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Five healthy gadgets for the home

The New Year is here and with it comes the annual resolutions and promises to ourselves to eat better, save more money and become healthy.

But as we all know, New Year’s resolutions are easier said than done. So what are the best health gadgets for the home? Here are some of the best pieces of technology that will help you stick to that New Year’s resolution.

Wii Fit Plus

Games consoles are no longer the preserve of sofa-bound teenagers, nowadays they will keep you fit and entertained.

No need to brave the wind and rain for a run, simply enter your body measurements and let the Wii Fit Plus work out a fitness regime for you.

Whirlpool Max Microwave

Microwaves are not the first thing that springs to mind when you think of healthy eating, but the compact Whirlpool Max comes with the Auto Steam Fitness feature to make healthy eating easy.

This specially designed container comes with a selection of pre-programmed settings for steamed vegetables and fish – making healthy eating that bit easier.

Wobble Board

This black circular board is designed to build up your core strength, as well improving your balance. With a range of difficulty settings, the Wobble Board is a cheap and fun way to improve your health.

All that’s needed is just a couple of minutes use every day, and you’ll start to see and feel the difference in no time. It is also great if you are recovering from an ankle or lower leg injury.

Zumba Fitness for Xbox Kinect

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 18 months, you’ll probably know someone who has been caught up in the fitness dance craze that is Zumba.

If you don’t fancy going to a class full of people, pick up the Zumba game for the Xbox. This uses the Kinect’s motion sensor technology to help you have fun and get fit at the same time.

Withings Blood Pressure Monitor

Blood pressure is vital to your health, especially if you are embarking on a new fitness regime. This stylish piece of kit connects to your iPhone or iPad to tell you your systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as your BPM.

If you are thinking about getting a new gadget or two to help improve your health and fitness, remember to check that they are covered by your home insurance.

Water damage – do not be a victim this Winter

The UK was left battered and bruised after a bout of stormy weather hit homes and businesses at the beginning of the year. Airports were closed, roads were blocked, ports were shut down and two men died as a result of the severe weather conditions.

Whilst wind and rain can cause a substantial amount of damage to a property, it is also important to be aware of water damage.

The AA recently reported that almost 1,000 claims were made in the first five days of January as a result of the harsh winter weather.

Flooding

Millions of UK homes are at risk of flooding every year. This can represent a serious problem for your property, but it could also put your health at risk. By taking some simple steps, you may be able to reduce the amount of damage that occurs to your property.

Firstly, it would be advisable to check the level of home insurance cover you currently have. Some insurers will charge more for properties that are particularly prone to flooding.
Sandbags are useful to prevent water from entering your home. Your local council may be able to provide you with these.
Create a flood pack which will contain a torch, a bottle of water, a radio, spare batteries, a first aid kit, warm clothes and a blanket. You may also want to keep hold of your mobile phone to make emergency calls.

Burst pipes

Burst pipes can be a serious problem for people who leave the house for long periods of time, especially during a cold snap.

The harsh winter weather could cause pipes to burst, costing hundreds of pounds to repair. If you do not have sufficient home insurance in place, this could come out of your own pocket. You can protect your pipes easily by insulating your pipes with a jacket.

Space saving ideas for the modern family

Turning your home into a haven of relaxation and comfort can be difficult once it becomes cluttered with your ever-growing collection of personal possessions. If you have children, in particular, they can certainly fill up both your life and your home.

Many homeowners are trapped in negative equity and cannot afford to move. Subsequently, Brits need to learn to love their home and decide how best to use the existing space they have.

Here are a few simple measures you could take in order to create more space in your family home.

Declutter!

You can create more space by decluttering. By getting rid of all the bits you have acquired over the years and no longer need, you can find new homes for other items.

Whilst it might be hard to throw away sentimental items, you can’t attach nostalgic value to everything you own.

Take one room at a time and try not to flitter between rooms, otherwise you may end up with more clutter than when you started!

Move the furniture

Move the furniture around to see where you can capture the best light. That plant pot might look better in the hallway or outside the front door, giving you space to manoeuvre other items, for example.

You can create additional storage by putting up shelves in utility rooms or cupboards under the stairs.

Use mirrors to reflect light and add space. Mirrors create a sense of depth and they can make rooms look bigger, creating the illusion of space.

The walls can often be seen as ‘dead space’ where a few shelves and paintings can be put up. However, this is often not the case as walls can be used to hang a range of items to create more space.

Before you make any major changes to your home, it could be worth checking with your home insurance provider to ensure whether you are fully covered or require additional cover.

Three key rules to property development

The housing market, like many other markets in the UK, is in a fragile state as a result of the credit crunch. Getting a foot on the property ladder is hard enough, but climbing that ladder to the top is now harder than ever.

But property development is still big business, even in this unstable market. Successful property developers can make themselves very rich, if they know where to look.

The formula is always the same: buy a property for as little as possible, add value to that property, and then sell it on for a profit.

It seems so straightforward that it’s surprising that not everyone is doing it. But there are, of course, pitfalls, complications and a whole lot of risks involved.

So what should you consider if you are thinking about property development? Even if you are just trying to sell your home for as much as possible, these golden rules will come in handy.

Stick to your budget

Whether you are turning a derelict farmhouse into a million pound mansion, or just redecorating your home’s interior to make it more attractive to potential buyers, sticking to your budget is vital.

Set a budget before you undertake any project. Make sure it is realistic and, more importantly, that you can stick to it.

If you give yourself too big a budget, you could end up spending money too easily. But if you don’t make it big enough, you’re setting yourself up for a shock.

Don’t cater for personal taste

Everyone is different, and one person’s beautifully decorated dining room could be another’s worst nightmare. So the trick when developing a property to sell at maximum price is to avoid your own personal tastes.

This means keeping things general, so lots of pale colours and pastels inside, no opinion-dividing paintings on the wall and certainly no unusual exterior colours.

Pick the right people to work with

You may be something of a DIY wizard, but there are some things that will require a professional touch. The quality of a professional job will make or break your development.

So be sure to find a reputable builder, plumber or decorator that you trust to do a professional job and not leave you shelling out even more to have the work redone.

If you are in the process of doing up your home before moving, remember to check that your home insurance is still valid when you move.

Locks and all; why you need a good door lock for home insurance security

There are various different ways of protecting your property. Some people have burglar alarms or high tech security systems and some have guard dogs. Whichever way you choose to protect your property though, it is worth considering the importance of the locks.

Whilst you use your front door every day without sparing a thought for home security, it is largely what separates you from intruders and criminals.

Your letter box, for example, can be used by a criminal to extract goods from within close proximity to the door. There is, in actual fact, an established British Standard of which all letter places and boxes should conform to.

They should be positioned no closer than 400 mm from the door lock and never to the bottom rail of the door. You could secure an internal cover plate for extra protection or a letter basket. However, you may want to open the bottom, allowing the mail to fall so it cannot be stolen.

According to the Metropolitan Police, ‘quality locks are only as strong as the doors and frames to which they are attached.’ Therefore, it could also be important to consider your choice of door before fitting a new lock. For example, a wooden hollow core door could be the most suitable for your specific property.

The Met also advise homeowners to fit a spy hole and door chain or limiter, for extra security. This allows you to deal with unwanted and suspicious callers to your front door whilst retaining a high level of security.

A rim latch or Yale type of lock is not sufficient on its own and the door should be fitted with a 5 lever mortice deadlock. However, most home insurance providers will accept a rim automatic deadlock.

It could be advisable to check with your home insurance provider to see if your door is fully secure to their standards. It might also be worth reviewing any windows, patio doors and back doors as different locks may be required.

Home security – the basic rules

With more technology available than ever before, our houses are full of expensive TVs, laptops, smartphones and more.

So it is more important than ever to ensure our homes are safe and secure. But still many of us are not increasing our home security to meet the rising value of our possessions.

There are basic rules we should all be following to make sure our houses, and the contents inside them, are as secure as possible.

Lock all doors and windows

It seems like an obvious one, and most of us will lock our front door when we go out. But many people will probably forget to lock windows (especially downstairs ones) if they are just popping out for a few minutes.

But it only takes a minute for a burglar to enter into a house and grab the most expensive item they see, so lock up even if you’re just out for a couple of minutes.

Keep valuables out of sight

Just as with your car, you should try to avoid leaving your valuable items near doors or windows. There are several reasons for this.

If a thief sees something valuable on display, they are more likely to try and break in to get it, as opposed to just taking a chance. Also, if you keep things like your mobile phone or car keys near the door, thieves will be tempted to try a ‘smash and grab’.

A working burglar alarm

Many people put up a burglar alarm as a deterrent for intruders, but it is pretty easy to tell whether one works on not.

To avoid the risk of a burglar trying their luck and finding a non-working alarm, shell out to get a proper one installed. They are not particularly expensive and will give you peace of mind at night and when you’re away.

If you are concerned about your valuables at home, or about the damage that a burglar can cause then make sure you purchase contents insurance to cover you for all eventualities.

5 things everyone should know about estate agents

If you are thinking of buying or renting a property in the near future, there will be many things you need to consider.

How many bedrooms, the location, crime rates, schools and local transport links will all be on your mind when looking for a new home or renting. However, you may also wish to consider carefully which estate agent you use.

Here are the top five things everyone should know about estate agents.

Estate agent fees

Whilst the majority of the UK population appears to have been priced out of the housing market, many are turning to renting for longer periods of time. One thing to watch out for is the estate agent fees. It’s important to be aware that they will charge you for holding a property off the market whilst you pay the deposit and several additional administration fees.

Official status

It’s important to note that all estate agents must belong to the Property Ombudsman Scheme or the Office of Fair Trading Approved estate agent redress scheme.

Stamp duty

Don’t forget that you will be required to pay Stamp Duty on your new property. As the UK is currently experiencing a housing crisis, the government has waivered the stamp duty for first time buyers on properties up to the value of £250,000 until the end of March 2012.

Inspection

Ensure that your estate agent or landlord arranges a professional home inspection when buying or renting a property. If the inspector finds a problem with the property you could try an arrange the owner to fix it or negotiate a modification to the asking price or alternately take note of the damage to ensure there are no deductions from your deposit in the future.

Shop around for a good estate agent

They are not all the same and they all take different amounts of commission and offer different levels of support. It could be advisable to look around before settling on one estate agent.

When buying a home you may incur many additional extra costs such as moving fees, home insurance and storage charges. It is important to be aware of all these when planning for your new home.

Let there be light; tips to brighten up your home this winter

This may be one of the mildest winters we’ve had in a long time, so far anyway, but that hasn’t stopped the nights from drawing in.

The days are getting shorter, and even when it is daylight it is often still fairly gloomy. For many office workers, it is a case of waking up in the dark, making the commute home in the dark.

It’s no wonder some of us suffer from a case of the winter blues. With so little sunlight each day, who can blame us?

While we may not have any control over night and day, we can make a difference in our homes. With so little daylight, it is important to brighten up our homes as much as possible this winter. So how can you make your home as bright as possible?

Daylight bulbs

You may not notice, but many bulbs in your home will emit an orange light, which is actually quite dark. To give your home a brighter feel, invest in some daylight bulbs.
These look just the same as regular bulbs, but will give out a much whiter, more natural light. So you’ll be able to recreate daytime in your own home.

Redecorate

Using dark colours in your living room, dining room or study can give your house a cosy atmosphere, but can make your house a pretty gloomy place to be.

So instead of dark tones of green, red or blue, try repainting a room in a lighter, creamier colour. This will brighten up the room endlessly, and may even make it seem bigger.

Open the curtains

With the low temperatures that winter inevitably brings, it can be tempting to keep the curtains closed as much as possible to avoid drafts.

But very little heat will actually be lost as a result of keeping your curtains open, and if you keep them closed all the time it will constantly feel like night time. So fling them open, and remind yourself that the sun shines even in winter.

If you are a homeowner, home insurance may cover you in the event of burglary or damage to your house.

Mortgage approvals hit a two year high

The number of UK mortgage approvals has increased to a two year high in a surprise turnaround for the housing market at the end of 2011.

Loan approvals for house purchases in November last year were at their highest monthly level since December 2009, the Bank of England has revealed.

A total of 52,854 mortgages were approved in November compared to 52,786 in October. This is the highest monthly rise in almost two years, yet it does not mark a huge improvement for the housing market.

Mortgage approvals remain significantly below the 88,000 monthly average seen in 1993.

The number of remortgages is also at the lowest level since June last year and has continued to decline. The figure fell for a second month from 34,004 to 31,154.

Bank of England figures reveal that mortgage approvals reached the total value of £7.6 billion

Speaking to Sky News, Samuel Tombs of Capital Economics said the threat of a renewed credit crunch was likely to “weigh down on lending in the coming months.”

"We fear that approvals for new house purchases might soon start to fall as banks further restrict the availability and raise the price of credit in response to the deterioration in wholesale funding markets," added Tombs.

Mortgage approval guidelines are easing up for buyers, however, there are many additional costs that are involved in home ownership.

2011 saw house prices fall for six months, increase for a further five and remain unchanged for just one. The average price of a property is £160,063.

In addition to mixed house prices, homeowners can look forward to forking out increased stamp duty costs later this year. First time buyers will see the end of the stamp duty holiday on 24th March for properties up to £250,000 in value.

Home insurance is another cost which many may not have considered. Some mortgage lenders will make it a condition of the loan that building insurance is purchased.

Top 5 domestic financial resolutions for 2012

If you’re looking to make a little home improvement without the huge financial costs that generally accompany this process, you can follow these five tips to ensure a happy home in the New Year.

1. Feng Shui

Simple and effective at the same time, Feng Shui is one way to give your home a totally new look and feel. You can transform your living room, bedroom or office to catch the best light or simply become more space efficient. The whole process will only cost you time and energy, providing that you don’ break anything in the process.

2. Borrow paint

If you want to spruce up the garden fence or repaint the backdoor without breaking the bank, just ask around to see if anyone has any spare paint. More often than not, people will have half tins of paint lying around from previous decorative excursions.

3. Get creative

Just a few personalised home touches could make all the difference to a room. For example, buy your own fabric and pillows to make cushions or buy a fabric you like to create a throw for the sofa. From homemade candles to homemade lampshades, there are a number of things you can try yourself to make your home both look and feel better.

4. Do it yourself

Home improvements made by you can be fun and satisfying once the project is over. However, you do risk a DIY blunder which could cost you more than its worth.

If you make any major changes to your home, it would be advisable to run this by your home insurance provider as it may affect your premiums.

5. Bathroom

Following the kitchen, bathrooms are often considered one of the most important rooms in the house. A few modern touches such as a new toilet seat, mirror or bath mats could really make the difference between bland and beautiful.

Five tips for getting along with your landlord

With the number of people opting to rent in the UK predicted to double over the next few years, having a good relationship with your landlord is essential. In a large number of cases though, this can be easier said than done.

Below, we have looked at the five golden rules to having a good relationship with your landlord;

Take care of the property

Landlords like tenants that take of the property as if it was their own. By keeping the house clean and tidy your landlord is unlikely to find much to complain about.

Pay your rent on time

Being late with the rent - or not paying it at all – is one of the most common complaints that landlords can have. Therefore, always pay the rent on time and, if there is an emergency that makes you unable to pay the full amount, let your landlord know as soon as possible to make specific arrangements. Remember: communication is essential in this regard.

Notice periods are essential

Stick to the notice period you and the landlord have agreed in the contract. Giving limited notice when you leave the property is likely to mean headaches for your landlord and serious financial/legal implications for you.

Always respect the contract

There is a rental contract for a reason and both parties should respect it in order to enjoy a harmonious business relationship. The most common ways in which tenants violate the lease are by bringing in new roommates and unauthorised pets.

Keep them updated all time

Landlords worry about the well-being of their propriety and obviously like to know everything about it. Any landlord would rather be bored by your emails or calls than surprised about discovering unwelcome surprises about their properly down the line. Therefore, it is crucial to always let the landlord know about any potential repairs or problems.

Having home insurance in place is highly recommended in order to protect your belongings in case of accident.

5 DIY disasters we can all avoid

A growing number of Brits are turning their hand to DIY, making their own home improvements.

According to research from confused.com, the price comparison website, 53% of people are now making their own home improvements due to high living costs.

However, this could end up costing more in the long term as 31% of people have experienced DIY mishaps.

Here are 5 DIY disasters that can be avoided;

Paint job - You could easily ruin your carpet by spilling paint on it. Don’t forget to cover the floors with newspaper or a sheet to prevent spillages.

Drilling into a water pipe - One of the most common DIY disasters is drilling into a water pipe. Whilst they are often difficult to see you can buy devices which will inform you if there is a pipe or wire in the wall.

Ladders - Ladders falling over and damaging something around them is a common occurrence when mastering home improvements. You could easily avoid this by making sure that ladders are put to the side when they are not being used.

Shelving – Putting up shelves should be a simple process, however, if the shelf was to fall down it could damage something expensive. It could be worth taking the time to put up a shelf properly to prevent this from happening.

Foot through the ceiling - Going through the ceiling could be a really big problem for you which may involve making a claim on your home insurance.

Five of the world’s most expensive properties revealed

The current economic turmoil we are experiencing here in Britain, and indeed the rest of the world, has undoubtedly put a squeeze on many people’s wallets.

Everyday essentials like fuel, energy and food are all going up in price, leaving people in a tricky situation. To avoid losing out even further you could consider home insurance to ensure you are protected in case of an emergency.

For the world’s elite though, very little has changed in terms of their financial situation. They can still afford nice cars and very expensive homes. But what are the world’s most expensive properties?

Villa Leopolda, Cote d’Azur, France

This 80,000 square foot chateau in the south of France was built by King Leopold over 100 years ago, and is worth an estimated $525 million.

Boasting 19 bedrooms, several sports courts, a bowling alley, a movie theatre, endless bathrooms, kitchens and dining rooms, this luxury villa is currently home to a French banker.

Fairfield Pond, New York, USA

Situated in the world-famous Hamptons of New York state in the US, Fairfield Pond is worth an estimated $170 million.

Located on the coast of the Atlantic, and including a whopping 63 acres of land, this mansion has 29 bedrooms, 39 bathrooms and a 91-foot-long dining room.

One Hyde Park, London, UK

The penthouse of this world-famous address is worth an unbelievable $200 million. The high price is mainly down to the prime location.

There are a range of extras that come with this luxurious apartment, including an SAS guard, bullet-proof glass and a panic room.

Antilla, Mumbai, India

This quirkily designed, contemporary structure is home to the CEO of an Indian petrochemical company – the 5th wealthiest man in the world.

He probably didn’t think much of the staggering $1 billion price tag when first told. Probably the most expensive single property in the world, Antilla is a 27-storey, 40,000 square foot tower with gyms and lounges on every floor.

Hearst Mansion, Beverly Hills, USA

This luxurious home was originally built for newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, and took over 28 years to complete.

It was certainly worth the wait. Boasting 29 bedrooms, three swimming pools and even a nightclub, the Hearst Mansion is worth $165 million.

Parents spend over £2 billion on Christmas gifts

With Christmas just a matter of days away, children across the country will be looking forward to the arrival of Santa Claus and all the Christmas gifts he will bring.

Unfortunately for mum and dad this could also mean frantically wandering around shops making sure Santa gets what’s on the list; spending a massive £2.4 billion in the process.

The Cost of a Child study from LV found that parents are expected to spend an average of £178 per child on gifts and stocking fillers this year. This is £10 more than parents splashed out on gifts for children last year.

The study found that mums and dads spend the least on very young children.

They will splash out £133 on those aged 0-3 years, compared to children aged between 7 and 11 when parents will spend an average of £220.

Londoners will spend an average of £168 on gifts per child compared to parents in the East of England who will spend the least of £129 per child.

Expensive gifts lure Christmas criminals

Christmas can be an expensive time of year as many rush out to buy the latest gifts, gadgets and toys. Often they will be placed all in a neat pile under the tree, perfectly located for Christmas criminals to take their pick.

Research from insurance firm Aviva found that an average of £1,700 worth of gifts are hidden around the home in the run up to Christmas. It could be advisable to review your home insurance policy to ensure that your newly purchased items are covered in case of theft. Some policies also offer a 10% increase in cover at Christmas.

The research found that criminals take a break at Christmas, but are back to work in the New Year, with expensive tech goods being top of their list. Laptops, tablets, smartphones and gaming devices are the most commonly stolen items after Christmas.

5 tips for a financially active 2012

It’s that time of year again when you need to think about cutting your financial cloth to suit your needs with the immediate future in mind.

Switch insurance providers

Out with the old and in with the new! Start your financial spring clean early by making your money go further. Whilst many may be shopping around at the January sales, you may want to take better care of your finances and shop around for better insurance products instead.

It may also be worth reviewing your current insurance providers. For example, you may need to revalue your home insurance policy after receiving some expensive presents this Christmas.

Get savvy with your financial skills

Brush up on your financial skills and knowledge to ensure that you are well equipped to deal with any products that come your way. For example, if you are a bit cash-strapped and need to take out a credit card, it would be wise to invest the time to make sure you find the best one for your situation. You may need 0% on purchases or one with 0% balance transfers. Take your time and assess all the options available.

Manage the markets

One way you could keep your finances active in 2012 is by finding the next best thing to invest in. This might be a bold move within the current economic climate, however, it might pay off providing you’ve done your homework.

Budget

By sticking to a budget you may soon see your disposable income increase considerably. You could find new and interesting ways to become more frugal, such as always using vouchers and taking your own lunch into work each day.

Shop smart

By knowing exactly what you’re looking for when you head to the shops you could keep your spending habits under wraps. When doing a food shop, make a note of what you already have so that you don’t end up purchasing duplicate items.