Deposit Protection Is Failing Tenants: What You Need to Know
Rent (or tenancy) deposit protection schemes are designed to protect the deposit amount that tenants pay landlords when they move into a property. The deposit is supposed to be reserved for repairs to damage or replacement of lost (or stolen) items. It is also supposed to be returned to tenants when the tenancy ends. This […]
Read MoreGovernment Tells Landlords: Green Up & Improve Energy Efficiency
2016 has been a heck of a year for landlords, and there are still 4.5 months to go. The latest is the revision of the government’s energy efficiency policy for landlords. It’s illegal for landlords to rent any property that doesn’t meet Band E energy requirements come 2018. Furthermore, they won’t get any help paying […]
Read More7 Critical Factors That Affect Your Home Insurance Rates
How much are you paying for home insurance, and what can you do to reduce insurance rates? Insurance providers, much like the homeowners themselves, want less risk. In a sense, their confidence in the homeowner is reflected in the cost of the insurance premiums. As such, anything you do to make your property more secure will […]
Read MoreWhat New Landlords Need to Know About Energy Performance Certificates
Energy efficiency is one of the most important issues of our time, and it’s an issue that the UK government takes very seriously. In 2008, legislation regarding energy performance certificates (EPC) gave landlords incentives to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. If you’re looking to get into the landlord business, you need to be […]
Read MoreHow To Choose A Reputable Contractor For Home Renovations
There is little Brits love more than a good home renovation. This is evident in statistics released by Zopa following a survey of over 1200 people who’ve qualified for home improvement loans. One of the biggest findings is that most Brits renovate so that they can create their dream home. The intention is not to […]
Read MoreDiscover How Home Maintenance Affects Home Insurance Claims
Many first-time homeowners aren’t prepared for the work required to make their houses well-maintained and habitable. They also don’t realise that home maintenance is not just a matter of aesthetics or practicality. It’s also necessary to ensure the validity of home insurance claims in the event of some sort of disaster. According to statistics from […]
Read MoreLandlords Benefit From Massive Growth In Retirement Rentals
What do you want to do with your retirement years? Do you want to indulge your love for travel? Do you want to live close to your children and grandchildren? Would you prefer a quiet life in the country? Whatever you want to do, you have to make one important decision: Are you going to […]
Read MoreDiscover How Your Claims History Impacts Your Home Insurance
Buying a home is the dream, but actually having a home is an expensive business. Every month we dutifully pay for home insurance so when a disaster happens, we can claim and replace household items. Unfortunately, claiming from your insurance just once will have an effect on any future claims, no matter the reason for your claim. […]
Read MoreRenovating Your Home? It’s Critical You Remember Insurance
Are you thinking about renovating your home, even doing something relatively simple like remodelling your kitchen cupboards or making your bathroom en suite? Whatever renovations are on the cards, you need to take care of one detail first. Inform your home insurance provider of your intentions. It’s essential that your home insurer knows what your […]
Read MoreDiscover If Your Listed Property Is Suitably Insured?
Listed buildings are a treasure and often have hundreds of years of fascinating history lending to their character. Life is complicated for listed property owners when they want to buy insurance. This is thanks to a tangle of red tape that average homeowners never consider. What Insurance Do Listed Buildings Need? Listed buildings require non-standard […]
Read MoreForced Into Mortgage-Linked Home Insurance? You Can Say No!
Thirty percent of home buyers in the UK believe they have to buy home insurance from their mortgage provider. This is according to recent research by Gocompare. Home insurance is compulsory for most mortgage lenders, and most mortgage lenders offer home insurance products. You should know that you can shop around and choose the best deal for you. […]
Read More4 Simple Tips to Keep Your Drains Smelling Fresh as Daisies
Ew! What is that smell?! It must surely be coming from outside. No, wait… It’s the bathroom drain. There must be something in the kitchen cupboard to stop the smell. What? It’s in the kitchen, too! What is going on? Neighbourhood kids’ prank? Someone’s mother is getting a very stern phone call. So Why Do […]
Read MoreWhat’s Safe To Put In Storage Units (And What Isn’t)?
One of the most common questions people ask when it comes to self-storage is what exactly they can put in storage units? It’s not a foolish question. The penalties for storing prohibited items include fines, confiscation of items and if you’ve really fallen foul of the law, prison. The answer is that you can put […]
Read MoreSelf-Storage Tips To Help You Find Safe Facilities
The self-storage industry in the UK is growing rapidly, but it is still officially unregulated. This means consumers need to be very careful so that they don’t get taken for a ride. The good news is that some facilities take their customers’ best interests very seriously. They have voluntarily joined a self-regulating code of trading […]
Read More5 Reasons Why Your Freezer Keeps Defrosting
Most freezer models today have a self-defrost option, i.e., the freezer defrosts periodically without any action on the part of the owner. But if you notice that your freezer keeps defrosting more often than normal and fails to keep food frozen, it may be due to the following reasons. 1) Incorrect Thermostat Settings Sometimes the […]
Read MoreCollapsible Mobility Scooters – The SureMag Review
No one could argue that mobility scooters aren’t a godsend, allowing people with a mobility-related disability to remain independent as they transport themselves from A – B. Transporting mobility scooters, on the other hand, can be a painful experience, especially if you’ve got a large deluxe machine. Fortunately, many of the modern, lightweight travel mobility […]
Read MoreTimber Frame Houses: Common Problems and Treatment
Timber frame houses may not be as popular in the UK as some other countries in the world, but that seems to be changing with stats showing that at least a quarter of new home builds use timber frames. There are many advantages to choosing a timber frame, for example, they retain more heat than […]
Read MoreHow To Choose An Electrician
When some electrical wiring in your home goes phut, it can be quite tempting to try a quick DIY fix using pliers and insulation tape. This is, of course, an exceptionally bad idea because not only could you bring down your house’s whole electrical system but you could also die (according to Electrical Safety First, […]
Read MoreWill Your Insurance Pay For Storm Damage To Your Roof?
Storm damage has been a regular topic in the news in the UK over the past few months, particularly in the south of England. As a result insurance claims have been multiplying, mostly through water damage. However, although it’s been mostly the foundations of homes and furniture that’s been damaged by the storms that cause […]
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