Millions having to choose between paying rent and eating, poll suggests

Renters’ unions call on government to suspend rents for duration of coronavirus crisis

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Renters’ unions are calling on the government to suspend rents for the duration of the coronavirus crisis, as research suggests millions are having to choose between paying landlords or putting food on the table, or have already been forced to leave their homes.

Polling conducted last weekend, after rent payments came due for many renters for the first time since the coronavirus shutdown began to affect incomes of people across the country, showed many renters were either already in or on the brink of crisis, with one in six forced to seek extra financial help to stay afloat.

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No soil, seeds or space? No problem! A beginner's guide to growing vegetables

It’s possible to help keep your household stocked with fresh greens, even if you don’t have a garden. Here’s how to get started

Fears of coronavirus-induced shortages have sparked a desire to grow our own food, but getting hold of supplies isn’t easy when popping to the garden centre is out of the question. Here’s how to overcome some of the common obstacles to harvesting your first crop.

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No soil, seeds or space? No problem! A beginner's guide to growing vegetables

It’s possible to help keep your household stocked with fresh greens, even if you don’t have a garden. Here’s how to get started

Fears of coronavirus-induced shortages have sparked a desire to grow our own food, but getting hold of supplies isn’t easy when popping to the garden centre is out of the question. Here’s how to overcome some of the common obstacles to harvesting your first crop.

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My flat sale has been delayed by the government's freeze on the market

Everything was ready to go, but the buyer wants to delay because of the coronavirus advice

Q This is an awfully privileged question and I’m sure many will view my situation with glee. I am an “accidental” landlord. In order to be chain free when buying a home with my husband, I decided not to sell my small flat which I have rented out for the past few years.

I put the flat on the market in January with a view to selling before the end of the tax year to avoid the huge rise in capital gains tax that I will have to pay when the allowance disappears. However, due to the government clampdown on transactions I have now missed the deadline to exchange before 6 April. Everything was ready but, quite fairly, the buyer wanted to wait as per government advice. (My property is empty as my tenants moved out to make way for the buyer.) So I am now stuck with the mortgage to pay, the council tax and a bigger tax bill if the sale eventually goes through.

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We paid £14,000 to a developer even though our house purchase collapsed

Redrow insists on keeping the cash for upgrading an unbuilt home after coronavirus sinks deal

Earlier this year, we agreed to buy a newly built home in Kent from the developer Redrow. We had sold our home and all was proceeding well. Having come under considerable pressure to agree some upgrades, we paid almost £14,000 upfront for granite kitchen tops and Siemens appliances. We were told that this would enable the purchase and completion to go through on time.

Within hours of the coronavirus lockdown starting, the person who had agreed to buy our house pulled out. With no possible way to find a new buyer in the current climate, we, in turn, have had to withdraw from the Redrow purchase.

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Eight top tips for off-grid living Nottingham Estate Agents

Living off-grid is that great dream of self-sufficiency which burns strongly in many people. Here, OnTheMarket looks at how you can make it a reality. Off-grid living explained Why be reliant on state-run utilities for water and electricity when, with a bit of effort, you can generate your own? Why drive to a supermarket to […]

The post Eight top tips for off-grid living appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.

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When the party starts: a home to lift the spirits

Festivities are on hold at this double-fronted home. But zingy colours, playful details and a bubbling hot tub mean it’s still a house of fun

Their friends will tell you that Paul Price and Fletcher Cowan know how to throw a good party. In summer it’s not unusual to find at least 100 guests spilling out, brimming margaritas in hand, from the kitchen of their north London home into the garden with its bubbling hot tub. Those previral bashes are, of course, on hold for now. But even without the revellers, here’s an interior to lift the spirits. The tutti-frutti carpets, lagoon-blue cocktail bar and walls bustling with modern art add up to a home that’s sociable – and comfortable.

Price and Cowan are quick to credit the interior designer Peter Mikic with the exuberant effect. They all met, inevitably, at a dinner party. Before founding his business 10 years ago, Mikic used to run a fashion label. Price is the CEO of a luxury fashion brand and Cowan, who presents a fashion show on US channel E!, studied fashion at Central Saint Martins. So the three share a taste for art, colour and unpredictable juxtapositions.

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