6 places you might find asbestos in your home

Asbestos is very well known as a dangerous materials that has been banned from use in construction since 1999 in the UK. So if you have bought a home, you might think that there is a very low chance that you will find asbestos on your property. But according to reports, there is around a…

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Which is the better bathtub – steel or acrylic?

When you’re designing your bathroom, choosing the right bathtub should be a pleasure, not a chore. But while you’re admiring the myriad of beautiful bath shapes and designs available in showrooms such as this one, how do you know which is the best material to go for? The two main materials that bathtubs are made…

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NFB says: NPPF review is a step in the right direction

The Government has published the consultation document on the revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The document, made up of 17 chapters, formulates 43 questions tackling the local plan-making process and some of the more prominent barriers to growth. There are revisions to design, services, transport, climate change, local economy, and the green…

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From Policeman to Property Market Entrepreneur

From Policeman to Property Market Entrepreneur: An Interview with Nick Marr, co-founder of TheHouseShop.com From fighting crime to fighting property fees, Nick Marr is the ex-policeman who left the force to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams of starting his own company. Nick has run multiple property websites throughout his career, gaining his estate agent qualification from…

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What effect will PRT’s have on Edinburgh Festival Lets

There are no grounds in the PRT that give landlords or letting agents the ability to evict a tenant to enable a property to be rented out for the Festival. The usual practice of securing Festival tenants in January, February and March will no longer be possible from 2019 with the uncertainty of tenants’ plans.…

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Will fresh funding deliver for coastal communities?

Crowded beaches - Clacton-on-Sea in Essex

The Government has announced that the fifth round of the Coastal Communities Fund (CCF) in England is open for expressions of interest. The fund, which has seen 295 projects benefit from a total of £174 million in grants since 2012, will make £40 million available between April 2019 and March 2021. Only projects worth more…

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The New Letting Landscape in Scotland

On 1st December 2017 new legislation came into effect that changed the way landlords and tenants enter into lease agreements. From that date, all new tenants moving into rental properties in Scotland have to sign a Private Rental Tenancy Agreement (PRT) instead of a Short Assured Tenancy (SAT) agreement. The major difference between the agreements…

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London Housing Slump hands Foxtons a 65% dive in profits

“We are pleased to have delivered a performance in line with market expectations. However, sales activity in the London property market is near historic lows and this had a significant impact on our overall performance in 2017.” Comments by Nic Budde who joined Foxtons in 2005 as its Chief Operating Officer. Full report can be read here…

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The ValPal Network to launch new “cost-positive” products to members

The ValPal Network (TVPN) has announced a new range of products alongside its already renowned instant online sales and lettings valuation tool, with an aim to make membership into The ValPal Network cost-positive. Used by over 4,000 agency branches nationwide, the ValPal tool converts an estate agent’s website traffic into vendor and landlord leads, of…

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WORK BEGINS ON 75 NEW AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR CRAIGMILLAR

new build homes colchester essex

Work has begun on 75 much needed new affordable homes at Greendykes in Craigmillar. This follows yesterday’s budget meeting of the City of Edinburgh Council where councillors agreed to a £700m capital investment plan over the next five years to build new homes on sites across the city as well as modernising existing Council homes.…

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Wales need to do more to attract talent into the construction industry

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) predicts that the construction industry in Wales will grow faster than any other party of the UK. According to CITB, the Welsh construction industry will create 12,250 new jobs between 2018 and 2022. Demand will be particularly high for wood tradespeople, interior fit out staff and service based roles…

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How is the high street coping with online agents?

footfall falls

When I opened my own full service ‘online’ agency 6 years ago, I knew that there was an opening for something different. My opinion was somewhere in between the fully optimistic “the high street is dead” and the traditional “sellers want local offices” as I believed that there was room for both, in various forms,…

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Why Does A London Business Address Hold Such Power?

There are a number of reasons why London hosts 40 percent of the European headquarters of the world’s top companies. Despite the high prices, the congestion and the weather, businesses large and small are choosing to base their operations here. But why does this fantastic city still hold so much weight in the business world?…

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