Many of us have shopped around for the best prices on our gas and electricity bills in the past. However, some schemes may not be the great deals they look initially.
As the prices of gas and electricity have risen over recent months more utility operators have begun offering long-term fixed rate deals.
With the cont...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010Many years ago Christmas was all about family; and presents, although required, were a small affair. In most households the most expensive present was likely to be a bike or train set.
Nowadays, however, the scene is different. Although family is still important in these modern times the presents have changed dramatic...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010Home insurance companies are warning that the targets of petty theft are changing as thieves no longer have to nab a stereo or TV to make crime pay.
Instead, the growing numbers of high cost portable electronic devices in the nation's pockets are becoming the main objects of crooks attention, say home insurance firms....
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010All those who thought that they had made a smart move by relying on home insurance to cover their house 24/7 for 365 days of the year should do a reality check. There is a caveat in what home insurance promises.
Home insurance companies are warning that up to 561,000 homes which owners have left believing to be fully ...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010When the winter comes around most of us think nothing of turning up the heating to keep the house warm. But for some this is just not an option, these are people who are in so called ‘fuel poverty’.
Fuel poverty is defined as when a household is forced to spend more than ten per cent of total income to hea...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010There are many reasons why we move house. Your family is expanding and you need more room or the kids have finally flown the nest and you are downsizing to release equity to cover your retirement. It is not something many of us relish as it is expensive and time consuming. Plus there is all the old rubbish in the loft ...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010Many of us remember when a garage was used to store a car and maybe a few of Dad’s tools and DIY gear. Nowadays, however, with the increasing size of cars and the decreasing size in garages the vast majority of us now put our cars on the drive and use the garage as effectively a big cupboard.
Unfortunately, this...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010Would we all know what to do in the event of a fire in our homes It seems many of us would not according to a recent study.
Over five million adults in the UK live in property with no fire safety devices such as smoke alarms, fire extinguishers or blankets, warn home insurance firms.
Every year 11,500 injuries are c...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010When times are hard many of us seek to improve our current homes rather than moving to a new one. Perhaps we need more room as the children get older. Or maybe an elderly relative has to move in for long term care. We spend quite a bit of time in our houses and so we want them to be as pleasant an environment as possib...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010With the house buying market still turbulent it has been increasingly difficult for first-time buyers to get their foot on the property ladder. However, it seems that more and more young people are turning to their nearest and dearest for financial assistance.
Government figures have revealed first time buyers are ask...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010When the weather is cold we automatically turn up the heating and don’t think about the bill until it arrives. However it seems that we can do something about the bill before it becomes too much of a burden.
As homeowners face another threatened rise in gas and electricity rates, Which , the consumer watchdog, h...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010Many of us can do simple DIY jobs from changing a light bulb to unblocking the sink and even putting up a shelf. However, for more ambitious jobs obviously we would have to ‘get a man in’.
It is true to say that most of us would prefer to rely heavily on word of mouth when it comes to getting a handyman in...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010Despite being persistently portrayed in the popular press as the generation that loves to 'Ski' and ‘Spend the Kids Inheritance’ two million retired people are finding other ways to avoid inheritance tax.
One in five say they plan to avoid heavy death duties from eating into their property and savings by d...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010Scotland is launching a major campaign on fire awareness amid fears that increasing numbers of people will be drinking and smoking at home now that smoking is banned in public places.
A recent report by the Scottish fire services revealed that matches and cigarettes started 46 per cent of all house fires in the countr...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010In any normal UK home there are always a few DIY jobs that need to be done. It may be that a wall needs painting, or a shelf needs to be put up or maybe a light-fitting has to be changed. DIY, like barbequing, has traditionally been seen to be in the domain of the man of the house. However, now it seems that women want...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010For most of us the summer months mean endless mowing the lawn and weeding and never seeming to get time to just sit in the garden and enjoy it. However, for many people in the UK their garden is where they spend most of their time, forever trimming and pruning and planting to create the perfect green space.
With an in...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010Those of us who have a car dread the yearly renewal of our insurance policy. It's endless checking and rechecking of details and working out which is right for us. However, it is worth doing as it could be saving us pounds every year. Unfortunately we spend all that time getting the right policy for the right price the...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010As every homeowner knows the cost of running a household can be almost as much as paying the mortgage. Whether it is a bijou studio apartment or a rambling 60 bedroom mansion the same bills come through the door every month.
The cost of maintaining a home over the course of a year has risen, new figures from recent re...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010Many of us have seen picturesque little hamlets whilst driving through our glorious countryside. Mostly made up of ancient, tiny cottages often with thatch on the roof and roses round the door. This may seem like a bucolic ideal by many in the UK, but you can end up paying a sharp premium for the privilege without the ...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010As many of us are feeling the pinch perhaps moving to a new home is not an option. So more and more of us are fixing up our existing homes to make them a nicer place to live. As a nation of DIY lovers it is no surprise then that we are spending more on our homes than ever before. Spending on DIY in the UK has rocketed ...
16:36 Mon 24th May 2010
