There is a most definite swing towards buying homes again now.  For a couple of years it seemed that young folk only wanted to rent.  That buying comittment seemed just that little bit too far and of course, at the beginning, there are a lot of set up costs.  When you buy, there are solicitors […]

There can be few things more annoying on a cold and wet Sunday morning than coming downstairs to find the whole of your back fence has collapsed all over the shrubbery.  This nightmare occured here and the fence panels were still attached to each other, and one end was still hanging off the post with […]

Whatever your kind of property, whether you own a tiny flat in a block, or a detached family house on an estate, one or two things remain the same – the need for maintenance and regular checking of it.  One leaking tap can cause problems further down the line if left unchecked.  The same, well […]

It’s a most interesting thing to listen to how various people have bought and sold properties over the years.  Last week I was out to dinner with some chums who have bought and sold houses in France – they’re always full of how much simpler the process is over there.  To give an example, they […]

We are lucky here in the UK.  We have a fair legal system and when you buy a property, you generally get helpful advice from the conveyancing solicitor before you put pen to paper.   The legalities of ownership are wide ranging and it is critical to know where your boundaries are; which are your fences […]

I was out in New York a few years ago.  A relative and I were travelling to and from Houston and found ourselves passing through New York.   We decided to take out one of the best known tourist attactions as we only had two days and wanted to see everything.  So we bought bus tickets […]

Where I live there is an ongoing housing and commercial development of some magniude.  There had been some very old gravel pits on the outskirts of town.  In the 1950s the private owner had the foresight to develop his gravel pits to allow water skiin to take place and the national championships took place there […]

One of the major things about reaching to ‘the age of majority’ was being given the key of the door – usually shown as a yale style, although most young adults would have happily grabbed the back door key also.  There is no such excitement about reaching this very important stage in life now – […]

It’s only when you start getting involved with the historic side of heritage houses that you really appreciate the great architects of the day.  I have connections with one such place not far from my home.  I live in an area very rich with family owned historic properties – several are owned by the same […]

I know of a couple who love living in their very unusual property – it’s a real treasure house of characterful features from the architraves, the cornices in each room.  The outside is just as beguiling, with fancy carved gables over each window casement.  It is in most respects the nearest thing to a Hansel […]