If you think a gym or cinema room is only for a millionaire’s mansion, think again.  If you want to create a guest suite but don’t have a spare bedroom or the cash for an extension, don’t give up on your vision. A garage conversion can add value to your home without eating into your garden. It is generally less …

You can sell your house on The Sims at the click of a button.  But real life is not a video game – and homeowners can find the property market less fruitful. Property experts often hear the question: can I sell my house to the council? The answer is yes, possibly. It depends if it is looking to buy or …

The question – can someone sell my house without my permission in the UK – is a terrifying thought. But that is exactly what happened to one man when he returned home to find it had been stripped of all his belongings.  The house had been sold without the owner knowing after his identity was stolen. He went from homeowner …

‘Love thy neighbour’ says the bible…but the reality is at some point during our lives there’s a very good chance we’ll end up in a not-so neighbourly dispute with a near-by resident.  Noise, pets, partying and parking can all cause aggravation…but it’s boundary disputes that are often the most acrimonious and financially costly for homeowners.  Yes, you can sell a …

Do you know if your property is grounded? Knowing the answer might just save your life. Grounding provides an alternating route for electricity to flow back to the ground if there’s a fault in the wiring system. Without it, there’s a real threat of serious electric shocks and/or house fires. The easiest way to check if your house is properly …

eBay has made selling almost anything online an absolute breeze.  It’s a shame the same can’t be said for selling your home. Estate agents, valuations, solicitors, conveyancing, surveys, searches – it’s enough to make your head spin. Even if your sale is plain-sailing, it can be an expensive, time-consuming and emotionally-draining experience.  We examine the seven most common complications when …

What’s the difference between leasehold and freehold property? Simply put, a person only owns a leasehold property for a fixed period of time. Ownership of the property returns to the ‘freeholder’ or landlord once the lease ends. A freehold property you own, along with the land it is built on, for an unlimited amount of time. Leasehold properties explained Unlike …

What’s the first thing that springs to mind when you hear the word ‘sun’? Whatever your answer is, we can pretty much guarantee it’s not the UK. And yet despite our less than charitable British weather, solar panels are becoming an increasingly hot topic. That’s because, even with a significant initial outlay, solar panels can help us to reduce the …

Think of the word “humidity” and your mind is most likely transported to far-away tropical lands filled with lush, dense rainforests. And yet this atmospheric phenomenon can commonly be found wreaking havoc in UK households all year round as well. High humidity in the home is caused by excess moisture in the air that’s unable to escape. Contributing factors include …

There are plenty of costs to consider when selling your home. Estate agent fees, solicitor fees, searches (land registry, local authority searches etc) and removal fees can all mount up. It will probably come as a relief, then, to learn that paying tax on the sale of your property isn’t an additional expenditure to factor in. Sellers can be subject …