2025

Yippee, spring is just around the corner. That means now is the time to get planning and planting for a great garden this summer. Here are three planting ideas that will add a splash of colour and attract wildlife to your garden this year. All these ideas work just as well whether you’ve got a garden or pots, planters and window boxes. Lavender Lavender is one of those amazing garden plants...

Spring is a great time to put your property on the market. If you’re thinking of selling this spring, now is the time to start planning. Here are some practical things you can do this week. Jobs to do outside Problems like dodgy chimneys, slipped tiles and broken or leaking gutters can put prospective buyers off before they walk through your door. As tradespeople like builders and roofers are...

A rise in the number of landlords taking out buy-to-let mortgages shows that the market fundamentals in the lettings sector remain strong. As Chief Commercial Officer of buy-to-let lender Fleet Mortgages, Steve Cox is a numbers man. And after crunching the data released so far this year, he’s given his verdict on the outlook for the buy-to-let (BTL) sector, and it’s pretty positive. In an...

You don’t have to spend thousands of pounds to give your kitchen a lift. Whether you're a landlord, homeowner or home seller, there are lots of ways to give your kitchen a refresh without spending a fortune. Here are some ideas on how to upgrade your kitchen for less than £300. 1. Paint Paint is the single most effective way to transform a kitchen. It’s cheap, easy and you can do it...

New plans to speed up the conveyancing process have been announced. Let’s look at what they involve and if they will deliver. We live in a digital age where banking and investing online are the norm. But it’s a very different story in the world of conveyancing (the legal process of transferring property ownership from one person to another). The system is still primarily paper-based – and...

Most tenancies run smoothly. But when a tenancy goes wrong, it can go very wrong. Conducting a regular property check is one way to head off problems. Why should you inspect your rental? An inspection of your rental is an opportunity to check its condition. You can see how your tenant is looking after your property and identify any maintenance that might be needed. You can also ensure no one is...

New rules on dealing with mould and damp in private rental properties are on the horizon. Here's what landlords need to know. The UK is a (generally) cold and wet country with the oldest housing stock in Europe. So, it's no surprise that problems such as damp and mould can arise in residential properties. This was brought into sharp focus earlier this month when the English Housing Survey...

There are certain milestones in your life when you should consider making a will or updating your existing one – and buying a home is one of them. Why you should make a will Making a will is the best way of ensuring that your home and other assets go to the people you want to have them when you die. In legal terms, a will is known as a last will and testament. Your home and other assets are...

With the online market for second-hand clothes booming, here’s how you can turn unwanted items in your wardrobe into cash. Selling second-hand items online is big business in the UK, with a quarter of Brits using digital marketplaces.* Gen-Zers do it the most. In the last three months of 2024, 53% of 18 to 25-year-olds sold belongings on platforms such as Depop and Vinted. The good news is that...

Landlords need to know about an important government rule change that quietly came into force late last year. Landlords have been warned to keep a close eye out for any new regulations introduced by their local council. The advice comes after new rules making it easier for local councils to introduce selective licensing schemes quietly came into force in December. Due to the timing of the changes...