Image Source. Licensed under Creative Commons. Are you being woken up by things that go bump in the night? Don’t worry – your home may not necessarily be haunted. Many strange sounds can be logically explained and may be signs of problems in your home that have until now gone undetected. Banging Banging noises are some of the most alarming. If the banging is coming from within the walls, check whether it’s linked to times when people are using running water – it’s possible that the mysterious sound could be ‘water hammer’. This is the most obvious explanation and occurs when water ... read more
Preparing our home for winter
This is the first winter that we will have spent in this house. Our first winter in our family home. This time last year we were battling a lack of central heating in a rented flat and were limited somewhat on what we could do to make a cosy home. This time around we can do what we want, and need, to ensure that our baby will be coming home to a warm family home next month. Some jobs are bigger than others, but they all contribute towards making sure our house is winter ready and with a new family member on the way it's exactly what we need to crack on and do. Insulation We moved ... read more
Invite Natural Beauty inside Your Office with Richly Colourful Poinsettias
Nothing reminds of ‘Christmas is round the corner’ more beautifully than the presence of Poinsettias. This tropical plant chooses to bloom at that point of time. With the festivities arriving, Poinsettia is the perfect addition you need to have in your indoor and outdoor landscaping design. The plants come in different shades and colours and not only just the 'red and white' also known as 'Santa suits'. There are many varieties of Poinsettias for you to choose from. 'Ice Crystal', 'Pink Candy', 'Ice Punch' are some of them. The Tropical Festival Reminder Although used mainly as a ... read more
Top tips for selling your home
When it comes to selling your home, there’s always a strange, mixed bunch of emotions – we’re excited for pastures new, relieved to have finally taken the steps to make such a momentous decision, nervous about whether or not you’ll get your asking price and even a little sad to be moving on. But selling your house can also be hugely overwhelming…so roll up those sleeves: there’s so much to do before you sign your name on that dotted line and close your old front door for the last time. Here we’re going to focus on how you can help potential buyers see that your old home could be their new ... read more
#EcoverLaundry challenge – the stealth approach
Laundry. I'm pretty sure it breeds in my house. One minute I've got the washing basket empty and then the next time I look it's full again. How is that even possible? I try my best to stay on top of the washing, but at times it is just impossible. At the moment we're living in a tiny little rented flat and whilst it came with a washing machine, we don't have a tumble dryer or even a washer dryer like I used to have in my last house. Luckily the block of flats does have a communal drying area - a square area that is zig-zagged with washing lines and surrounded by high walls. Amazingly it ... read more
An alternative way of heating your home with a pay monthly boiler
Without meaning to, I think I've become a bit of an expert recently on all things utility based. The last few months have seen me become a dab hand at working my way around comparison sites, understanding tariffs and contract options for gas and electricity, and also learning many of the phone keypresses that are needed at various utility companies to actually get to talk to a human being there rather than a computer. As we're currently in a rented flat I've not had to worry too much about the actual mechanics of how we're heating our home, but we're hoping to buy again in the New Year that ... read more
Review: Thomas the Tank Engine Bedding
"Mummy! When can we go on a train again?" That's the question I hear more often than anything from Master C. He is train obsessed at the moment and seems to like nothing more than us using the family railcard to go somewhere on the Thameslink line, mainly just so he can look out of the window and be all excited about actually being on a train. One of his favourite trips has to be to go just up the line to Luton, as he knows that once there there is a perfectly positioned Starbucks where he can sit in the window and watch not only the trains, but also the buses in the next door bus station ... read more
Property – Your options explained #MoneyHangout
Property. A house. A flat. A roof over your head. Your place. Home. Whatever you call it, everyone needs somewhere to live and for most of us it is our biggest expense. But finding somewhere to live isn't always straightforward, and depending on what your particular situation is I'm sure there are lots of things you want and need to know going forwards. That's where Legal and General are hoping to help with the next in their excellent MoneyHangout series - Property - Your Options Explained. Just following questions that I've seen asked online recently I know that there are people ... read more
Understanding pensions with #MoneyHangout
It's a couple of weeks now since I took part in Legal and General's #MoneyHangout about pensions and retirement finances and to be honest I'm still trying to digest all the valuable information I learnt and act on it. There I was trying to pay attention during the hangout and be ready to ask my question on cue, and instead I found myself furiously scribbling notes as it was so useful! Just to share with you some of the particularly useful points that I took away with me. Firstly, to try to track down pensions that I have from old employers and ensure that all my details were up to ... read more
Getting to grips with Family Finances – Retirement and Pensions #MoneyHangout
Family Finances. They can be a bit of a headache can't they? There always seems to be so much to think about and the various rules about tax and allowances can leave you feeling confused and unsure about exactly what you should be doing for the best for you and your family. Children in school are not taught about the basics of budgeting and as a nation we don't really talk about money and finances - it's just not a very British thing to do. But, how are we going to get better if we don't talk about things? And how are we supposed to know what we should be doing if there's no one talking ... read more