Figures from National Office of Statistics showed that around 850,000 Britons own second homes. Arnaud Bertrand, the founder and CEO of HouseTrip says, “During a recession, owners have difficulties selling their property without suffering from a loss in equity. To ease the pressures of current economic conditions, more and more property owners are recognising the benefits of renting out spare properties and making an extra income”.

HouseTrip provides a platform for people to list their properties for free. Property owners can post up unlimited photos on the site to maximise exposure, interact with holiday-makers on the ‘wall’ and view the profiles of potential guests before accepting a booking.

“HouseTrip provides a lot of value and many useful online tools compared to other websites. I particularly like the social interface that allows me to build trust and establish direct communication with potential guests” said Stephan La Barré, a property owner who has listed on HouseTrip. “The entire booking process is handled through HouseTrip – all I have to do is sit back, accept the bookings I want and the money is then transferred directly to my account.”

The website has gained increasing interest from people looking to make some extra cash from their homes. Arnaud adds, “Since HouseTrip launched in October, the number of properties listed on our site has been growing rapidly everyday. We currently have over 650 properties listed across the world, including more than 50 in London.”

To find out how you get started, visit www.housetrip.com

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The 23-year-old computer information systems graduate was living in Leicestershire but working for a software developer in Belper, a commute that added hours to his day.

So when he looked at the Highfields Park development in Derby, from award-wining housebuilder Miller Homes East Midlands, Richard was delighted to find the Government-backed scheme HomeBuy Direct (HBD) he had heard about covered the two-bedroomed apartment he really liked.

The HBD scheme means that those who qualify have the opportunity to purchase 100 per cent of a property by paying only 70 per cent of the value, with both Miller Homes and the Government equally funding the remaining 30 per cent.

The 30 per cent equity loan will only become repayable after 25 years or when the customer sells their home, whichever comes first, and there is no interest payable for the first five years.

Richard said: “Without HBD, I would not have been able to buy the apartment. It’s as simple as that. Now I have a spacious place, in a great location and the commute to work has been reduced to about 15 minutes.

“The second-floor apartment I have now is open plan, with a kitchen dining area that is ideal and two bedrooms, which is great when friends or relatives come to stay. I really would recommend HBD and Miller Homes.”

Highfields Park, which lies close to the popular suburb of Darley Abbey, is just a short car ride, bus journey, or 20 minute walk from the bustling centre of Derby, with its range of high street shops and independent stores.

It is also close to key commuter routes, so travelling to Nottingham, Sheffield, Stoke or Birmingham is easy.

Joy Goodman, sales director at Miller Homes East Midlands, commented: “Innovative schemes like HBD are making new homes affordable and within reach of people who would otherwise not have been able to.

“It’s great that Richard has found a property that suits his requirements, and it goes to show confidence in the new homes market is growing and that getting on the property ladder has never been easier.”

For more information on HBD, and on Highfields Park, visit www.millerhomes.co.uk/explore/eastmidlands

Alternatively, call the sales information centre on 0800 840 8635.

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According to Demetris Ashiotis, executive director of Pafilia Property Developers, “Minthis Hills is our landmark development in Cyprus and really is a labour of love for all those involved. We have pushed the boundaries in every aspect to create what we believe is the ultimate address not just in Cyprus, but the Mediterranean. It is very satisfying to have this recognised and it demonstrates our ability to compete at the highest levels.”

Designed by Woods Bagot, the private residences at Minthis Hills blend traditional and modern elements to create a timeless design that has universal appeal, regardless of whether the customer usually prefers one particular style. The properties are designed as part of the resort, which as a whole, has been specifically created to encapsulate barefoot luxury, being close to nature with wide open spaces and at the same time providing the ultimate luxury with 5 star services to match. The architecture therefore blurs the boundaries between inside and outside, bringing you closer to nature, while the whole design and finishes exude luxury. Traditional Cypriot mountain village elements have been incorporated including local stone and wood and interior courtyards. This helps with energy efficiency, encouraging cross ventilation to provide natural cooling during Summer.

Minthis Hills stretches across an expanse of nearly 5 million square metres, which is roughly 1200 football pitches. It is surrounded by spectacular mountainous countryside with views to the nearby sea, as well as to the Troodos mountains, which reach up to 1951m and where you can ski in the Winter. The environment plays a huge part in this resort, with Pafilia recently announcing its pledge to the UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign to plant 6500 trees by June 2010 in Minthis Hills and this is only a tiny proportion of the total number of trees and plants to be planted there, which will be in excess of 100,000.

Life at Minthis Hills offers complete escapism, but not isolation; unrivalled on-site facilities will include the recently upgraded 18 hole championship golf course, an exclusive spa, several fine dining and local restaurants, shops, tennis courts, nature trails and vineyards which can be rented by owners to produce their own wine. At the same time, the thriving coastal town of Pafos, where you can find virtually anything you desire, will be only 15 minutes away.

Designed originally by Donald Steele, the existing Minthis Hills 18 hole par 71 championship golf course is being revamped by Mackenzie & Ebert. According to Tom Mackenzie, “There are few places in the world where you can play in such beautiful surroundings as Minthis Hills, with the Troodos Mountains as a backdrop and the course tucked away in a valley and the 12th century monastery in the middle.” The course has a length of 5,828m or 6,550 yards, making it easily walkable. It has a full range of practice facilities, including a panoramic elevated driving range. A large new clubhouse is currently under construction, which will form the heart of the community, providing bars, restaurants and five star services to residents, such as a full concierge service.

The European Property Awards are part of the globally respected International Property Awards, which have been running for 15 years. Due to their continual growth in size and standing, a series of other programmes for specific regions have also been launched. The Daily Mail UK Awards were introduced five years ago and these were joined more recently by individual programmes for the European, Arabian, Asia Pacific, African and Americas Property Awards.

Entries were judged by a panel of professionals whose collective knowledge of the property industry is second to none and unsurpassed by any other property awards. This year’s judges included Eric Pickles MP, chairman of the Conservative Party, Ben Wood, industry head property markets of Google UK; Peter Bolton King, group chief executive of the National Federation of Property Professionals; Imtiaz Farookhi, chief executive of the National House Building Council; Christopher Hall, president elect of FIABCI; Wilhelm Harnish, Master Builders of Australia (MBA); Thijis Stoffer, International Consortium of Real Estate Agents Association (ICREA); Helen Shield, editor-in-chief of International Homes Luxury Collection magazine and Gillian Farr, head of design of Laura Ashley Home.

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The first phase of ICON, which consists of 138 one, two, three and four-bedroom homes, has been designed to create a sustainable community by reducing the consumption of energy and water whilst providing contemporary living spaces. The development incorporates a range of energy efficient measures including solar water heating and low energy lighting, with highly insulated homes, which feature central ventilation systems keeping energy consumption extremely low.

Crest Nicholson South West Sales and Marketing Director, Sandra Dixon, said: “Around 30 per cent of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions come from heating and energy use within our home. Crest Nicholson’s ICON development has been designed to be extremely energy efficient and we wanted to take this opportunity to pass on some simple energy saving tips to homeowners.”

Crest Nicholson’s top ten energy saving tips:

· Turn the room thermostat down by 1°C. This can save around £30 a year.

· Make sure curtains or furniture are not in front of a radiator.

· Switch off appliances such as microwaves, TVs, videos, stereos, and computers, as they use energy when they are left on standby. A staggering 85% of the energy used by the DVD player is consumed when it is not actually in use.

· Unplug equipment e.g. mobile phones, shavers and electric toothbrushes once they are fully charged, otherwise they will keep drawing electricity.

· Defrost your fridge regularly to keep it running efficiently and cheaply. If it seems to frost up quickly, check the door seal. It makes sense to avoid putting your fridge next to an oven or boiler.

· Only wash full loads or use a half-load or economy programme. Always use a low temperature programme as modern washing powders will be just as effective.

· Modern dishwashers use less energy and water than washing up by hand.

· Pressure cookers, steamers and microwaves save energy.

· Only boil as much water in the kettle as you need.

· An ordinary shower uses just two fifths of the water for a bath. In contrast, power showers use as much water as a bath and sometimes more.

Sandra continued: “We hope our useful tips will help people think about the simple measures they can take to reduce the energy that they are using. For those people who want to live in a brand new stylish energy efficient home then we encourage them to come to ICON to find out more about how they can make a difference to their carbon footprint through their choice of home.

“We have a range of homes available, from one-bedroom apartments over-looking Lime Tree Square to four-bedroom family homes. The development also boasts plenty of open green space, a play grove, wildlife garden and village green. There are many great deals on offer to help you make that move into your dream home so come and visit our sales advisors to see how we can help you.”

One person who is enjoying the environmental benefits of living at ICON is IT engineer Ben Evans (28) who moved into his two bedroom, Crest Nicholson Deco apartment in February this year. Ben said: “I thought it might be a good time to buy as houses seemed to be more affordable due to the market and I had already saved a decent deposit.

“The fact that the apartments are environmentally friendly is a big plus point for me. Initially I was worried about not being able to afford the bills, especially as gas and electricity have gone up in price, but I’ve had a few bills now and they have been fairly low and certainly less than my friends are paying in their more traditional homes.”

Prices include £105,950 for a one-bedroom apartment, £184,950 for a three bedroom home, or £129,465 when bought through the HomeBuy Direct scheme, and range to £244,950 for a four-bedroom home.

For further information, please contact a member of the Crest Nicholson sales team on 0870 753 1857 or call into the sales and marketing suite which is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Alternatively please log on to www.liveicon.co.uk to find out more information or to see the ICON fly-through movie.

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Selected by real estate professionals through a global on-line poll, Hamptons won three regional awards as the Best Advisory & Consultancy and for Best Valuation and Best Research in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region. The company also won the country award for ‘Best Advisory & Consultancy’ in Oman.

Mr Naaman Atallah, Group Managing Director, Hamptons International received the awards from Mr Clive Horwood, Editor of Euromoney, one of the world’s leading financial magazines. The Euromoney Real Estate Awards property companies for adhering to global best practices.

Mr Atallah said: “Hamptons International today has a strong portfolio of projects from across the MENA region and key global markets. With a network of 85 offices world-wide, we serve as the perfect interface between property developers and customers globally. The Euromoney Awards are a testament to the high standards we offer in advisory and consultancy services, backed by our strong valuation and research support.”

“Oman has been one of our strong markets, where we have dedicated offices to serve customers across the Sultanate. The country award for ‘Best Advisory & Consultancy’ reiterates the trust we enjoy amongst real estate professionals,” added Mr Atallah.

Hamptons already has a strong presence in the United Arab Emirates, through offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco. Acquired by Emaar Properties in 2006, Hamptons International has headquarters in London and Dubai, and features a diverse project portfolio in addition to offering residential and commercial sales, leasing, property management, valuations and research, advisory and mortgage services.

Caption (L-R):
Mr Clive Horwood, Editor, Euromoney presenting the Euromoney Real Estate award for ‘Best Developer in the Middle East & North Africa’ to Mr Naaman Atallah, Chief Operating Officer of Emaar Properties

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Judged by a highly experienced panel of architects, property journalists and industry experts, the Daily Mail UK Property Awards aim to recognise and reward outstanding developments that excel in their sector. Dandara’s success at these awards with the ambitious ‘Image’ development, reflect the hard work that they have put into the project, to give Hemel Hempstead’s Kodak House a new lease of life. The inspired scheme has seen the company transform the previously empty building, adding two levels to make it 22-storeys high, ensuring it continues to be a well known local landmark and a focal point for the innovative mixed-use development.

Michelle Harris, UK South Sales Director for Dandara, comments: “We are delighted to add yet another award to our collection at Dandara. The tremendous interest already generated by Image is testament to how impressive the scheme is. We designed the development carefully, making sure that the existing fabric of Kodak House was incorporated fully into the final design. We understand how important the tower’s heritage is and how much esteem it holds with local residents in Hemel Hempstead, but we have also worked hard to make it a destination in its own right.”

Image is a stunning mixed-use development, located on Station Road. Combining new build and refurbishment, the development comprises a selection of one and two bedroom apartments and a series of retail units that will be home to small shops and cafes.

The development is centred round a landscaped piazza with a piece of specially commissioned public art at the heart of the space. A newly constructed footbridge will link the piazza to the recently created Riverside shopping centre.

Many of the apartments have balconies or terraces and offer spectacular views across Hemel Hempstead and the countryside beyond. Residents will also benefit from a car club, a concierge service and a peak hours bus service to Hemel Hempstead station for the exclusive use of Image’s residents.

Image is perfectly located for commuters. Hemel Hempstead station is just 0.7 miles away, from where regular trains to London Euston station take approximately 26 minutes and trains to Milton Keynes take approximately 30 minutes. The M1 and M25 are a short drive away, Luton airport is 12 miles from the development and Heathrow airport is 28 miles away.

Prices at Image start from £150,000 for a one-bedroom apartment and £235,000 for a two bedroom. The show apartments are available for viewing, by appointment only, Monday to Friday between 10am and 5pm. To make an appointment, or for more information on Image, please telephone: 01442 838120 or visit: www.livetheimage.com.

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When Ami Barragry (33) got a new job in Haverhill, her and husband, Stephen (45) started looking to relocate the family to Suffolk from Kent. When they found out about Red Lodge the couple felt that the location was ideal for them as it has good access to both the A11 and M11, as well as being quiet and offering a slice of country living. They found the homes on offer at Larks Reach, the new phase of development by Crest Nicholson, were just what they were looking for and, although originally looking for a three bedroom home, were pleased to find they could afford a bigger four bedroom property.

Ami comments, “When Stephen and I started looking for our first home together we came across a second hand Crest Nicholson home at Red Lodge and immediately liked the area, when we saw the new homes at Larks Reach and in particular the four bedroom property, we knew that it was the house for us. We really loved the quiet location and style of the property, as well as it having a good size south facing back garden. We can see ourselves staying here for a long time as it has the space for us to start a family in the future and I think it would be a great place to raise children.”

Larks Reach is a stylish collection of three and four bedroom houses and two bedroom apartments. Kings Warren has been carefully master-planned to create a fully integrated community that is perfectly situated to enjoy the best of both town and country living, with a range of first class local facilities. Along with 1,250 new homes, when complete the development will also feature a well-equipped sports complex that will include three standard football pitches, as well as a cricket pitch complete with pavilion and changing rooms.

Annette Cole, Sales and Marketing Director at Crest Nicholson (Eastern) Ltd. comments, “For newlywed couples like Ami and Stephen, finding a property big enough for a future family is often an important factor in buying a new home. The houses on offer at Larks Reach offer all the space needed and have been expertly designed to ensure that they offer buyers a home that is perfectly suited to modern family life.”

As well as offering a peaceful rural setting, an excellent road and rail infrastructure close by means that Kings Warren residents are well connected. Newmarket is less than 15 minutes’ drive along the A11. Also, Kennet Station is located just three miles away and provides frequent and direct rail links to Cambridge in just 30 minutes. Alternatively, Cambridge city centre is just 18 miles by road and there is also easy access to the A11 and nearby A14.

Prices for a three bedroom townhouse at Larks Reach start at £184,500 and £190,000 for a four bedroom property. For more information on Larks Reach or the incentives on offer please call the Sales and Marketing Suite on 0870 755 1632 or visit www.crestnicholson.com/kingswarren.

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Kickz is a national project run by all the premier league football clubs, but it was piloted by Tottenham Hotspur in 2006. According to Trevor Duberry of Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, who accepted the award on behalf of Kickz from Matthew Byatt of Newhall Projects, the Kickz scheme is now so successful that it currently has over 64 projects across Greater London and in excess of 100 nationally.

“We are very proud to be recognized for this award for the Kickz programme which started in Harlow at the beginning of the year,” he said. “It is such a valuable initiative as it encourages young people, aged between 12 and 18 years to take part in either football, or other activities such as, basketball, boxing, music and even hair and beauty sessions, for three hours per night, three days per week, 48 weeks out of 52 in the year. I am very proud to be part of it and grateful to Newhall for its valuable sponsorship of these awards.”

Innovation is certainly in evidence at Newhall where the latest schemes nearing completion include North Chase, which has been designed by four different award winning architects and features the exciting land mark ZigZag building, with its wooden vail, which will soon house the first commercial enterprise on the scheme - a restaurant called Rhubarb!

Prices at North Chase start at £185,000 with further information on www.northchase.co.uk or by calling the information centre on 01279 416660.

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Currently, every household in the UK creates around six tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, twice as much CO2 as the average car and enough to fill one hot air balloon. Concerningly over £8million pounds of energy is wasted every year from homes that are poorly insulated, so it is reassuring to know that Crest Nicholson homes at Avante are more than twice as energy efficient as an average second hand UK home, incorporating better insulation and exceeding energy efficient building regulations.

Avante is an innovative collection of 150 highly contemporary one and two bedroom apartments and two, three and four bedroom houses that are pushing the boundaries of sustainable living. At Avante each home has been rated ‘Very Good’ or ‘Excellent’ by the EcoHomes independent system of rating for domestic properties.

Annette Cole, Sales & Marketing Director for Crest Nicholson (Eastern) Ltd, comments: “Energy Savings Week is a great initiative designed to raise awareness of just how much energy is used, and lost, by poor quality housing. The homes at Avante have been specifically designed to help reduce the use of energy and this gives purchasers not only the peace of mind that they are helping reduce their CO2 emissions and save the environment, but also helps them save money on their energy bills which is important in these financially difficult times.”

Properties at Avante have a number of innovative eco-features, including low energy lighting throughout, that helps reduce electricity consumption. The glazing within all of the homes has been minimised in the bedrooms and maximised in the living areas to let light flood in and reduce the loss of heat. Other eco features include a central lantern roof light which allows a generous amount of daylight into all properties. This unique feature also provides natural ventilation and improves solar gain.

Located in Coxheath in Kent, Avante is just four miles south of Maidstone. Well positioned, the development is situated a few miles from the M20. For further information about Avante please contact the sales and marketing suite on 0870 755 9830 or visit www.crestnicholson.com. Prices at Avante start from £139,500 for a one bedroom apartment and £245,000 for a 4 bedroom house.

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On Saturday 17 October, the multi-award winning housebuilder, which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary, will be opening the doors to the development’s former Alcott-style showhome, to provide a glimpse of the lifestyle on offer to one lucky buyer should they snap-up this final home.

A thoughtfully laid-out three-bedroomed townhouse, the Alcott has a thoroughly adaptable living space which has proved popular with first-time buyers, young families and downsizers alike.

Alongside a spacious master bedroom, complete with en-suite facilities, and an airy second double sized bedroom, the true flexibility of the Alcott becomes apparent with the third bedroom on the ground floor.

This bedroom, whilst being perfect accommodation for guests, could also be utilised as a delightful home office, library, or studio space, which combined with the utility and even cloakroom, could even operate as a stand alone work area, separate from the rest of the home.

Joy Goodman, sales director at Miller Homes East Midlands commented: “The Alcott’s versatility is reflected in the wide range of prospective buyers that have expressed interest in it – and with an affordable £174,950 starting price, we are not expecting this final example to remain on the market for long.”

“The fact that there is only this one property remaining at Fernwood Place pays testament to not only the quality of the development, but also the renewed confidence of those looking to make a secure long-term investment in a new home.”

Situated off Stenson Road, close to Oaklands Avenue in Littleover, Fernwood Place benefits enormously from its location, which boasts doorstep country walks, an adjacent golf course, open farmland and easy travel into Derby’s city centre.

For further information about the event or the properties available at Fernwood Place, call 0800 840 8652 or visit the website at www.millerhomes.co.uk/explore/EastMidlands.

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