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Archive for the ‘Advice’ Category

This winter has caused much of the country to suffer from disruptions such as road travel, air travel and problems with public transport. It has also been said that it’s not been this cold since the 1930’s so places that don’t really see much snow on the UK have been hardest hot as they simply never have this extreme weather. On top of all the things we have had to contend with a major problem has been flagged with many of the nation’s central heating system. If you haven’t heard of the latest uproar then prepare yourself.

It has been 5 years since Labour approved and encouraged home owners to upgrade their boiler systems to condensing boilers and since 2005 it has been illegal to install anything but this. To date there are around eight million condensing boilers that have been fitted to upgrade previous boilers and every year more than a million are scrapped and upgraded. Condensing boilers are said to reduce carbon emissions and reduce fuel bills so as this as an incentive homeowners have been swayed to upgrade.

During this recent spell of bad weather a major flaw has been found with them with energy suppliers reporting an increase of house holders calling up with problems regarding their boilers. British Gas reported 60,000 visits in one area alone. During the seasonal holidays calling out a plumber can be as much as £300 not including VAT.

So what is the problem with condensing boilers in winter?

Simply put the waste pipe that carries waste water from the back of the boiler out of the property is freezing solid because of the extreme cold weather. As a result of this the boiler cannot function and will not heat radiators or provide hot water. It can cause permanent damage and shut down the system altogether, what’s even worse is the older style boiler doesn’t have this waste pipe and lasts much longer than condensing boilers.

In 2008 a scrappage scheme for boilers was introduced, it offered people around £400 towards the cost of a new boiler if they had the old one replaced, meaning perfectly good older style boilers were ripped out. Millions of home owners jumped at the chance as the government and salesmen made it sound too good to be true, along with the promise of saving money on bills and recuperating the cost in just a few years.

In reality if you put aside the freezing waste water pipe problem it doesn’t make good economical sense because a top of the range boiler costing in excess of £2000 will take ten years to pay for itself and they do not last that long! Condensing boilers are supposed to last at least 10 years but you’d be lucky if it lasted you half that time, the older boilers were still going strong at 20 years. It has been said by plumbers that if a condensing boiler was to break down after 4 years it would be better to get a new one than try to fix it as the parts are too expensive and don’t really justify a repair.

As a result of this finding it makes sense to keep your existing older style boiler and have it serviced yearly and as long as it continues to do its job well then there is no need to fork out up to £2000 for a new one. Until your old boiler breaks down completely it makes sense to keep using it as the condensing boiler is more trouble than its worth.

As we get further into the winter months many people will find that the jobs that they put off during summer months were a mistake and many easy DIY jobs will now make winter even more unbearable. Broken or old window seals, unlined curtains and doors with gaps should be maintained throughout the year as when the cold winter months arrive there is not much to do or fix as the cold makes us very lazy.

Here are some tips on keeping the home warm during the cold winter months

Make sure that curtains are lined, unlined curtains are cheaper but lining can be purchased and added to make it bulkier and thick. Having heavy curtains will keep draft out and keep the heat in when the heating is on.

Make sure there are no gaps around or under any doors, use an old towel or buy a draught excluder to make sure cold air cannot get in through under the door.

Check window seals to see if they are broken or missing, you can put temporary seals around the window that will last the winter until they are replaced properly.

Put up cling film or a clear shower curtain to retain heat around defective windows.

Keep all doors closed especially if not being used, just one door with a small draught can make the house cold and cause the heating to be ineffective.

Carpets and rugs are good insulators and will keep the house warmer for longer, if you have wooden or laminate flooring having even a small rug can make a difference.

Make sure the attic has been insulated and boarded this will make a difference as heat rises and will escape from the roof. By making sure it is boarded and insulated heat will take longer to leave and keep the upper floor warmer.

When the heating is not on use a blanket and drink warm beverages such as tea, coffee and hot chocolate. This will keep you warmer for longer.

Lighting even a small candle will emit heat and keep a small room warm; the same applies to appliances that retain heat such as the television, oven and cooker.

There are many little tips that can help keep you and your house warm during the winter months some may sound silly but they can work even if it is a short term solution. Share your tips if you have anything to add and help keep the nation warm.

The last five years has seen an increase in unoccupied housing being seized by squatters, unfortunately it would seem that squatters have more rights to a property than the home owner does. There is very little you can do to remove them without going to court and spending a small fortune in eviction notices. If you are successful you then have the financially draining task of having to re-decorate and furnish the property as most squatters will not bother to clean or keep the property in good shape.

The most worrying trend that seems to be sweeping across the UK is foreign settlers that ‘house watch’ when they find a house that is unoccupied they quickly move all their belongings in, change the locks and take over. Squatter’s rights only seem to cover those that move into a property that is vacant but worryingly houses have been seized when it is occupied. There have been reports of unsuspecting people going about their daily lives of working, going to the shops and going on holiday only to come back and find that people have moved in, changed the locks and claiming the house as theirs.

The police only usually get involved if they have broken in or caused criminal damage, if they managed to find a way in without causing any damage then you will need to have a backup plan. It is extremely disheartening to know that you could go to work in the morning and come back to find that your house has been taken over by low life. Usually squatters are those that cannot afford to pay rent, drug dealers, alcoholics and students are then most common squatters. Then there are tenants who stop paying rent and then claim squatter’s rights.

If you do find that you are a victim of squatters then seek advice immediately don’t let them get too comfortable. Most people will say burn the house down, threaten them or break in but if they were to call the police you would be in trouble not them as you would’ve been the one to make the first move. It’s unfortunate that at the moment there is no law in place to protect homeowners so here are a few things you can do to deter squatters:

• Have a timer that will switch on the lights automatically every now and then
• If you have a good neighbour ask them to go in and check the post and draw curtains etc
• Always make sure the windows and doors are locked, you may need additional security
• Install security cameras or an alarm you can get them at your local DIY store and do it yourself
• Put up signs saying ‘no trespassing allowed’ or ‘CCTV in action’ these can also deter squatters and thieves
• Instruct a security specialist to look after you property when vacant, they can also board up the property using steel rather than timber

Takes steps to look after your property whether it is your family home or a let property.

Ovens are one of the hardest of kitchen appliances to clean, you can easily spend a hundred pounds finding the perfect cleaning solution to solve your dirt and grease problems but in the end you may find that one is not enough to do the job. Most householders do not use their oven as often as their hobs but even if you do not use it that often grease and dried out food can still be left behind when cleaning. The hardest part of cleaning the oven is probably removing the grease build up on the outside and the inside of the oven.

All cleaning products offer to remove grease effortlessly and with one application but the reality is it needs a good scrub and even then you will need more solution. I for one have bought 6 different cleaning products to rid my oven of grease but so far none have come close to getting rid of this grime.

When all domestic cleaning products fail you there is only one solution, call in the professionals. In most cases ovens get so dirty to the point you don’t want to use it because of laziness, many people do not clean it straight after using and let it sit for days to come. This makes the problem worse as dried food will only be reluctant to budge and new grease will build up on whatever was there before. Sometimes a good clean is only needed once a year to help you kick start the cleaning routine, but in some cases you may find that it needs doing on a regular basis.

If you have a house that is being let to students or short term leases then you may find that after each tenant moves out the oven will need a thorough clean before being in an acceptable state to be let out again. In this case you will get your money back through rental income. If you are selling your house and have neglected your oven then once again professional cleaning can also help you make a sale by showing care and clean surroundings.

Professional oven cleaning

With so many companies promising affordable prices you will also need to check that the company is reputable and have a good client history. Some may charge less but not provide a thorough cleaning whereas some small companies will provide a good service. It’s worth asking your neighbours for a good reliable company and going on the internet to find reviews from other consumers before you accept a quote. Don’t be bullied into accepting your first quote and don’t fall for offers such as ‘this weekend only special value’ they want you to accept as soon as possible, get a few quotes and compare before agreeing.

As house prices continue to decline, a sneaky way for sellers to recuperate losses is to literally strip the house base of any essentials they can to take to their new home or sell on. When you are in the process of buying a house usually you (as a buyer) will be supplied with an inventory of what the house will be sold with such as fixtures and furnishings. Of course the seller will not be very thorough and list all light fittings or brass doorknobs from room A to Z so it is up to you to go over the inventory with a fine tooth comb to make sure that everything is included.

Homebuyers that have bought homes under the asking price have been shocked to find that silly things have been taken by the previous owners as a way of begrudging the new owners of the reduced sale price. These include light bulbs and light fittings, toilet seats, door knobs, grass and even light switches. It may seem funny to those who haven’t experienced this but after splashing out £500,000 on a detached property, you would expect the light bulbs and toilet seat to still be in place.

Unfortunately unless you have the time and money to take the previous owners to court there is little that can be done; this is why it is extremely important to make sure that no small item is left out when asking about the inventory.

The opposite has happened to many other homebuyers; they have moved into a house that still had rubbish left in such as unwanted furniture and junk. In some cases the buyer has had to shell out hundreds of pounds on skips to get rid of the previous owners junk.

As this has been happening from the 1990’s it was much worse back then as people use to rip out the radiators, boilers and brass fittings and sell as scrap metal to make a few extra pounds. In a way house stripping has gotten worse as people have gone to extreme lengths to recuperate their losses by ripping out the carpets, wooden flooring, all premium sockets and light switches such as those which are chrome plated. It looks like this problem will only get worse as the housing market continues to fluctuate and sellers look for alternative ways to make a profit.

Here are a few cases of extreme house stripping in the last few years:

• A seller who had to sell his £500,000 house at a 15% loss took with him his £20,000 log cabin as a way of recuperating his losses
• Another seller who sold his £3 million pound property with a golf course slashed the price by 15% so he could take all the lawn from the golf course with him
• A Victorian house seller took out all the original and antique toilet seats and brass door knobs
• And angry seller who did not make a profit stripped out all the light fittings and light bulbs leaving all the ceiling wires exposed

If this trend continues to grow, people may find that buying a house is more hassle than it’s worth and stick to selling or opt to buy new properties only. It’s a shame that the housing market has caused so much loss to the owners of properties that they have to resort to stripping a house bare to make a profit.

Grass is very strong and can survive harsh winters when there is severe frost and snow. Very rarely will you see that your lawn has patches where the grass has stopped growing or even vanished.  An example of having a patch where no grass grows is if you have left something on it that would suppress growth like a piece of wood or lid from the bin. You will also be left with a patch if you have a pond in the garden that you later remove, once you fill the hole the grass will not automatically grow back.

How can you patch lawn?

The best time to patch lawn is between spring and autumn but by doing it in autumn you can guarantee that it will have grown by the following summer as opposed to doing it in spring and waiting for it to grow.

If you decide to patch lawn then there are two easy ways to do so. Method one: using lawn seed. Sow seed into the patch that you would like new grass growth then rake over. You can aid germination by covering the area with a piece of polythene plastic.

Method two: using turf. Cut out the area of lawn to be patched and rake the soil until its even, add topsoil if required and cover with a piece of turf.

Depending on the size of the area that needs to be patched it shouldn’t take long to patch. Make sure you aid growth by watering regularly and use a good quality lawn food to ensure grass stays healthy. It is only worth patching lawn if a small percentage of it is affected, so if you 60% or more of lawn is affected then it’s better to re-do the whole area. If 40% or less of garden lawn is patchy then it’s worth re-patching.

As many parts of the country is experiencing a severe drought the use of lawn sprinklers are banned at the moment, but this doesn’t mean your lawn should suffer. You can still use lawn food and a watering can instead of a hose or sprinkler. Lawn food can also help parts of lawn that do not seem to be growing as well as other places. You can also use lawn food to encourage growth and healthier looking lawn.

Home Information Packs (HIP’s) were first introduced in August 2007; they were originally for houses with four bedrooms or more and were eventually required for houses with three bedrooms or more as of September 2007. The reason home information packs were brought in was to show clearly how energy efficient a property is, all previous planning permissions for changes made to the home, searches on the property i.e. sewerage and water. The idea was to show buyers a short summary of the property before committing themselves to buying a property.

Although this was introduced in 2007, not many people have actually ever seen a home information pack for a home they have bought or a home they have sold. In fact when I bought my property the estate agent said it was unnecessary to see it as my own solicitor would be making the same searches before I purchase the house. A home information pack was supposed to cost as little as £350 but in most places they are selling them from £500 – £1000 which is just another added expense homeowners do not need. At the beginning of the recession, many people were put off by the legal requirement to purchase a home information pack and as a result of this the amount of homes being put on the market was less. So due to the competition of too many buyers and not enough sellers, the housing market was booming and prices were rocketing to ridiculous asking prices. Estate agents then began to include a HIP for free as an incentive for homeowners to start selling again, but this was only short lived.

HIP’s suspended May 2010

Thankfully as of May 21st 2010 the legal requirement for home information packs have been suspended. So this means that all homeowners will now save an estimated £700 when they come to sell their home as they no longer need a home information pack. They will however need to have an energy performance certificate. An energy performance certificate is basically a report that shows how energy efficient a property is on a rate of A to G, things like age; size and location of the property are taken into consideration. There are also recommendations that are given so you can improve the energy efficiency of a home. If a house has very poor energy efficiency certificate, then this can give the buyer ground to further renegotiate the cost of the property to include the work that needs to be carried out to make it more energy friendly.

Most people do a good spring clean between March and June; this is because over the Autumn/Winter months we tend to neglect a lot of house hold chores due to the cold and shorter days. Spring cleaning at least once a year is a good way of de-cluttering and removing dust that piles on during the winter when we tend to stay home more. When cleaning, there are many places we seem to miss out but by doing it occasionally you can keep your home cleaner for longer.

Spring cleaning tips and tricks

• There are always people who advertise their window cleaning services, have it done at least twice a year to keep windows gleaming and dirt free.
• Clean the tops of the kitchen cupboards first before doing the floors and work surfaces; put some newspaper or paper to reduce the stickiness that will build up over time due to cooking.
• Have separate cleaning cloths for everything: windows, furniture, work surfaces and cookers. Buy cheaper brands so you can throw them away after a few times of using to reduce germs and bacteria spreading.
• Remove plinths in the kitchen and vacuum under it.
• Hire a carpet cleaner and thoroughly clean at least once a year
• Move furniture around and mop to remove fade marks and stains that form around furniture.

De-cluttering

As time passes by, we get lazier to put things back in their place, so you will find that the dining table is housing all sorts of junk. When you come to look for that important bill to pay or want to check a statement you have no idea where to start. Try not to let yourself get into the habit of just piling things in the same place. Have a bookshelf for books and important documents. Don’t leave too much out on kitchen worktops because if they get too crowded, you will forget where you’ve put something when you really need it. Get into the habit of keeping everything together such as spices, tinned food, cereals and snacks; it makes life so much easier when they’re out of sight.

Keep the bedroom tidy by having a laundry hamper for dirty clothes and a basket for clean clothes. Encourage children to make their own beds and to put away everything after taking it out. Donate clothes to charity as much as you can to avoid ‘hoarding’ clothes you won’t wear again.

There are advantages and disadvantages to having a gas hob or an electric hob. To make a better decision you need to ask yourself a few questions about your cooking style before deciding. Below are a few things to consider:

Gas hob vs. Electric hob

Gas is so much quicker at cooking food

If you have a spill, you can clean it up straight away without having to leave it to cool down

Gas is easier to control and won’t burn the outside rim of a pan

Gas hobs are cheaper to run than electric

Why you shouldn’t buy an electric hob

It takes too long to clean because it takes a long time to cool, so food ends up getting stuck

Food takes longer to cook compared to a gas hob

Depending on how much electricity you use, it can cost more than having a gas hob

Due to the positioning of the knobs, the numbers will disappear in time by cleaning products

Having searched forums and asked friends and family, the majority of people tend to prefer a gas hob to an electric hob. Contrary to what most think, gas is cheaper and more economical; electric hobs take time to heat and then too long to cool whereas gas hobs are instantly hot and cool when you lower the temperature making it easier to control.

How to save on a gas hob

Most people decide to change their gas hob when they get a new kitchen. When you have your kitchen designed by a planner, they will try and get you to purchase as many appliances as possible. If you spend over £3,500 they will even throw in a dishwasher. Do not accept, they over price their appliances so when you add them all up you’re paying way over the odds. Have a look at the types of hobs available and even if you see a top of the range designer hob, I guarantee you can get it cheaper elsewhere.

So after you are pleased with your kitchen design and with the appliances, go on the internet and check the hobs availability to purchase. You can get free delivery as well as better prices off internet only companies that save money by not having a shop to run. Save money by getting the gas hob of your dreams today. Remember that there are several types of gas hobs and the cheaper ones will not let pans sit well due to cheap and rushed designs so read reviews before purchasing.

Do you want to add a touch of class and personalisation when decorating your home? The inexpensive and unique way is to buy a wallpaper mural. As we know, wallpaper can be purchased in any colour or design but by purchasing a specific design for just part of a wall you can really add a touch of luxury. Most people do not take the time to make their home unique and show this bit of individuality, so why not take the chance to do something amazing today

How to choose a wallpaper mural and where to place it?

The first thing to think about when purchasing a wallpaper mural is quality, what is it printed on and whether you can return it should it not meet your expectations. When you have found a supplier that meets your requirements, then you can proceed to think about where you would like the mural to be. Some people have a striking mural across a feature wall like a chimney breast, some like to have a attractive mural near the dining area. I have even seen some who purchase corridor murals that stretch the whole corridor passage; you can even have a subtle one for the wall at the top of the stairs. It’s completely up to you to decide where to hand your mural and many of the suppliers have galleries so you can have an idea of what location suits it best.

Children’s wall murals

As we all know children can be quite demanding when they’re old enough to make decisions on how their room should be decorated. Why not purchase a ready-made mural that you just need to glue onto the wall? They are inexpensive and easy to apply and when the children grow out of it, you can always purchase another. Common kids’ mural are princesses, dinosaurs, spongebob, disney characters, underwater marine life etc.

Custom made murals

If you want that extra bit of luxury, then get a custom made mural designed for your home. If you have a favourite picture of you on holiday or a nature picture you took yourself, then have it made into a mural and display it proudly.

Remember you can also get freestanding murals that are affixed to hardback so they can be moved if you decide to change its location. This is also great if you don’t plan on living in the same house for long; also if you have a child’s mural you can give it away or take it with you without having to listen to a tantrum.