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One would think that landlords are always in the better position when contracting. However, being a property owner has its risks and it can be difficult to handle them when you are a beginner in this type of transactions.

Property Division made a guide of 12 questions every landlord should ask themselves at one point:

1. Should I Tell My Mortgage Lender I’ll Be Letting My Property?

2. What Is the Right to Rent?

3. Should I Register the Deposit?

4. How Can I Prevent Property Fraud?

5. Is the EPC Mandatory?

6. Do the Gas, Electrics and Furniture Need to Be Compliant?

7. Is an Inventory Worth It?

8. Do I Need Insurance?

9. Do I Have to Pay Council Tax and Income Tax?

10. Can I Make Routine Property Visits?

11. When Should I Do an Inspection?

12. Who Should Contact the Council and Energy Suppliers?

Read the answers carefully and you are sure to have some more questions at the end of the article, if you are a landlord. But at least you know what to start with.

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Except if you are one one the lucky few that manage selling really fast their house, we can guarantee you one thing: the process is stressful. It goes for the sellers and for the buyers, as well!

The entire process was the subject of a study and it seems that both parts implied feel the stress. But there is also some dissatisfaction with the real estate agents…

Most buyers and sellers in England and Wales find the process stressful

Making things easy for the sellers is difficult. The buyers can, however, be helped. In their case, the Government promises to try to ease up the process.

Home buying to be made cheaper, faster and less stressful in England

If things are going smoother for those searching for a home, there is still one most stressful thing: the decision itself. Making up your mind and coming at peace with what you choose is crucial before buying.

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Thinking about renewing the flooring in your small flat or your spacious house? Ever considered bamboo? 

Photo source: ThisOldHouse http://bit.ly/2l7iyCi

It looks great inside and the material (although not new) is one of the new entries in the commonly used materials for constructions and renovating.

We found a great article on ThisOldHouse.com about how to use bamboo for usual flooring for interior designing. There are, as for any other material, pros & cons.

Pros:
• A fast-renewing resource, bamboo is ready to harvest in 5 to 6 years, about one-tenth the time it takes red oak to mature. New stalks regrow from the same plant.
• Generally less expensive than a common hardwood by about $1 per square foot, and even cheaper in comparison with an exotic species.
• Extremely durable, a quality bamboo floor can last decades with care and minimal exposure to grit, high heels, and pets’ nails.

Cons:
• It can scratch, even with a factory finish, just as wood does; use doormats inside and protective pads with furniture.
• All bamboo is not the same, and it can be hard to sort through the quality claims. Plus, the different types (see below) make apples-to-apples comparisons a challenge.
• Off-gassing can occur with lesser-quality flooring made with adhesives containing urea-formaldehyde.

Read the full article for a clear image and all the implications.

All About Bamboo Flooring

More on how magical bamboo can be in Elora Hardy’s inspiring talk on TED.com.

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Photo source: Flickr http://bit.ly/2yXUUOG

When you’ve got a small kitchen, the hard part is getting used to it. Once you make peace with the thought that you will never have the entire space you need, you can learn to manage a small kitchen.

However, what we recommend is that – once in a while – you clean all the space up and get rid of all the useless stuff that just crowds up the room.

Moreover, there are tricks of making use of space that you don’t consider usable at first sight. Read the article below and tell us what you improved in your kitchen

How to Make Space in a Small Kitchen

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Photo source: Property Wire http://bit.ly/2xR0h2h

There have been a lot of whispers about Bank of England lately and the assumed raise of interest rates.

Any type of raise would clearly influence home owners, but here’s an example of how a small increase can look like for a monthly budget: a 0.25% rise of rates would mean that a typical variable mortgage repayment could cost an extra £13 a month. However, switching to a fixed rate deal could save borrowers £119 per month.

But, as the latest research suggests, the homeowners are not prepared for a raise in this sector. 68% do not actually know how a base interest raise can affect them.

Research suggests many British home owners are not prepared for interest rate rise

Knowing the risks and the implications is vital to choosing rightfully, at least when it comes to money.

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Just like any other property indicator, student acommodation is more expensive in London compared to other cities considered to be university poles. The differences are, however, quite high. For example, the difference between the rental costs and acommodation in the cheapest region – Stockton, and the priciest – London, is of £429 per week.

Reasons and a complete analysis of what costs students must pay across the UK in the article on Property Wire.

Student accommodation rental costs in UK can vary by over £400 per week

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Photo source: Pxhere http://bit.ly/2gnfekP

As we told you before and we insist now, gardening is something you can do no matter the space you live in! You don’t even have to have a garden in fact. Just a balcony and some pots should suffice. 

With some seeds, a little bit of will and some extra effort you can have a small garden or a balcony garden in no time. And because we know this is the exact moment when you will try to find some excuses, we are just going to tell you this: It is not too late! A garden can be created during autumn just as well as in other seasons.

But let’s take it step by step. There are some gardening activities that can be done while the weather seems to be getting colder. Actually, it is just the air a bit colder. The soil is still warm and everything planted in the autumn days should benefit from the lack of very high temperatures or the extra burning sun.

So autumn is a great season to take on the ‘secret garden’ project. Prepare for plants, vegetables or flowers that have a long transformation period from seed to plant.

All the spring flowers need a period of cold dormacy to bloom, so pick your favourite ones and plant them now. You can choose from daffodils, allium, grape hyacinths, dog’s-tooth violet, Siberian squill, fritillaria, winter aconite, glory-of-the-snow, and snowdrops. Moreover, pansies are sure to bloom if planted during autumn.

Vegetables are easier to plant and endure the cold even better: Brussels sprouts, cabbage, radishes, carrots.

Also, some greeny leafs like lettuce and spinach can be planted even in the late autumn days because they have a short maturity time.

 

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Photo source: Shedsistence https://shedsistence.com/

DIY projects can be quite impressive and inspiring to look at. You can build almost anything by yourself if you have the right materials.

These couple took everything further and built their entire small home. In a barn. Then moved it around to the right placement. The video is mind-blowing and will give you the feeling that you can practically do anything if you set it as a goal and do not rest until you see it completed.

The start of Robert and Samantha’s project is very well-planned and documented. You will see they planned to build the tiny home in 12 – 14 months. The entire place has almost 19 sq meters and can be moved around. They shared their construction plans on their website, as well as a lot of precious advice.

Anybody else feeling up to this project?

Where would you move your entire home if you could?

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