World Cup 2010

Unless you have been marooned in the South Pole or are from another gallaxy you will know that the world cup is now upon us. Everyone seems to be getting in on the act with even Asda and Tesco flooding their shops with flat screen TVs to tempt you to part with more of your hard earned cash. Unlike cheap flags and naff hats a new TV is actually a sensible investment. Not only are the new flat screen versions better quality than your old TV they can actually make your rooms bigger, more modern and streamlined! You can mount them on a wall, above furniture or your fire to free up space. Get rid of that bulky and old fashioned TV unit and replace it with a clever TV bracket for wall mounting.

TV brackets, for flat screened appliances, simply screw to your wall via a single peice of metal or two brackets. A mounting plate is then slotted on which screws to pre-drilled holes in the back of your flat screened TV. You can buy fixed TV brackets or better still ones that rotate and tilt so you can maximise your viewing quality.

So if you are tempted to upgrade your TV remember to take advantage of its space saving beneifts too by investing in a proper wall mounting TV bracket.

Safe Home Offices

To create a home office that’s suitable for more than one person to use you need to consider office design, begin by working to create an efficiently designed work space. Move furniture pieces up against the walls to open the center of the room, creating the illusion of more space. This also facilitates positioning computer monitors and office equipment so that they back up against the wall.

Purchase a chair specifically designed for office use, and one that’s right for your body size. Office-supply centers and furniture stores both offer assortments of office chairs. Try out a number of them before you make a final purchase. Look for a chair that allows your feet to touch the floor easily, and offers good back support. Also, it’s important for an office chair to have low tension in the back so that you can recline back slightly. This is particularly important for those working at their desk on a personal computer. Get a chair with adjustable height and adjustable arm rests to allow you to adjust to a comfortable posture and help relieve strain.

Don’t forget to purchase a plastic floor-mat that will allow the chair casters to roll, and to protect the floor or before you know it you will be working on office refurbishment.

Managing clutter is critical for an efficient office, particularly if more than one person will be using the office. Designate specific storage areas for each individual working in the office, and storage areas for specific office supplies and materials. Consider purchasing organizing bins for holding files, videotapes, CD-R’s, a telephone book, etc.

On the desk surface, standing file organizers help keep papers and files neat and out of the way. Stackable paper trays are also helpful for organizing papers and freeing up work space on the desk surface.

There are several effective methods for organizing electrical cords. A cord-snake or cord-guard can help consolidate cords. Ordinary twist ties or plastic ties can also be used to group cords and tie them together so they are less obtrusive.

With the increased use of computers for home-office work, overhead lighting is less critical. A good task light is important, however, for providing well-placed illumination on the work surface. Use a frosted bulb to reduce glare that can cause eye fatigue.

If glare on your computer monitor is a problem, consider purchasing a glare guard that will fit on your computer monitor.

Results from the UK’s biggest home and garden survey

The Home & Garden Survey was carried out in November and December 2009 by Homebase and surveyed a total of 208,257people.  As the nation gears up for the first long weekend of the year and paintbrushes, drills, hammers and pasting tables are dusted off, Homebase has revealed the causes of the most common DIY disasters following the biggest home and garden survey ever conducted in the UK.

Homebase, asked more than 200,000 people about their DIY experiences and were inundated with tales of hammer horrors, painting panic and far-from-fool-proof-flooring. The DIY disaster league shows that the number one project likely to cause a calamity is painting and decorating, followed by flooring, hammering nails, drilling and plumbing.

Men are most likely to find themselves in a spot of bother when hammering nails, while for women it’s decorating. One in ten women have had a disaster doing the painting and decorating while 15% of females claimed their biggest disaster when it comes to DIY is their husband! With more than 1,000 of those surveyed claiming to have sustained an injury as a result of a DIY disaster.

Despite a few problems along the way the vast majority of people are still keen to have a go at Doing-It-Themselves with only 10% of respondents saying they rely on the experts for the whole job and 80% of people saying they get pleasure from improving their home doing DIY.

Paint Pot

The Homebase DIY disaster league:

1. Painting and decorating
2. Flooring
3. Hammering nails
4. Drilling
5. Plumbing

Examples of DIY disasters shared with Homebase in the survey:

• Drilling holes through brand new central heating pipes 20 minutes before the carpet fitters were due to arrive
• Cutting an overgrown garden with a strimmer and hitting a stone resulting in a smashed conservatory window
• Hanging floral wallpaper upside down, with the pattern not matching
• Hammering a new shelf resulting in a flat screen TV being knocked off the other side of the wall and falling to pieces on the floor

Simon Yeomans, DIY category marketing manger at Homebase commented, “Easter weekend is always one of the busiest of the year for DIY with plenty of time to tackle important projects around the home. People are more likely to try something ambitious and our advice is to make sure you prepare well. Homebase has a series of ‘How To’ guides available in store and online for all the most popular projects with step-by-step instructions, top tips and the tools you need for the job.”

About Homebase

Homebase is the UK’s second largest home improvement retailer and is recognised for choice, style and customer service across the wider home enhancement market. It has more than 300 large, out-of-town stores throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland. In the last financial year, Homebase sales were £1.5 billion and it employed some 20,000 people across the business.
Homebase sells over 30,000 products across its home enhancement ranges, and has a growing Internet offering. Homebase serves 60 million customers per year through its stores and offers customers the convenience of home delivery for bulky, high-value items.

Homebase was the first UK DIY retailer to achieve Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody certification and the first national DIY retailer to be recognised with a Government TrustMark Award, achieved for its kitchen installation service.

Homebase is part of Home Retail Group, the UK’s leading home and general merchandise retailer.

Beautiful Wooden Flooring

One of the best qualities of timber flooring is its trouble free cleaning feature where the particles of dust can be easily cleaned by mopping or vacuuming over them. Spills over them can also be quickly and easily wiped in just a few seconds, without any stain or patchy mark. Timber floor looks elegant in each and every room of a house be it your kitchen, dining area or your bedroom. It is good for your kitchen and dining room which are likely to get food spills, and you can mop them in secondsand give a sparkling look. Though, it can be conveniently kept sparkling clean, it does not reflect like a vinyl paint that can be harsh on your eyes. It is also a good choice for entertainment room which can be kept sparkling clean without reflecting on eyes.

Timber flooring looks good in bedroom as well as it blends perfectly with bedroom furnishing. You can also put a small mat beside your bed over the floor, so that when you get down after your sleep, you may get a soft feel under your toes. It is also used in bathrooms and laundry, only if they are treated well to keep out the damp. People who are prone to allergies can safely use timber floor in their house as dust particles that usually cause allergies are not loaded in it, which usually are present in carpets.

Timber floor is ideal for both winters and summers as it is cool to walk on during summer and at the same time give a very good insulation during cold winters. You can get a wide range of choices of natural shades of timber floor, that range from sand color or pale euro to darker and richer shades of brown. Timber floor is a natural product, so the colors or designs are not uniformely laid all over the surface, and this is the very beauty of the product. The best part is that when you see the flooring laid on a house, the lighter and darker shades mix together perfectly with each other and give a great look to the surface.

DIY disaster

Without the proper qualifications or experience these people risk invalidating their home insurance policies if things go wrong. “TV home makeover shows make it all appear so simple, and it’s easy to forget that these are highly skilled professionals. In reality, trying to tackle certain areas you are not qualified for, such as electrics or plumbing, could invalidate your home insurance policy, leaving you liable for any subsequent damage. We’d recommend using a reputable tradesman rather than going it alone,” explains Halifax Senior Claims Manager Martyn Foulds.

Allianz Insurance figures reveal that 55% of those surveyed claimed to have started a DIY job without the correct tools and almost 50% said they had started a DIY job without really knowing how to do it.

“Thankfully people can add accidental damage cover to their buildings and contents insurance to cover them for paint spilt on carpets or hammering a nail into a pipe,” says Simon Coughlin, spokesperson for Allianz Insurance.

Accidental breakage to some parts of the home such as sinks, baths, ceramic hobs and fixed glass in doors is included in most buildings insurance policies. However householders many need additional accidental damage cover to protect against common DIY disasters, such as drilling through water pipes, spilling paint on carpets or putting feet through ceilings.

So before you get bitten by the DIY bug this weekend make sure your policy covers all eventualities, otherwise it could prove to be a very expensive weekend. “We suggest DIY enthusiasts should check to see if their insurance policy covers them for accidental damage in case the job goes horribly wrong,” says Simon Coughlin. “The average cost of a claim for DIY related damage is £600 and our claims staff expect to be busier than usual following a Bank Holiday weekend.” And, if in doubt, get an expert in to do the job!

Save Energy

• Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent and typically saves around £55 per year. If you have a programmer, set your heating and hot water to come on only when required rather than all the time.
• Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat should be set at 60°C/140°F.
• Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for draughts around windows and doors.
• Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
• Don’t leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily.
• If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher: one full load uses less energy than two half loads.
• Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you’re using an electric kettle).
• A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they’re fully turned off!
• Use energy saving lightbulbs. They last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and using one can save you around £40 over the lifetime of the bulb. This saving could be around £65 over its lifetime if you’re replacing a high wattage incandescent bulb, or one used for more than a few hours a day.
• Do a home energy check. Just answer some simple questions about your home and we’ll give you a free, impartial report telling you how you can save up to £300 a year on your household energy bills.

Source: The Energy Saving Trust  http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

Most people would not think of insuring their bicycle but when they can often be worth hundreds of pounds it really should be given consideration.

Insure your bicycle are one company that could help.   Insure Your Bicycle provides comprehensive and cheap bicycle insurance cover in the UK.  They are part of Loyal Insurance Ltd and their bicycle insurance policy is backed by Fortis.

Their bicycle insurance will cover you against theft, loss or accidental damage so protect your 2 wheels today.

Extending a lease

1. What Is A Property Lease?

A lease simply means the right to occupy a property (usually a flat) for a period, which is generally set at 99 or 125 years. At the end of this time, although you can stay on as a tenant, the freeholder (freehold enfranchisement) will own your property.

2. Can I Extend My Lease?

The good news is that, as long as you have owned (but not necessarily lived in) your property for at least two years, you have a right to a lease extension for an additional 90 years at a peppercorn (zero) ground rent.

But there are exceptions. You can’t force the freeholder to extend a lease if:

- The majority of the leaseholders have applied to obtain the freehold

- Your lease has already ended

- You have sublet your home on a lease of at least 21 years

- The lease was originally granted for less than 21 years

- The freeholder is a charitable housing trust, the National Trust, the Crown (although they may agree), or the property is in a cathedral precinct

- If your freeholder wants to demolish or redevelop the property (in which case you would be entitled to compensation)

Should your freeholder refuse to extend your lease for any other reason than those listed above, get advice – they may be wrong (more on advice below).

3. Why Extend? Value

The most immediate reason for extending is that a short lease can seriously affect the value of your property.

A a flat with a lease of 100 years is worth roughly the same as a property on a freehold. But an apartment on a lease of 60 years, could be valued at approximately 60 per cent of the freehold price.

In practice, however, property values are more likely to be worked out at the freehold price, minus the estimated cost of extending the lease.

But bear in mind that if you wait until you have less than 80 years to go, buying lease extensions becomes more expensive (under 80 years and you have to pay so-called Marriage Value – more on this below).

4. Why Extend a Lease? Saleability

The second reason for extending a lease is saleability. Wealthy home hunters looking for a London pied-à-terre are more likely to accept a shorter lease, and can usually access specialist mortgage lenders who are happy to lend on short leases. But they are in the minority.

If you’re selling a flat in Fife or an apartment in Acton, most buyers will be scared off by a short lease, and they may also find that they can’t get a mortgage from the high street lenders.

A quick phone around reveals that the Woolwich doesn’t lend on property with a lease less than 30 years longer than the term of the mortgage (making it 55 years on an average 25-year mortgage).

The Halifax asks for 35 years longer (so, 60 years), and the Bristol and West draws the line at 70-year leases.

So, particularly if your lease is less than 70 years, it may make sense to apply for an extension before marketing your property.

5. Saleability and Assignment

Buying an extension is a costly business, and it can also take anything between two and six months – not good news if you’re low on funds and in a hurry to sell your flat.

There is another way, known as assignment. The seller begins the legal process to extend the lease, but assigns the right to the incoming leaseholder, who can complete it when they take ownership.

So, instead of having to wait two years to extend a lease, the purchaser can buy an extension straight away, which should leave both buyer and mortgage company happy.

6. How To Extend

There are at least two professionals whose services you’re likely to need when extending a lease.

Firstly, a valuer, usually a surveyor. A surveyor will be able to provide you with best and worst case estimates on the value of an extension, advise you on the amount of money you should offer the freeholder, and help you to negotiate an agreement. If you can’t agree a figure, the valuer will represent you at a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal (LVT).

Secondly, you will need a legal representative – either a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer. The solicitor or conveyancer will prepare the information you need for the application, serve the notice on the landlord, answer requests for information, and conveyance the new lease. There are also various specialist companies who will do the whole lot for you.

7. How Much Will It Cost?

How much the extension is worth is difficult to estimate accurately.

The value consists of three main amounts. The first two are to compensate the landlord for loss of ground rent during the rest of the existing term of the lease, and for not receiving possession of the property at the end of the term.

Thirdly, where the lease has less than 80 years to go, there is what’s known as a ‘marriage value’, which is arrived at by deducting the value of the property before the extension from the value afterwards, plus the value of the landlord’s interest.

Leasehold Advisory Service, the information service for leaseholders, gives an example of a flat with a 68-year unexpired lease, on a ground rent of £50 pa, with a current value of £150k, and an improved value of £165k. An extension of 90 years is likely to cost £8,250.

But the same property, on a lease with only 35 years to run, could set you back a whopping £55,368.

However, if the current lease is 95 years (and therefore attracts no ‘marriage value’) the cost of an extension would be only around £734.

In addition, the leaseholder is liable for both parties’ legal and valuation costs, unless the matter ends up at the LVT, who may apportion the costs differently.

Although it may be an expensive business, remember that you are adding value to your property, and, in addition, you will no longer have to pay ground rent.

8. Valuation Problems

Stories abound of leaseholders who have successfully negotiated the cost of a lease extension down, in some cases to half of the original figure.  It can be useful to engage a Lease Extension Specialists when negotiating with landlords to minimse the cost.

But if you can’t agree on a price, you can turn to the LVT – The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal. They will come up with a figure based on what they consider reasonable, including making a costs order if either party is acting unreasonably.

9. Bought A Flat With A Short Lease?

As a new leaseholder you don’t have an automatic right to an extension but, if your freeholder is amenable, you can try and negotiate one before the end of the initial two-year period.

If you face problems agreeing a figure, however, you won’t be able to turn to the LVT for help.

10. Use It, Don’t Lose It!

Remember – if you wait until your lease ends your freeholder will be under no obligation to negotiate an extension, and you could become an assured tenant, rather than the owner of your home.
Nikki Sheehan

© Find A Property 2000-2007

decking oil

•Clean
•Restore
•Protect

Discolouration is the obvious problem – all un-stained timber outside eventually turns a grey colour. Protective action can help to allay this problem, which is caused in the main by fine dirt particles entering the microscopic ‘pores’ of the timber.

The timber itself loses colour as ultra violet rays from the sun react with the timber. In this case, simply cleaning your deck will not restore the original colour. Though it will make it more attractive!

Discolouration of the deck timber has many causes – dependent upon the area in which you live – together with a number of biological causes.

• Dirt by way of atmospheric dust particles, overhanging tree debris, bird droppings, BBQ debris!
  Biological degradation of decks include, fungal activity, moulds, decay, and in shaded areas algae or moss.
  Stains from unsuitable fittings can also cause problems such as un-galvanized nails, screws and bolts.
  Problems that can be prevented are those often associated with placing planted containers and furniture on the deck. Planted containers – great deck assets – should have a moisture-proof stand underneath. An please do your planting and re-planting either off the deck, or with a good protective groundsheet under the work area.

Before treating any deck, the deck should be thoroughly cleaned.

How to Clean a Deck
There are several preparations available fro DIY stores or Decking Specialists which to clean your deck. Go for the brand names, or reputable DIY stores own brand. Do not attempt to treat your deck or stain it without firstly cleaning it.

An alternative, is to use a weakened solution of TSP (trisodium phosphate) which can be obtained from any good paint shop. (It is used by pro painters to clean paintwork). Add a little household washing-up liquid to ensure a deep penetration. Try a small area first, and use as directed on the container.

Do not use any chlorine based bleach, for whilst this will clean your deck of algae and mildew in particular, it will also break down the lignin in the deck timber – which holds the wood together!

A weak solution of Citric Acid will help to ‘brighten up’ old greyed timbers. Most important 0 – it is a non hazardous way of cleaning your deck. There are also some proprietary brands of wood bleach available, that will do the job.

Hydrogen Peroxide – which also has other lightening uses – will do wonders for lightening old timbers and in particular is good for the older darker deck timbers. It evaporates away, leaving no residues.

Most fungal growth can be treated with a general garden fungicide! If you use a combined Fungicide/Insecticide to clean your deck, then you can also kill of many ‘hidden’ insect pests lurking under the timber. This treatment does nothing to lighten the wood or to actually clean it of dirt – simply fungi/mildew and insects. It is not for cleaning the deck – simply to rid it of any infestation

A jet washer can be used for cleaning decks BUT it must not be a heavy duty one. Something smaller than 1500 psi with a wide fan jet will be suitable for most deck cleaning jobs. Anything more powerful will leave the timber with a ‘wooly’ finish, as it will destroy the wood fibres. The result will be a deck that is very difficult – if not impossible – to clean or to treat.

Once the deck is clean – then and only then – you can think about a long term treatment regime to enhance the colour and longevity of your deck. Even after a suitable treatment application, regular cleaning of your deck is important to maintain the colour of the deck timbers.

Wood – like all living things – is made up of a honeycomb of minute (microscopic) cells. Whether softwood or hardwood, the cells are there – empty, waiting to be filled up with whatever is available! Deck boards are different in one main respect to other timber structures outside. Deck boards lay horizontal – not vertical like walled structures – so dirt and dust is not readily washed off. It simply lays on the deck until it finds a home. If it is larger than the cellular structure of the wood, then it will eventually wash off. If it is dust-like and smaller than the cell structure, then it will fill the available cell!

This cell structure can be ‘capped’ by using Decking Oil.

The fact that your deck has been pressure treated in the manufacturing stage, does not mean that it requires no further treatment to alleviate stains and grey-coloured decks.

Ordinary deck stain, simply colours the surface area of the timber. It does not fill up the cells, so dirt is still able to fill the spaces! A Deck Sealer is required to do the job – usually by way of a decking oil.

Decking oil is a special treatment/preserver that – whilst applied as a liquid – has a high potential ‘solids’ content, so that when it dries it solidifies thereby filling the pores/cells. Deck oil has high penetrating properties, so that it can enter and then solidify in the individual cells. Some deck stains simply coat the cells, still leaving room for the dirt to accumulate.

Penetrating oil finishes are much better for deck maintenance than polyurethane or varnish type finishes. Oils do not crack as the timber expands and contracts with the varying weather patterns. Deck oil treatments actually improve the structure of the timber, for once dry, the solids are stronger than the individual wood fibres that they bind together. Decking oils actually replace the natural oils and resins that get lost over time with deck timbers.

Decking oil should be applied after the deck has been thoroughly cleaned. We do not advocate the use of pressure sprayers, for if used indiscriminately a pressure jet can ruin the surface structure of the timber – leaving it with a ‘wooly’ feel – difficult to clean.

Application

The oil should be applied in two coats using a soft-haired paint brush. The soft-haired option will allow for even spreading of the deck oil and also act as a sponge to mop up any surplus deck oil, which can then be used further along the board.

The oil should be applied thinly and well brushed out to ensure no puddles of surplus oil is left on the deck. This is particularly the case with grooved deck boards, as surplus oil can linger in the grooves, giving an unsightly appearance, and also taking a long time to dry.

With a thin application, the first coat will normally be touch dry in an hour in ideal weather conditions. A second coat is necessary to further protect the timber and also to enhance the colour if using a tinted oil.

If you decide to opt for a coloured oil – and it really does add impact to your deck – then always choose a lighter colour if you are uncertain. It is easy to ‘darken’ a lighter colour by oiling with the darker colour subsequently. It is virtually impossible to ‘lighten’ the colour after using a darker coloured oil.

A 5 litre can of oil normally covers around 50 sq metres of deck with 2 coats.

freehold enfranchisement

A lease is a wasting asset. Although a flat owner may have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds acquiring their lease, in fact it becomes less valuable each year. This is because the term of the lease expires by one year annually. To remedy this inherent unfairness, individual flat owners have the right to ask the building owner to extend their lease. In addition, a group of flat owners acting together can collectively ask to purchase the freehold from the building owner. Owners of residential flats can now force their freeholder to sell the freehold provided at least 50% of the tenants participate. This is known as freehold enfranchisement or collective enfranchisement.

After enfranchising, each participating flat owner owns a share in the freehold and will usually receive a lease extension at no extra cost. Purchasing the freehold or extending a lease will come at a cost, but also serves to protect the value of the property.

In order to participate in a freehold enfranchisement the tenancies must originally have been over 21 years in length and at least two thirds of the flats must be qualifying tenancies. Less than 25% of the building can be commercial space. The building must be self contained and structurally detached.

A freehold enfranchisement can be made unsuccessful or more difficult by such factors as a resident landlord or where three or more flats are held by one individual.

Freehold enfranchisement is a complex matter and requires careful planning and expert advice so if you would like to take advantage of a free initial consultation please call Charles Tellerman MRICS on +44 207 792 9950.