General news
Latest General news
'Relaxed and spacious' dominating interior design trends
The major interior design trends in the UK are for relaxed and spacious plans that allow plenty of room and avoid clutter, one expert on the subject has noted. Alex Albiol Prades, designer at Docauk.com, said he has noticed a growing trend for larger areas and more open-plan elements, particularly when it comes to designing bathrooms and bedrooms. The expert noted that ...
27th Jun 2012
'Always use an expert' for major property work
People considering carrying out major improvement work on their property should always use an expert to complete the task, unless they are a qualified builder themselves, it has been advised. Ryan Notz, chief executive officer of MyBuilder, said that something like a conservatory is "certainly not a DIY project". Conservatories generally fall into permitted ...
26th Jun 2012
General news archive
Double glazing 'offers remarkable energy savings'
Switching from single glazing to double glazing offers remarkable energy savings that every homeowner should take advantage of, it has been observed. Phil Turley, business manager for Kommerling UK, said that double glazing has been the single best means of improving energy efficiency, reducing heat loss and lowering gas and electricity bills "for some years". ...
20th Jun 2012
'Everybody' can do DIY
Property owners hoping to improve their home interior have been advised to give DIY a go, with one expert claiming that anybody can carry out home improvement tasks to a certain extent. Jason Orme, editor at Homebuilding & Renovating, said that the country's adults are gradually refraining from attempting DIY, which means they are spending far more money on ...
20th Jun 2012
One in ten people 'focused on mortgage saving'
One in ten people in the UK are currently focused on saving towards their mortgage, according to the latest report. New research from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks has today show that a tenth of homeowners are planning to remortgage, pay off or make overpayments to their mortgage in the next 12 months. People in the Midlands are most likely to review their arrangements, ...
15th Jun 2012
Council tenants 'could face eviction' under new rules
New government proposals could see council tenants faced with eviction if they do not agree to pay increased rents. The new 'pay-to-stay' scheme is set to be unveiled by housing minister Grant Shapps and will see high-earning council tenants forced to either pay more to remain in their property or face eviction. The aim of the move is to ease the pressure on social ...
13th Jun 2012
New measures to protect homeowners from rogue tradesmen
The government has introduced new measures that will help to protect UK property owners from rogue tradesmen and help to clampdown on so-called 'cowboy builders'. Under the measures, introduced by communities minister Andrew Stunell, tradesmen who operate under self-check schemes, which allow them to assess their own work, will be required to meet higher standards. ...
11th Jun 2012
Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank offer fee free mortgages
From today (June 11th) Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks are aiming to boost conditions for first-time buyers with the launch of a fee free mortgage offer. Each bank has arranged to waive arrangement fees for customers looking to take a new mortgage or switching to Clydesdale or Yorkshire Bank before July 14th, with the organisations claiming it will represents a saving of ...
11th Jun 2012
New mortgage information rules approved
The Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee has approved proposed new rules to ensure that house buyers are properly informed before taking on a mortgage. Under the proposals, house buyers would be offered mortgages that are tailored to their needs, while the rules would ensure that their creditworthiness is properly assessed. In addition, buyers who fail to repay a loan ...
8th Jun 2012
The average Brit 'will move house 8 times'
The average person born in the UK will move house a total of eight times during their life, but will not end up too far from where they started, the latest report suggests. Research carried out by Bosch showed that people will travel 32 miles during each move, and eventually will live in a house that is 63 miles away from their birthplace. It seems that people stay true to ...
1st Jun 2012