Latest News

The soaring cost of gas has made us all think twice about how frequently we turn on our central heating but no one wants to live in a cold home. In a bid to keep energy bills affordable, many homeowners have gone in search of alternative ways to keep warm.

Stripes, spots, checks and chinoiserie, there are a myriad of patterns you can decorate your home with. As with paint colours and styles of furniture, patterns fall in and out of fashion, so we’ve narrowed down the field for you. Here are the interior experts’ top three pattern choices for spring/summer 2023.

New year, new-look property market? With January complete, signs are emerging of what the buying, selling and lettings trends will be in 2023. Zoopla is first out the blocks, with news on asking prices versus paid for prices.

Viewing a house or a flat is one of the most exciting – and important – aspects of moving home but how you approach the visit can differ, depending on whether you’re renting or buying. Unlike tenants, buyers will be responsible for every inch of the property, therefore any repairs will be their sole responsibility to fund and fix.

The new year has certainly started on an upbeat note for the lettings sector. A survey by Finbri found more than 50% of UK property investors intend to expand their property portfolios in 2023. 

Getting a foot on the property ladder remains a goal for many, especially as every UK region has seen annual rental value growth, according to the latest HomeLet Rental Index. Many may wonder whether 2023 will be a good year to make a property purchase so to steer buying novices in the right direction, here are 5 facts for 2023’s first-time buyers.

The year ahead could be monumental for landlords and tenants. It’s widely accepted that the Government’s A Fairer Private Rented Sector white paper will be adopted before the end of 2023 – and that means renting with a pet will be made easier.

December saw signs that the sales market was regulating. Rightmove’s latest figures revealed the average price of a property coming to market dropped by 2.1% in the final weeks of 2022. This equated to -£7,862, indicating sellers are adjusting their price expectations in line with current sentiment.

Using a professional estate agent to buy, sell or let a property has many advantages and a lesser publicised but extremely important aspect is preventing property fraud. Before you unduly worry, property fraud is extremely rare but because of this, it tends to make the news when it does happen.

The people at Pantone have recently released their colour of the year for 2023 and they plumped for a red called Viva Magenta. It’s a shade Pantone calls ‘brave, fearless, empowering and joyous’.

There is no shortage of online energy guides detailing how to reduce energy consumption and lower fuel bills but much of the advice is aimed at homeowners. While installing solar panels, air source heat pumps and cavity wall insulation are good ideas, they aren’t the sort of home improvements tenants are always able to make.

We have been holding our breath to see how political and economic changes have affected the property market. Thankfully, whispers of a crash have proven unfounded and we much prefer Zoopla’s take on conditions. The portal says we’re experiencing a property market ‘shake out’.