financial and planetary health
Nikki Phillips has made a living cooking in strangers’ kitchens. As the co-owner of a catering company, Shared Affair, she always makes a request before arriving at a client’s home. “I … ask for a picture of the stove, so I know what we’re dealing with.”
If the photos show the clapped out coils of an older electric stove, she goes straight to plan B. “I just bring gas burners with us. I don’t even bother.” Between portable stoves and hot box ovens “we can set up a kitchen inside the kitchen.”
Continue reading...Beloved by chefs and home cooks alike, gas burning stovetops come with drawbacks for human, financial and planetary health
Nikki Phillips has made a living cooking in strangers’ kitchens. As the co-owner of a catering company, Shared Affair, she always makes a request before arriving at a client’s home. “I … ask for a picture of the stove, so I know what we’re dealing with.”
If the photos show the clapped out coils of an older electric stove, she goes straight to plan B. “I just bring gas burners with us. I don’t even bother.” Between portable stoves and hot box ovens “we can set up a kitchen inside the kitchen.”
Continue reading...If you have extended up and out, now’s the time to turn your attention downwards. The good news is basement conversions can add between 10-15 per cent to your property’s value, according to Savills. They can add much needed living space, or even be rented out as a separate flat, making them a nice little […]
The post Basement conversions: 11 questions you need to ask if you’re planning on digging down appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
Roomier rural houses are selling quickest, says Zoopla, with buyers prioritising space
Demand for houses has soared since the lockdown ended, according to a report from Zoopla, with three- and four-bedroom houses with space to work from home particularly popular.
Properties are selling far faster than before the pandemic struck, the report said, as buyers flooded back to the market. The amount of time a home is put up for sale before it finds a buyer has fallen to just 27 days since restrictions were eased, compared to 39 days over the same period in 2019.
Continue reading...Tucked away in a pretty row of houses above a famous town is this little gem ripe for rejuvenation by the right buyer. The Grade II-listed property, thought formerly to be a gardener’s cottage, is in Glastonbury in Somerset, a short walk from the Tor in probably the historic town’s most desirable location. It is […]
The post Favourite fixer upper appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
Thatched homes don’t come much more beautiful or in better condition than this – with stunning landscaped gardens to boot. Woodlands is a Grade-II listed cottage in the renowned Dorset village of Milton Abbas. It is for sale with a guide price of £625,000 and is marketed by Greenslade Taylor Hunt, Dorchester at OnTheMarket. A […]
The post Star property over £500,000 appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
This beautiful village cottage is an absolute steal and will make a lovely home for whoever takes it on next. The two-bedroom property sits in the heart of the village of Weedon Bec in Northamptonshire and retains character features while boasting a garage/workshop and a private south-facing garden. It is for sale with a guide […]
The post Star property under £250,000 appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
Opening a shared account when you’re renting can take away the stress of splitting the monthly outgoings. ‘Providing all parties have good credit history, a joint account for paying bills is the easiest way to neatly manage finances in a rented property,’ says Mustard estate agents, which covers Milton Keynes, Towcester and beyond. But there […]
The post Renting with friends? What you need to know about joint accounts appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
Then read up on growing your own food on a window ledge, and separate strawberry runners
Plant this In late summer, globe thistles (aka Echinops) are delightful nectar bars for pollinators, but after a season or two they turn into hulking plants not suitable for the average border. Echinops ritro ‘Veitch’s Blue’ is an exception, only reaching a height and spread of 90cm x 45cm. Perfect for a sunny wildlife patch.
Read this If you are intimidated by books on growing your own food, Claire Ratinon’s new book How To Grow Your Dinner Without Leaving The House (£12.99, Laurence King) is just the thing to overcome your fears and find out just how much you can grow on a balcony or window ledge.
Continue reading...Then read up on growing your own food on a window ledge, and separate strawberry runners
Plant this In late summer, globe thistles (aka Echinops) are delightful nectar bars for pollinators, but after a season or two they turn into hulking plants not suitable for the average border. Echinops ritro ‘Veitch’s Blue’ is an exception, only reaching a height and spread of 90cm x 45cm. Perfect for a sunny wildlife patch.
Read this If you are intimidated by books on growing your own food, Claire Ratinon’s new book How To Grow Your Dinner Without Leaving The House (£12.99, Laurence King) is just the thing to overcome your fears and find out just how much you can grow on a balcony or window ledge.
Continue reading...The Government has announced a four-week extension of the ban on evictions for tenants. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick decided to further extend what was originally a three-month ban announced in March. In June the ban was extended for a further two months and the latest announcement on 21 August means the ban will have been […]
The post What the eviction ban extension means for tenants and landlords appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
As a higher rate taxpayer I have been advised that these properties are not tax efficient
Q I get rental income of £1,000 a month on a property which is managed by a letting agent who charges me 12% commission (including VAT). After paying tax at 40% I am left with monthly rental income of £528. My two-year fixed-rate interest-only buy-to-let mortgage costs me £300 a month.
I am looking to buy a family home with my partner soon which would be a second property for me. As a higher rate taxpayer, is it financially sensible to keep hold of my first property or should I sell it asap?
Continue reading...Buying or selling a property is a stressful business at the best of times – add in a global pandemic and moving home becomes an even more daunting prospect. Not only do you now have to worry about your buyer pulling out or the chain collapsing, what happens if you get sick with coronavirus or […]
The post Coronavirus clauses in home buying contracts explained appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
Three ways to keep safe when our much-loved crops revert to their wild old ways
One of the most fascinating things for me as a greedy botanist is quite how different our most commonly cultivated crops are to their wild ancestors. Today’s sweet, seedless bananas are the result of an accidental sterile hybrid of two wild species that are so packed full of ball bearing-like seeds they are essentially inedible. The fat, juicy sweetcorn cobs we know from supermarkets started life as tiny sprigs of rock-hard seeds of a Mexican grass called teosinte. A totally different species. But perhaps the most extreme examples are crops like potatoes and squashes, whose wild relatives are packed so full of bitter toxins that it took thousands of years of selective breeding by farmers to make them edible.
Ornamental squash cultivars are full of toxic compounds
Continue reading...Three ways to keep safe when our much-loved crops revert to their wild old ways
One of the most fascinating things for me as a greedy botanist is quite how different our most commonly cultivated crops are to their wild ancestors. Today’s sweet, seedless bananas are the result of an accidental sterile hybrid of two wild species that are so packed full of ball bearing-like seeds they are essentially inedible. The fat, juicy sweetcorn cobs we know from supermarkets started life as tiny sprigs of rock-hard seeds of a Mexican grass called teosinte. A totally different species. But perhaps the most extreme examples are crops like potatoes and squashes, whose wild relatives are packed so full of bitter toxins that it took thousands of years of selective breeding by farmers to make them edible.
Ornamental squash cultivars are full of toxic compounds
Continue reading...If we cannot build out sideways, perhaps we should try building upwards? That is the thought process which more and more British home-owners are going through. In a crowded urban environment, building a large lateral extension to a property can sometimes be impractical or unlikely to get planning permission. But a loft conversion – provided […]
The post How much value does a loft conversion add to a property? appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
Outside her small terrace is a perfect little green oasis
Post-quarantine coffee (tea for me) and custard tarts in Kala’s rampant garden. I have been looking out over it from my window like an imprisoned prince in a nursery rhyme. Watching her water her plants and grass. Seeing her deadhead.
But here we are for the first time since sowing. Since mid-May, on her birthday, when we always scatter her summer seeds and plant out the root-trainer trays.
Continue reading...Outside her small terrace is a perfect little green oasis
Post-quarantine coffee (tea for me) and custard tarts in Kala’s rampant garden. I have been looking out over it from my window like an imprisoned prince in a nursery rhyme. Watching her water her plants and grass. Seeing her deadhead.
But here we are for the first time since sowing. Since mid-May, on her birthday, when we always scatter her summer seeds and plant out the root-trainer trays.
Continue reading...Rome’s ‘enclave of cool’ provides the ideal location for this light and airy house with an artistic edge
There’s no place like Rome, but if you talk to designer couple Paolo Giacomelli and Roberta Paolucci, the lesser-known neighbourhood of Pigneto is where the creative spirit of the Italian capital is currently flourishing.
The Italian-born founders and designers behind the jewellery brand Iosselliani discovered Pigneto, 5km east of the centre and outside the ancient city walls, in the early 1990s when it was still a sleepy suburb. This was well after the late film director Pier Paolo Pasolini, whose work includes The Gospel According to St Matthew, made it the setting for some of his seminal pieces –but long before the trendy restaurants moved in and the New York Times coined it “an enclave of cool”.
Continue reading...Rome’s ‘enclave of cool’ provides the ideal location for this light and airy house with an artistic edge
There’s no place like Rome, but if you talk to designer couple Paolo Giacomelli and Roberta Paolucci, the lesser-known neighbourhood of Pigneto is where the creative spirit of the Italian capital is currently flourishing.
The Italian-born founders and designers behind the jewellery brand Iosselliani discovered Pigneto, 5km east of the centre and outside the ancient city walls, in the early 1990s when it was still a sleepy suburb. This was well after the late film director Pier Paolo Pasolini, whose work includes The Gospel According to St Matthew, made it the setting for some of his seminal pieces –but long before the trendy restaurants moved in and the New York Times coined it “an enclave of cool”.
Continue reading...Fears that Covid eviction ban, though welcome, is allowing rent arrears in England and Wales to snowball
An extended ban on evictions will fail to prevent a damaging increase in homelessness without urgent emergency measures to protect renters, according to a coalition of church leaders, councils and charities.
Renters in England and Wales were given a reprieve last week when the ban, initially due to come to an end this weekend, was extended for a month. However, there are already warnings that the ban is masking a snowballing problem of rent arrears among those hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Continue reading...Put the effort in now and you’ll be harvesting your tasty leaf vegetables in the spring
Summer is nearing her final bow: stems arch with the weight of seeds, others topple with exhaustion. There are only a few things left to sow now: winter lettuces are worth the effort, though they won’t be harvested until the end of March and early April next year, as growth slows to a standstill over winter.
Continue reading...Rajat Jindal fell in love with gardening as a child, but it was only when he bought a tiny thatched cottage later in life that he could finally indulge his passion
There is a photograph of me, aged four or five, pushing a lawnmower, wearing smart, red, leather shoes. It was taken at our home in Durham, about a year before my father died. Although it’s clearly a posed shot, I like to think it shows an early interest in gardening.
My parents had emigrated from India in 1955. Following my father’s death in 1967, it was assumed my mother would return with me and my brother. Instead, she immersed herself in her work as a doctor and in gardening. By 1972, we were living in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with half an acre of land.
Continue reading...Put the effort in now and you’ll be harvesting your tasty leaf vegetables in the spring
Summer is nearing her final bow: stems arch with the weight of seeds, others topple with exhaustion. There are only a few things left to sow now: winter lettuces are worth the effort, though they won’t be harvested until the end of March and early April next year, as growth slows to a standstill over winter.
Continue reading...Rajat Jindal fell in love with gardening as a child, but it was only when he bought a tiny thatched cottage later in life that he could finally indulge his passion
There is a photograph of me, aged four or five, pushing a lawnmower, wearing smart, red, leather shoes. It was taken at our home in Durham, about a year before my father died. Although it’s clearly a posed shot, I like to think it shows an early interest in gardening.
My parents had emigrated from India in 1955. Following my father’s death in 1967, it was assumed my mother would return with me and my brother. Instead, she immersed herself in her work as a doctor and in gardening. By 1972, we were living in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with half an acre of land.
Continue reading...Giving an underused garage a makeover can unlock precious space in your property – and increase its value. OnTheMarket has these seven top tips for getting your garage conversion just right. 1. Give it some thought It’s worth spending a bit of time thinking about what you want to use the extra room for. “The […]
The post Seven tips for the perfect garage conversion appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
It’s time the government delivered on its pledge to end ‘no fault’ notices that allow landlords to throw people out on the street
The housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, pledged in March that no renter who had lost income due to coronavirus would be forced out of their home and introduced a ban on evictions in England and Wales. On Friday, after growing pressure from housing charities, MPs, legal experts and local authorities, the government extended the ban for four weeks.
Postponing eviction proceedings will keep renters in their homes for now, but it’s just a sticking plaster. The number of private renters in arrears in England is double what it was this time last year, and for some the rent debt will keep racking up. The furlough scheme is coming to an end, unemployment continues to rise and benefit payments are insufficient to cover average rents. Without extra protections thousands of renters are at serious risk of losing their homes when the ban ends.
Continue reading...Landlords have certain responsibilities to their tenants by law, just as tenants have to fulfil their side of the bargain. If you are renting a property, it is important to know what your landlord must do and what your responsibilities are. The rules are there to protect both parties and ensure a mutually beneficial arrangement. […]
The post What is my landlord responsible for in my rented property? appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
We would like to hear from people who are moving to smaller towns or more rural areas and what their reasons are
Are you planning on moving out of a city?
Some have noticed an increase in people wanting to move out of cities amid an increase in home working and a desire for more outside space.
Continue reading...Announcement imminent on protections for tenants who’ve fallen behind with payments
Renters facing eviction after falling behind on rent during the coronavirus pandemic are awaiting an imminent government announcement that could provide some with a reprieve.
The housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, is poised to announce new details about the scheduled lifting of the ban on evictions this weekend after councils, charities and doctors warned it could spark a wave of homelessness.
Continue reading...Eco-friendly technology could potentially replace concrete and revolutionise sector
Scientists have developed a method to 3D-print greener buildings using local soil that they say has the potential to revolutionise the construction industry.
The technology is designed to be a sustainable alternative to concrete, which accounts for approximately 7% of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.
Continue reading...From a rugged rock pool filled with sea water at high tide to a high-tech Endless pool in the garden
Continue reading...From a car park near Heathrow to the water features of a Wirral biscuit factory, an astonishing variety of postwar living landscapes and buildings are being awarded protection. Is this a revolution?
Think of England’s listed gardens and your mind conjures up visions of rolling Capability Brown landscapes, stately home lawns flanked by herbaceous borders and yew hedges clipped into crisp geometric formations. You probably don’t think of the ponds outside the old Jammie Dodgers factory in Moreton on the Wirral, or the car park of a 1980s business estate near Heathrow airport.
But Historic England and the Gardens Trust want you to think differently. These two unlikely sites are among a fascinating new list of 20 postwar parks, gardens and landscapes that have been added to the protected national register this week, in an eye-opening move that might make you look again at an innocuous bit of verge or a concrete bench.
Continue reading...From a car park near Heathrow to the water features of a Wirral biscuit factory, an astonishing variety of postwar living landscapes and buildings are being awarded protection. Is this a revolution?
Think of England’s listed gardens and your mind conjures up visions of rolling Capability Brown landscapes, stately home lawns flanked by herbaceous borders and yew hedges clipped into crisp geometric formations. You probably don’t think of the ponds outside the old Jammie Dodgers factory in Moreton on the Wirral, or the car park of a 1980s business estate near Heathrow airport.
But Historic England and the Gardens Trust want you to think differently. These two unlikely sites are among a fascinating new list of 20 postwar parks, gardens and landscapes that have been added to the protected national register this week, in an eye-opening move that might make you look again at an innocuous bit of verge or a concrete bench.
Continue reading...Have you discovered a family of bats living in a house you want to buy? Estate agent Hennings Moir talks us through the implications of living with these uninvited guests. Dos and don’ts when it comes to bats Bats are an endangered species and are protected by law, which means it is a criminal offence […]
The post A guide to dealing with bats in the attic appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
Selling your home quickly and for the right amount is about giving your property the edge over others. Major conversion projects, such as excavating basements or building conservatories, take time and money but they can yield excellent returns. Loft conversions, for example, can add up to 15 per cent to a property’s selling price. But […]
The post Ten ways to add space and value to your home appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
19 August 1930: The prisoners do all the gardening themselves and voluntarily go to lectures and classes when the weather is rainy
Gardens tended by women detained in Holloway Prison is a dream of Miss MD Stubbs, of the National Gardens Guild, that has come true. Inside that grim place for wrong-doers are three big gardens where summer flowers are in bloom, bringing their fragrance to beautify the drab prison life.
Only a short time ago one of those gardens was a dumping ground for coke; another was a rubbish heap; and the third consisted of a long strip of rough grass having a sycamore tree, a wasp’s nest, iron railings, and a drain pipe.
Continue reading...19 August 1930: The prisoners do all the gardening themselves and voluntarily go to lectures and classes when the weather is rainy
Gardens tended by women detained in Holloway Prison is a dream of Miss MD Stubbs, of the National Gardens Guild, that has come true. Inside that grim place for wrong-doers are three big gardens where summer flowers are in bloom, bringing their fragrance to beautify the drab prison life.
Only a short time ago one of those gardens was a dumping ground for coke; another was a rubbish heap; and the third consisted of a long strip of rough grass having a sycamore tree, a wasp’s nest, iron railings, and a drain pipe.
Continue reading...This new four-part series shows the rapid changes occurring in Manchester city centre, humanely profiling the winners and losers of its redevelopment
Where is Sir Titus Salt when you need him, eh? Your mileage may vary of course, but despite the strenuous even-handededness of the opening of Manctopia: Billion Pound Property Boom (BBC Two), it would, I suspect, have been hard for most of us not to yearn for a world in which capitalism could expect to be fettered if not by a strong, egalitarian-minded government (I know, I’m laughing as I type) then at least by idiosyncratic blends of philanthropy, Christian duty, moral obligation and practicality, occasionally embodied in rich and powerful individuals.
The new four-part documentary series about the massive redevelopment of Manchester city centre – where the population has doubled to 60,000 since George Osborne announced his “northern powerhouse” plan in 2014 – followed the stories of people emblematic of the haves and the have-nots. With every pocket of still-affordable housing that is razed and every luxury high-rise that goes up, these two groups are becoming even more distinguishable, with the series illuminating the effects of gentrification – especially in its fastest, most forcible form – on a region.
Continue reading...It’s important to ask your estate or letting agent the right questions when you search for a property to rent. “Competition can be fierce and time tight in the rental sector, so it is crucial to have your finances in order and be able to move quickly,” says Kate Eales, Head of National Lettings at […]
The post Ten key questions to ask an agent when looking for a home to rent appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
To avoid house price inflation, congestion and pollution, we need to rebalance the way we live and move, writes Dr Nicholas Falk
Simon Jenkins is right to say that the future of Britain’s economy rests in its towns, and I would add suburbs (The age of the office is over – the future lies in Britain’s commuter towns, 13 August). Unfortunately this will add to house price inflation, social disparities, congestion and pollution unless action is taken to mobilise under-used land close to railway stations and other infrastructure.
Such sites can lie vacant for decades, while housebuilders focus on easier and more profitable sites in the countryside (as can be seen around Stroud where I am writing from). The solution does not lie in more roads, but in using the Covid-19 crisis to rebalance the way we live and move. This could in turn provide a much-needed boost to our struggling economy.
Continue reading...We need to fix our roof and luckily my partner’s mother has offered us some money
Q We are in a very lucky position, and this is a nice problem to have. My partner’s mother has decided to retire early, inspired by the time she’s had to reflect during lockdown. As part of this she is selling her mortgage-free home in London to move out of the city. From the proceeds of this she wants to give us money to clear our existing mortgage. We only bought the house a year ago, and while this was a possibility for us in the future, we had expected her to be working for another three to five years.
This will finally help us to get round to actually doing some of the renovations our home needs (primarily a roof that doesn’t leak to start with). What we are unsure of is how our mortgage lender would see this, and if it’s best to clear the whole thing and apply for a new mortgage for £30,000 to £40,000 to cover the cost of renovations and so dramatically reduce our monthly payments over a 10-year term. Our house is currently worth about £200,000.
Continue reading...There’s nothing more soothing and relaxing than the presence and sound of gently running water in the garden. Whether it’s a tranquil reflective pool or a fountain, water can add a wonderful sense of serenity to any outdoor space, providing lovely movement and sound. But there are other benefits to being around water, too. Much […]
The post Ten tips for adding water to your garden appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
The pandemic has ‘rewritten the rulebook’ as pent-up demand boosts the market, says Rightmove
The housing market has had its busiest month in more than 10 years, with the traditional summer lull replaced by a flurry of activity from buyers and sellers, according to the property website Rightmove.
The site, which typically lists about 95% of homes for sale in the UK, said the “rulebook has been rewritten”, with the boom fuelled by pent-up demand during lockdown accelerating as the summer has progressed.
Continue reading...There’s still much to do on the allotment – and just time to sow some late-summer salads
Two weeks now playing catch up. Fire-fighting: hours at the weed-face, hoe in hand. Some speed is of the essence. I rip out the tired tear peas, a bit too pallid now and exhausted, like me. I pick through for dried pods to save seed. I leave the two hazel structures. I am still craving the height. Not ready yet to pack the summer wigwams away. I have hopes for hand-high morning glory.
Visits are twice a day, early and late, most days. Hoeing, weeding, feeding, no longer standing totally straight. A penance of sorts, paying in the hours I owe. The plot is a stern taskmaster. I wish for an osteopath.
Continue reading...There are a number of hoops to jump through in the process of securing a mortgage and getting an agreement in principle is one of the most important. Here, independent mortgage broker John Charcol explains everything you need to know. What is a mortgage in principle? A mortgage in principle, also known as an Agreement in […]
The post What is a mortgage in principle? appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
There’s still much to do on the allotment – and just time to sow some late-summer salads
Two weeks now playing catch up. Fire-fighting: hours at the weed-face, hoe in hand. Some speed is of the essence. I rip out the tired tear peas, a bit too pallid now and exhausted, like me. I pick through for dried pods to save seed. I leave the two hazel structures. I am still craving the height. Not ready yet to pack the summer wigwams away. I have hopes for hand-high morning glory.
Visits are twice a day, early and late, most days. Hoeing, weeding, feeding, no longer standing totally straight. A penance of sorts, paying in the hours I owe. The plot is a stern taskmaster. I wish for an osteopath.
Continue reading...A slick marketing scheme might not appeal to a generation priced out of home ownership
Maybe it shouldn’t come as such a huge surprise that Generation Rent… rents. John Lewis has unveiled a furniture rental service, starting at £17 a month for a desk or chair for 12 months. Similarly, Ikea announced last year that it was looking into furniture rentals and a system of environmentally friendly customer returns, embracing the circular economy.
Maybe, like me, you’re thinking: “Eh?” The rent-everything revolution has passed me by, though it’s fashionable big business. It’s not just about homes and furniture, it’s cars, technology, clothes, music, vacuum cleaners, blenders… anything! Unsurprisingly, as much as this is ideological it’s rooted in economics: home ownership is at a record low among 25- to 34-year-olds. In the UK and the US, more people are renting homes than at any point in the past 50 years, with tenants moving regularly. People either can’t afford or don’t desire Forever Furniture. Conceptually, the idea of home has morphed from ownership to flexibility and turning impermanence into a positive.
Continue reading...This striking concrete house in Mexico City is full of local artists’ furniture and artwork
What does a house from the future look like? The Mexican sculptor and architect Pedro Reyes thought long and hard about what it means to build a house in the 21st century, away from a canon of modernity, classical styles and fleeting trends. He and his wife, fashion designer Carla Fernández, also wanted to avoid the usual type of architecture you find in Mexico, because “so much of it ends up looking the same”.
The result is this “future cave” – an amalgam of modern and ancient, where brutalist architecture is made from concrete in varying degrees of coarseness and yet the human hand, visible in layers of centuries-old, artisanal craft – furniture, artwork – is also evident. Minimal this is not.
Continue reading...This striking concrete house in Mexico City is full of local artists’ furniture and artwork
What does a house from the future look like? The Mexican sculptor and architect Pedro Reyes thought long and hard about what it means to build a house in the 21st century, away from a canon of modernity, classical styles and fleeting trends. He and his wife, fashion designer Carla Fernández, also wanted to avoid the usual type of architecture you find in Mexico, because “so much of it ends up looking the same”.
The result is this “future cave” – an amalgam of modern and ancient, where brutalist architecture is made from concrete in varying degrees of coarseness and yet the human hand, visible in layers of centuries-old, artisanal craft – furniture, artwork – is also evident. Minimal this is not.
Continue reading...My love of gardening is a constant comfort and has a deep resonance with my family’s history
When lockdown began, the forget-me-nots were blooming in the garden, a sea of pale blue. The lilac tree, too, was flowering, and the clematis I’d planted. They filled the air with scent as I sat outside on an unusually sunny April day, feeling fortunate to have this rented outdoor space, and thinking about my family, not knowing when I would next see them. These flowers all hold some significance for me – a lilac tree grew in the garden of my childhood home, as did clematis. There’s a photograph of me, aged about six, in a puff-sleeved dress, in front of a mass of pale pink blooms. In these strange times, the emotional resonance of plants has never felt more powerful.
The forget-me-nots came from my 86-year-old maternal grandmother Jean, my last remaining grandparent. They were the first thing I planted in this garden, four years ago. I have lived in the flat for almost a decade, but it was only in the summer of 2016 that we finally found the energy and enthusiasm to clear the 8ft-high knot of brambles. I was suffering from agoraphobia as a result of post- traumatic stress disorder, and my world had shrunk. So my then boyfriend, now husband, built me a garden. During that year, when I was frightened all the time, this sanctuary became my entire world. And so, during the pandemic, it has come to be again.
Continue reading...My love of gardening is a constant comfort and has a deep resonance with my family’s history
When lockdown began, the forget-me-nots were blooming in the garden, a sea of pale blue. The lilac tree, too, was flowering, and the clematis I’d planted. They filled the air with scent as I sat outside on an unusually sunny April day, feeling fortunate to have this rented outdoor space, and thinking about my family, not knowing when I would next see them. These flowers all hold some significance for me – a lilac tree grew in the garden of my childhood home, as did clematis. There’s a photograph of me, aged about six, in a puff-sleeved dress, in front of a mass of pale pink blooms. In these strange times, the emotional resonance of plants has never felt more powerful.
The forget-me-nots came from my 86-year-old maternal grandmother Jean, my last remaining grandparent. They were the first thing I planted in this garden, four years ago. I have lived in the flat for almost a decade, but it was only in the summer of 2016 that we finally found the energy and enthusiasm to clear the 8ft-high knot of brambles. I was suffering from agoraphobia as a result of post- traumatic stress disorder, and my world had shrunk. So my then boyfriend, now husband, built me a garden. During that year, when I was frightened all the time, this sanctuary became my entire world. And so, during the pandemic, it has come to be again.
Continue reading...Dahlias breed unpredictable colours, but their seeds flower in their first year – and the tubers liven up soups and salads
With many supermarket dahlia tubers, you are taking a leap of faith that the image on the packet matches the contents. My Lidl purchases this spring have turned out a tad more acid-coloured than the picture suggests (but they are enjoying this summer and flowering their socks off).
One way to get round this, if you’ve grown dahlias this year, is to save some of the seed to grow next year. The mantra with dahlias is to endlessly deadhead to keep them flowering. It’s easy enough to spot the spent flower buds, which are pointy, from the unopened ones, which are blunt. So from the end of this month, you could leave a few spent heads to set to seed.
Continue reading...Get ready to combat cranefly larvae and listen to Melissa Harrison’s nature podcast
Plant this Hardy geraniums are gutsy ground cover plants that stand up to all kinds of abuse, including periods of drought, while blooming all summer long. Cultivar ‘Ann Folkard’, with its magenta and black flowers, and ‘Rozanne’, with violet blooms, are hard to beat. Height and spread: 60cm x 60cm.
Control this Beating back a cloud of craneflies (aka daddy longlegs) tapping at your windows is a pain, but the greater damage is done by their larvae, which develop under the surface of lawns and can cause brown patches. Now is the time to act: Nemasys Natural Leatherjacket Killer, is a biological control that’s watered on to the lawn in September.
Continue reading...Dahlias breed unpredictable colours, but their seeds flower in their first year – and the tubers liven up soups and salads
With many supermarket dahlia tubers, you are taking a leap of faith that the image on the packet matches the contents. My Lidl purchases this spring have turned out a tad more acid-coloured than the picture suggests (but they are enjoying this summer and flowering their socks off).
One way to get round this, if you’ve grown dahlias this year, is to save some of the seed to grow next year. The mantra with dahlias is to endlessly deadhead to keep them flowering. It’s easy enough to spot the spent flower buds, which are pointy, from the unopened ones, which are blunt. So from the end of this month, you could leave a few spent heads to set to seed.
Continue reading...Get ready to combat cranefly larvae and listen to Melissa Harrison’s nature podcast
Plant this Hardy geraniums are gutsy ground cover plants that stand up to all kinds of abuse, including periods of drought, while blooming all summer long. Cultivar ‘Ann Folkard’, with its magenta and black flowers, and ‘Rozanne’, with violet blooms, are hard to beat. Height and spread: 60cm x 60cm.
Control this Beating back a cloud of craneflies (aka daddy longlegs) tapping at your windows is a pain, but the greater damage is done by their larvae, which develop under the surface of lawns and can cause brown patches. Now is the time to act: Nemasys Natural Leatherjacket Killer, is a biological control that’s watered on to the lawn in September.
Continue reading...Coronavirus has made us all think about where our money is going. Here are everyday things you can do to make a difference
Even before the coronavirus crisis hit, many of us were starting to think harder about how we spent our money. Now, with incomes squeezed for some and the pandemic putting the spotlight on the most vulnerable sections of society, there is even more cause to consider where your cash is going.
Here we look at some simple switches you can make and the retailers that use your money for good, or run their operations in a sustainable way. From teabags to toilet roll, via a move to a greener energy firm, we have focused on everyday spending. The list is not exhaustive but you may find there are some small changes you can make that will help your money make a positive impact.
Continue reading...Coronavirus has made us all think about where our money is going. Here are everyday things you can do to make a difference
Even before the coronavirus crisis hit, many of us were starting to think harder about how we spent our money. Now, with incomes squeezed for some and the pandemic putting the spotlight on the most vulnerable sections of society, there is even more cause to consider where your cash is going.
Here we look at some simple switches you can make and the retailers that use your money for good, or run their operations in a sustainable way. From teabags to toilet roll, via a move to a greener energy firm, we have focused on everyday spending. The list is not exhaustive but you may find there are some small changes you can make that will help your money make a positive impact.
Continue reading...Around a quarter of new mortgage approvals are now based on a couple’s joint earnings so financial issues involving a relationship break-up are extremely common. Relationship break-ups are sadly a fact of life. They can be messy and if the couple breaking up are living together, and co-signatories to a mortgage, the messiness can increase […]
The post What happens to my joint mortgage if I separate from my partner? appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
Renters searching for a new home are allowed to visit properties to view them but must ensure their viewings are conducted as safely as possible. Although the the rental market was re-opened by the Government in May, some renters might be nervous about viewing properties and about letting people in to look around their current […]
The post What renters looking for a new property need to know appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
Hundreds have invested between £100 and £150,000 in eco-friendly HAB Housing
The Grand Designs presenter, Kevin McCloud, could be facing a fresh crisis after it emerged that his flagship housing company may be at risk of being forced into insolvency.
Were that to happen, it would deal a heavy blow to the hundreds of small shareholders who invested between £100 and £150,000 each in the eco-friendly homes business, and who have already had to contend with plenty of bad news.
Continue reading...From an Art Deco flat on the banks of the River Thames to a detached Suffolk house
Continue reading...The rise in home working has thrown city centres into crisis. If I were in the property game, I’d buy anywhere with a cathedral
Is the office dead? Not an office, which everyone needs, but “the office”, the institution, the corporate HQ, the great overhead in the sky. Just as once the farm gave way to the factory and the factory to the desk, so technology transforms the nature of work. At the turn of the 21st century the digital revolution shrank offices to tiny screens. From then on offices have lived on borrowed time. Coronavirus has called their bluff. But has bluff also been called on the office’s sovereign domain, the city centre?
When in March Boris Johnson ordered Britons to “stay at home”, I heard a death-knell sound. So shocking was this fear-based lockdown that a new Morgan Stanley survey shows that even now only 34% of British office workers have gone back to work. This compares with 76% in Italy and 83% in France.
Continue reading...The new 2020/21 tax year started on 6 April, bringing in several new tax changes that affect buy-to-let landlords. These include an end to the old system of mortgage interest relief and changes to capital gains tax (CGT) payment deadlines. Here’s OnTheMarket‘s rundown of the changes that landlords should be aware of. Capital gains tax […]
The post The tax changes buy-to-let landlords need to know about in 2020 appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
Resolution Foundation warns that coronavirus pandemic will widen pre-existing inequalities
First-time buyers in Britain will struggle to get on the property ladder even if the coronavirus recession triggers a collapse in house prices, a leading thinktank has warned.
Sounding the alarm after Britain’s economy plunged into the deepest recession since records began, the Resolution Foundation said house prices could fall by more than a fifth by summer next year.
Continue reading...We would like to hear how the coronavirus pandemic has changed the meaning of home for you
In the months since the pandemic began, our experience of home has, in many cases, changed profoundly. We would like to hear about these changes.
Perhaps you live in a studio flat with your partner, and have suddenly both had to work from home – how has that changed your relationship? Maybe you have a lot of flatmates who you have grown to know much more deeply due to time spent together during lockdown.
Continue reading...We would like to hear how the coronavirus pandemic has changed the meaning of home for you
In the months since the pandemic began, our experience of home has, in many cases, changed profoundly. We would like to hear about these changes.
Perhaps you live in a studio flat with your partner, and have suddenly both had to work from home – how has that changed your relationship? Maybe you have a lot of flatmates who you have grown to know much more deeply due to time spent together during lockdown.
Continue reading...Empty properties don’t tend to attract the same level of attention as furnished properties and are often overlooked by would-be home buyers. Despite this they can offer many benefits – here are five top tips on what to consider when viewing empty properties. Don’t let the photographs put you off While it is true that […]
The post Five top tips for viewing empty properties appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts
Is it my imagination, or are the blackberries ripening earlier and earlier each year?
Lexi Lennard, London SE20
Continue reading...The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts
Is it my imagination, or are the blackberries ripening earlier and earlier each year?
Lexi Lennard, London SE20
Continue reading...Buying and selling houses inevitably comes with highs and lows. A particular low can be when buyers drop out. But what should you do if the worst happens? And how can you be in the best position to prevent it? Identify the issue and deal with it A sale could fall through for a number […]
The post What to do if your buyers keep pulling out appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.
