It was Tom and Barbara in the 1970s, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in the 1990s, and now it is the turn of post-lockdowners to search for a slice of the good life. Driven by a desire to gain space and avoid the masses in Sainsbury’s by cultivating a degree of self-sufficiency, urbanites are queuing up to buy … [Read more...]
Coast Clear for Buyers
From the South West of England to West Wales and the Scottish Isles, enquiries about coastal homes have soared over the past few months in lockdown. It is not just the usual spike of holiday home hopefuls either. A good proportion of the people are at least thinking of moving to the coast to improve their work life … [Read more...]
Why a ‘home office’ has become the make-or-break feature of a house sale
From the bookish clutter of Robert Peston’s North London eyrie, to Prince Charles’s reassuringly chaotic desk at Clarence House, lockdown has afforded us a strangely intimate insight into the working-from-home ways of many household names. But with 77% of us having no intention of returning to an office when this … [Read more...]
Stamp Duty Deadline Extended
The Government has extended the three year period in which you need to sell your previous home after buying a new one in order to claim a refund for the stamp duty surcharged on second home owners. This surcharge is the extra 3% owners of more than one property have to pay and has bee brought in in recognition of … [Read more...]
Moving to the country: History repeats itself as urbanites flee virus-hit cities for rural retreats
History is repeating itself as city-dwellers flee to the countryside to escape the density of virus breeding grounds and lack of outdoor space. Just as the miasma theories of the 1800s led to the creation of parks as a ‘vital lung’ in London and the well-to-do sought to escape the “Great Stink”; urbanites in the … [Read more...]
First Time Buyers’ Guide to Buying a House
… It is finally time to start viewing properties. This is the fun part, but don’t get carried away. “Having waited so long to save a deposit, it’s important not to rush the final decision — take your time when viewing a house and try to resist the pressure to commit before you’re ready,” says Ben Leonard, chief … [Read more...]
Narberth, Pembrokeshire Named Best Place to Live in Wales
Don’t expect to get your shopping done in a hurry here — and not just because of the abundance of riches on the high street in this captivating little town. There are goodies available that you just won’t find in any other small town (or most big ones, or a fair few cities): Ultracomida has a marvellous range of … [Read more...]
Live in Isolation
Coronavirus, the budget, Brexit, Megxit... Has it all got a bit too much? If you need to make a hasty escape, there are plenty of picturesque places to disappear to in the scattered collection of islands we call home. From a coastal cottage that can be reached only by boat to a grade I listed John Nash mansion tucked … [Read more...]
