URL: http://www.freecycle.org/

Freecycle groups match people who have things they want to get rid of, with people who can use them, and thus helps to keeps usable items out of landfills. There are multiple groups in towns throughout Northern Ireland, and items listed range from everything from Kitchen tables to old computer gaming consoles.

URL: http://www.ilovefreegle.org/

Freegle started as a spin out project from Freecycle, with the UK users having problems with trading between U.S visitors, and confusion arising from some U.S. town names being similar. The outcome was Freegle, which is UK based. Again, Freegle contains a number of Northern Ireland specific groups that you can peruse at your leisure.

URL: http://www.gumtree.com/freebies/belfast

Gumtree should be a well known destination for many a homeowner, with service such as home removals and decorators available at your fingertips. However, buried under the commercial offerings are some corners of Gumtree that offer free stuff, that the creative amongst you will be able to put to great use. Both the Freebies listing available in Belfast ( and other towns across N.I. ) and the Swap Shop offer free goodies and barter exchanges for items people no longer want.  Well worth a browse to see what you can salvage for next to nothing.

URL: http://www.vskips.co.uk

VSkips allows you to create your own virtual skip, and upload the things you don’t want into it.  Others can browse the items you no longer want, and offer to take them off your hands. VSkips is part of the Vyouz Network a green initiative design to encourage recycling by leveraging a number of platforms and social networks.

URL: http://www.preloved.co.uk

Preloved offers a variety of free listing adverts with the ability to specify if the item you want shifting is free, for sale or available for exchange. There are a number of items available in Northern Ireland for various sellers and Preloved users. There is also an active community of frugal home owners  listing there goods. For a £5 yearly membership, you can be first to be notified about any goods listed on the site close to your area.

URL: http://www.freetradeireland.ie/

FreeTradeIreland is a web service designed to facilitate and encourage the reuse of household and business items. Although operating primarily in the South, it may still be relevant for those looking to pick something up around the border counties.

URL: http://www.frn.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=46

Established in 1989 The Furniture Re-use Network (FRN) is the national co-ordinating body for 400 furniture and appliance re-use and recycling organisations in the UK that collect a wide range of household items to pass onto people in need. This direct link to the Northern Ireland section provides other relevant member and non charity links that offer recycling services.

Other Useful Links

URL: http://www.recyclenow.com/

Good guide on Recycling and what can and can’t be recycled.

URL: http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/information-and-services/environment-and-greener-living/waste-and-recycling.htm -

NI Direct guide to waste and Recycling projects.

URL: http://www.bhf.org.uk/shop/donating-goods.aspx

Learn how to donate unwanted electrical goods to the British Heart Foundation.

URL: http://letsallshare.com/

URL: http://www.flog.co.uk/

URL: http://www.reuze.co.uk/

URL: http://www.charityshops.org.uk/locator.php

Find a Charity shop near you.

This award means Jim is in the top 10 site managers throughout Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, an accolade he previously won in 2006.

Not only is Breton Hall an award winner but it has been bucking the sales trend since it opened in late 2009. Bill Porter comments “we are very proud to have our quality recognised by NHBC and my brother Jim is as passionate as I am about ensuring that our product is built with quality and integrity. Solid floors on all levels, instead of timber, ensuring much less noise penetration and our high specification solid doors, UPVc sash windows and locally crafted kitchens add substance and quality you can really feel”.

This quality and reputation for excellence is also in evidence at Porter&Co’s Farriers Green development at Carnreagh in Hillsborough, where the number of bookings off-plan has far exceeded expectations.

“Demand was so immediate when the first release was announced in November, that we had to increase the number of homes in the first release” said estate agent Fred Dalzell.

He added “We are expecting many purchasers and potential purchasers for Farriers Green and indeed Porter & Co’s Portmore Hall development in Crumlin, to visit the Breton Hall showhouse on Sunday 11^th to see and experience at first hand the quality they can expect from a Porter home. It is very satisfying to be able to share these achievements with our buyers and have a festive glass of mulled wine with them as a thank you.”

Bill Porter added “To celebrate the award and a very encouraging year of sales, we are inviting the public to view our showhouse, enjoy a mince pie and glass of mulled wine, plus we have a festive Christmas tree and talented ensemble of carol singers to add to the atmosphere!”

For further details on Breton Hall and Portmore Hall contact Reeds Rains Estate Agents Lisburn 02892675321 or Fred Dalzell & Partners 02892666638.

Simple ways to protect your water pipes in winter.

Winter is nearly upon us, which means long nights, sub-zero temperatures and the risk of frozen pipes.

While the thought of frozen pipes may not seem like a big deal, many people forget that when their pipes freeze they risk a lot more than just having no water for bathing, laundry or cooking. They risk a burst pipe which could mean damage to their personal property and potentially expensive repair work.

Fortunately, it’s easy to reduce your risk of this happening. All you have to do is follow these simple steps and together we can help make sure that your water keeps flowing all winter long.

Avoiding frozen pipes

Insulate water tanks and pipes in unheated areas like lofts, roof spaces, garages and outbuildings

Fix dripping taps- a small trickle of water can freeze and completely block the pipe

Find your internal stop tap/valve. It’s usually under the sink

Keep your boiler well serviced to keep your house heated

Make sure doors and windows from unheated parts of your property are kept closed and minimise any draughts from outside

Allow some warm air to circulate into the roof space by opening the trap door

Leave the heating on low when you are away. Leave a key with a neighbour, friend or family member who can check the house regularly

Write down the contact details of SNIPEF registered plumbers in your area

Dealing with frozen pipes

Turn off the water supply at the stop tap/valve

Thaw along the pipe, starting from the end nearest the tap

Don’t use a blow lamp or naked flame

Put hot water bottles or a thick cloth soaked in hot water over the frozen pipe or use a hair dryer at its lowest setting to thaw pipes. Be careful not to warm them too quickly or they may burst

Don’t leave taps dripping or running. The water may not flush down the plug hole if the pipes below are froze

If a pipe does burst

Turn off the stop tap/valve

Try to block escaping water with thick cloth like towels

Open all taps to reduce flooding

Call a plumber

Don’t forget to turn off taps once the problem is fixed to avoid further flooding

For more information about protecting your pipes from freezing this winter, look for your leaflet in the post, visit niwater.com or call Waterline on 08457 440088.

Caption: (L-R) John Montgomery, Patton Homes; David McCallum, Co-Ownership Housing Association and Charlie Lynn, McAfee Properties and Mortgages launch the FirstBuy NI Information Night, Thursday 24th November 6-30 to 8-30 pm at Phoenix Fields, Railway Street, Ballymena.

This scheme had just been launched, with £3.25million being made available to help first time buyers get a foot on the property ladder.

John Montgomery, Director, Patton Homes comments “This scheme is very welcome news to the house building industry and is another option for potential homeowners who are looking to get onto the property ladder.  We are receiving a lot of interest in FirstBuy NI, which is why we are hosting this information night on Thursday 24^th November at Phoenix Fields.  FirstBuy NI would allow a homebuyer to purchase a home at Phoenix Fields with a monthly mortgage payment of just £293 per month! *

We believe that this represents great value for money and is a message that we want to share with house hunters in the market.”

Charlie Lynn from McAfee adds “This is an excellent opportunity within the current market for homebuyers to own their own home.  The FirstBuy NI scheme has come along at the right time and is a good platform for people to get onto the property ladder.  Please come along on Thursday night if you would like to find out more.”

The FirstBuy NI scheme can help first time buyers and returning homebuyers to get on the property ladder by providing help to buy a new build home on a shared ownership basis. The FirstBuy NI scheme is available on a first come first served basis. This is a pilot scheme and is due to be completed by the 31 March 2012.

With FirstBuy NI, purchasers with a five per cent deposit will be able to afford a new home on an 80 per cent shared ownership basis. This means that if buyers can pay the five per cent deposit on a new build home, Co-Ownership Housing will finance 20 per cent of the cost and the buyers can take out a 75 per cent mortgage on the rest of the property.

Rent on the part of the property owned by Co-Ownership Housing will be charged at the same rate as existing properties under the Co-Ownership scheme.

As their earnings increase over the years, the buyers can then buy the remaining 20 per cent equity share from Co-Ownership Housing, and own the property outright.

The FirstBuy NI scheme is a funding package which is available on a first come first served basis. This is a pilot scheme and is due to be completed by the 31 March 2012.

* Figures quoted are subject to status and lending criteria (correct November 2011).

Osborne King’s first auction in over four years took place in September and attracted widespread interest from a varied mix of individuals including first-time buyers, investors and developers.  The company disposed of a staggering 25 of the 27 lots (93% transacted) on offer and is hoping to achieve similar sales levels at the upcoming auction although Mark Carron, head of Osborne King’s auction team, accepts that replicating the success of the September event will be challenging.

He  said, “Obviously, we were very pleased with the results of our last auction, particularly in view of the fact that a large proportion of properties sold on the day had been on the market for quite some time, in some instances up to two years.  From our perspective, this level of success demonstrated clearly that the auction process is an extremely effective and efficient method of sale, provided it is managed properly.  That said, it remains a challenge to either equal or surpass the results of our last auction although the team has worked hard to assemble a diverse range of lots priced at extremely realistic levels, which, we hope will attract similar levels of interest and numbers of bidders on the day.”

Among the lots on offer is a partially-built block of three apartments in Cloughmills (maximum reserve price of £5,000), a detached bungalow situated on a 0.25-acre site in one of Newry’s most desirable residential areas (maximum reserve of £60,000) and a two-storey office building in Carrickfergus town centre (maximum reserve £130,000).  Topping the list with a maximum reserve price of £175,000 is a development site of circa 6.9 acres in Irvinestown that has full planning permission for 58 housing units.

Full details of lot types, sizes and prices are available in Osborne King’s auction catalogue, listed on-line on PropertyPal , or via the Agents own website. Osborne King can also be contacted on 028 9027 0000 for further details.

Braidwater in conjunction with their Agents – McAfees are hosting an INFORMATION EVENING at the Leighinmohr House Hotel in Ballymena for Home Buyers who are interested in purchasing a new home at Leighinmohr.

The purpose of the evening is to bring together a number of professionals under one roof and to provide as much information to Home Owners on the Development, House Types, Finance Options and Finance Availability.

This will give Potential Home Owners an opportunity to have a one to one with the Agents, Developer, Co-ownership, Independent Financial Advisor, Banks and Solicitors.

HIGH ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMES / LOW RUNNING COSTS!

The homes in Leighinmohr are very unique – they have been designed to ensure that they are HIGHLY ENERGY EFFICIENT. This is important as this will result in LOW ENERGY COSTS for the home owner. The homes are heating with Firmus Gas which also provides hot water throughout.

Mr Calderwood, a homeowner in Phase 1 Leighinmohr, said that he is delighted in having lower energy bills. He did not have his heating on at all over the summer months. He normally spends £10 on gas which would last him 2.5 weeks (on average) and his electric spend is no more than £1.20 per day – approximately.

This next release of newly-designed, high-energy efficient homes should reduce energy bills even further and the Developer is monitoring this.

Phase 3 in Leighinmohr will provide 33 new homes – all of which have 3 bedrooms. The prices include turnkey and hard and soft landscaping features.

There is a great choice in kitchens, tiling and flooring.

There are 5 different house types available in different arrangements of townhouses and semi detached homes. An option is available to add on a sunroom to the semi detached homes.

NO DEPOSIT ! NO WORRIES!

The prices are AFFFORDABLE and great value for money – price start at £114,500 for a 3 bedroom turnkey home.

You could own a new home in Leighinmohr from as little as £355 per month (subject to criteria).

To help prospective buyers get on the “property ladder”, Co-ownership is now available to 1st and 2nd time Buyers (subject to criteria). Interested parties can have a one to one with Co-ownership representatives who will guide them through the process and discuss availability and the GREAT advantages!!!

AFFORDABILITY

An Independent Financial Advisor will be present on the night and across the room there will be an opportunity to meet the Bankers!

The Banks will be there to offer information on all their products and services but Home Owners to be in Leighinmohr will be interested to hear more about 100 % Mortgages which are on offer. Another product on offer is the Ulster Bank’s Momentum Mortgage Scheme (subject to criteria).

GREAT LOCATION – ONE OF THE BEST ADDRESSES IN TOWN

Leighinmohr, just off the Galgorm Road – is one of the best addresses and locations in town. It is convenient and very central to all local amenities. The railway station, bus stops, town centre and local schools and colleges are all within walking distance.

DON’T MISS OUT …………..

THERE ARE SPECIAL OFFERS ON THE NIGHT!!!!!!!

Now in its ninth year, the Emirates Glass LEAF Awards is an annual architectural prize. It honours those individuals and organisations which have made an outstanding contribution to the world of architecture, providing a benchmark for the international architectural community.

Previous winners include: Zaha Hadid, David Chipperfield, SOM, Steven Holl and Terry Farrell. The awards are operated by the Leading European Architects Forum (LEAF).

Paul Crowe managing director of TODD Architects and Planning said of the accolade: ‘We are delighted The Boat has been recognized on the international architectural stage and particularly in the Mixed Use Building of the Year. It underlines the importance of designing buildings which have a financial viability in challenging economic times and which create a place where people can live, work and play.’

The Boat Developer Harry Dougherty said: ‘The Boat has been a labour of love for a decade. The architectural design of this 14 storey landmark and its subsequent execution has created the desired regeneration of this prime riverside location offers with views over Belfast Lough and Titanic Quarter, bringing vibrancy and people back to Custom House Square.

Prices begin at £375,000 http://www.propertypal.com/the-boat-belfast/d747

A poorly insulated home costs money. You can reduce your fuel bills by carrying out the following measures:

• Top up the loft insulation to a depth of 27 cms
• Lagging the hot water cylinder and pipes in the roofspace
• Install cavity wall insulation
• Install heating controls
• Use condensing boilers where possible or a high efficiency boiler

If you are a private tenant or an owner occupier you may be entitled to a grant to carry out some of these measures. Those owner occupiers who do not qualify for a grant can apply for various cashback schemes to meet the costs of some of these measures.

Further information on grants/cashbacks and free energy advice is available through the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre on 0800 512012.

Noel Rice, Energy Efficiency Manager in the Housing Executive said,

“There are some basic but effective steps that can be taken to keep warm this winter and also reduce heating and electricity bills. These cost very little to do. Being energy efficient is not only good for the environment but it is also good for your purse.  Making small changes to your lifestyle and being aware of how to make these savings can make a huge difference to your carbon footprint.”

Simple tips that cost very little or nothing are:

Throughout your home…

• Close curtains at night to keep in the heat
• Keep internal doors closed to reduce draughts and don’t block the radiators with furniture
• Never leave hot water running
• Turn off unnecessary lights
• Electrical appliances on standby could be costing you up to £100 per year – turn them off!
• Fit low energy light bulbs – they use around one fifth of the electricity of a normal bulb.
• Fit shelves above radiators to deflect heat into the middle of the room
• Draught proof letter boxes and gaps at floor boards

And in the kitchen…….

• Only use the amount of water you need when boiling the kettle (cover the element of an electric kettle)
• Use a toaster rather than the grill
• Wait until you have a full load before using washing machines, tumble driers or dishwashers
• Defrost fridges and freezers regularly

And finally …..

• Use the shower if you have one, rather than the bath (electric showers which heat water instantaneously are very expensive to run and should be used with care)
• Never leave mobile phones on charge overnight and
• Make sure your computer equipment is completely switched off and plugs out

For more information on energy saving visit www.nidirect.gov.uk/energywise Or freephone the energy saving Trust 0800 512012

Following on from previous success Ulster Property Sales has been “highly commended” in both the Sales and Rental division.

The fact that Ulster Property Sales has received two of these coveted awards is proof that Northern Ireland has proved its capability of triumphing within the highly competitive UK property arena.

The judging panel consists of more than 80 professionals whose collective knowledge of the property industry is unsurpassed by any other property awards. This year’s judges include James Bacon, UK account manager of Google; Peter Bolton King, group chief executive of the National Federation of Property professionals; David Dalby of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS); and Mike McNamara of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

Peter Feeley of Ulster Property Sales Head Office commented, “to receive these prestigious awards two years running is outstanding for our group and proves our continuous commitment to a quality sales & letting service”

The annual UK Property Awards 2011, in association with BLOOMBERG TELEVISION, are open to residential and property professionals.

At a gala dinner on Friday, 28th October, in the Lancaster Hotel, London, hosted by Jenny Bond, Managemint won the 5 star Award for Best Letting Agency in Northern Ireland.

Every year the awards celebrate winners from all regions of the UK and Managemint Ltd, which was established by Jeremy Baird in 2007 – while he was still at university – has witnessed accelerated growth in the last number of years.

The company manages a range of properties across Northern Ireland from their two offices.

Finalists in the International Property Awards were marked across 11 categories including level and quality of service, marketing, out of office
provision, key staff profiles and the company’s contribution to innovation in the industry.

Managemint Ltd wooed the judges with their brand as Northern Ireland’s most energetic and freshest lettings agency. However, the quality of customer service and company ambition also impressed.

Speaking upon hearing that his company had won, Managing Director, Jeremy Baird, said:

“This is a huge achievement for Managemint Ltd and places us as NorthernIreland’s top lettings agency, as well as acknowledging that we are one of the best lettings agencies in the UK.

I want to pay tribute to my staff team who work hard 24/7 to provide the quality of service for which we have become renowned. I now look forward to future and another successful year for the company!”