Homes & Gardens

Energy Efficiency vs. Renewable Energy: Which One Should You Priorities in Real Estate?

As real estate owners and managers, the goal is clear: decarbonize your portfolio while reducing costs and enhancing tenant comfort. But with the wealth of information available today, it can be challenging to know where to focus your efforts—on energy efficiency or renewable energy. Let’s break down the benefits of both and how they can complement each other to create a sustainable future for your buildings. Energy Efficiency: The First Step in Decarbonization Energy efficiency should always be the first priority when embarking on a sustainability journey. The reason is simple: it's the...

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Tenants produce colourful displays - with plenty of gold

Tenants of East Devon District Council have again excelled themselves with a beautiful display of gardens large and small, leading to another highly successful garden competition, with a total of 41 entries.

This included two entrants for the Youth Garden, both of whom were Gold winners.

Kieron Bewes (Horticultural Consultant) was the judge and using the Royal Horticultural Society judging method once again, a number of entrants obtained the Gold level.

The Tenants’ Garden Competition is an annual event organised by Tenant Participation within the Housing Service at...

Sowing the seeds of remembrance - Centenary Poppy Campaign is rolled out nationally

The Royal British Legion has announced that the Centenary Poppy Campaign, which originated in the Greenhithe and Swanscombe Branch of the Legion, will be rolled out nationally in partnership with B&Q.

The national campaign will see the Legion asking the public and local authorities to purchase Flanders poppy seeds from B&Q to plant on their own land. The funds raised by the campaign will go towards the £1.6 million the Legion spends each week on vital care and support to the Armed Forces community.

The idea for the campaign was initiated by members of the Greenhithe...

Information centre now open at new Redrow development in Ottery St Mary

Award-winning homebuilder Redrow has announced that the early information centre at its new development, Otter Grange, is now open. Located on the eastern edge of delightful country town Ottery St Mary, this stylish development is surrounded by open farmland, making for an idyllic setting.

The marketing suite and showhomes will officially open in early December. Redrow is encouraging house hunters to pop along to find out more now and learn about the benefits of purchasing off plan.

Emma Solman, area sales manager for Redrow (South West) said: “Buying off plan has proved...

Sellers return to the South West housing market in record levels

Rising prices and burgeoning buyer demand have led to significant increases in homes coming onto the South West property market, says the August RICS Residential Market Survey.

During August, 68 percent more chartered surveyors reported increases not decreases in new instructions in the region (from +42 percent in July). This is the highest number since RICS started to record these indices in the South West, and with positivity starting to return, it seems that those who may have been waiting for the right time to sell are choosing now to do so.

The number of would-be...

First residents move into award-winning development

Jenny Brown and Paul Colebourne are the first residents to move into their new home at Wyndham Place, Tisbury built by independent developer C G Fry & Son, well-renowned for their triple-award winning Wyvern Park in Exeter. Site manager Adrian White was recently awarded a Quality Award in the ‘Pride in the Job’ 2013 for the development organised by the National House Building Council (NHBC) for the South West region. A ‘Pride in the Job award’ is the highest industry accolade a site manager can receive.

Jenny together with partner Paul own a house in London and are looking to...

Pickles “Bring Back Bungalows” – "We are!" says developer of Exeter retirement village

Developer Urban Renaissance Villages, which is behind Exeter’s first retirement village Millbrook Village, is welcoming Eric Pickles’ advice issued last week to planners, urging them to build more ‘bungalows and retirement villages of 100 or so houses with activities for residents’ to deal with the predicted housing crisis for the over 65s.

“We totally support Eric Pickles and Nick Boles! This is what our aging population needs – a mixture of property types covering a range of prices - and we have been providing it for upwards of 30 years,” comments Bill Gair, CEO of Urban...

Devon housebuilding firm welcomes strong start to 2013

The managing director for Devon’s leading housebuilder has reported a strong start to 2013, as increased demand for new homes and improved mortgage availability combine to deliver a more positive outlook for the housing market in the region. As the company released its results for the first half of 2013, Simon Perks, managing director for Persimmon Homes South West, says the company has made an excellent start to the year. “Underlying pre-tax profits for the group are up 40% on last year at £135.3m (2012: £96.9m) and legal completions in the UK are up 7% to 5,022 (2012: 4,712) compared to...

Have your say on £850 million proposals to improve your water and sewerage services

South West Water has revealed more of its plans to improve the region's water and sewerage services between 2015 and 2020.

Customers and businesses are being asked to comment on its draft WaterFuture proposals, which could see around £850 million being pumped into the regional economy supporting more than 4,000 jobs, before they are submitted to water industry regulator Ofwat later this year.

Investment highlights include:

Construction of a £50 million-plus new water treatment works for the Plymouth area using a new energy-saving process not used in the UK

How a HIL can help you out of a hole

Since 2010, East Devon District Council has provided eligible private home-owners with subsidised finance totalling £56,140.

The Home Improvement Loan (HIL) scheme is still available to eligible private homeowners across East Devon needing to make essential repairs to their homes.

Summer can be a good time to make repairs to your home to ensure it is safe, suitable for your needs and warm for the winter. Work included under the scheme ranges from roof repairs, boiler replacement, essential electrical, plumbing and structural works, damp remediation and any other works...

The Rise of the 'LBK' (Little Black Kitchen)

Every woman loves her trusted ‘Little Black Dress’; perfect for any occasion as it goes with just about everything in the wardrobe. This season, however, expect to hear a new phrase – The ‘Little Black Kitchen’ (LBK) – as kitchens across the UK are given some love and change to a desirable gloss black. The UK’s largest home improvement retailer, B&Q has already seen a rise in its black kitchens as trendsetters transform their kitchens with a look that is as dramatic as it is neutral – easily working with any colour scheme in the home.

Specifically, the LBK offers...

Homes & Gardens

Energy Efficiency vs. Renewable Energy: Which One Should You Priorities in Real Estate?

Tenants produce colourful displays - with plenty of gold

Sowing the seeds of remembrance - Centenary Poppy Campaign is rolled out nationally

Information centre now open at new Redrow development in Ottery St Mary

Sellers return to the South West housing market in record levels

First residents move into award-winning development

Pickles “Bring Back Bungalows” – "We are!" says developer of Exeter retirement village

Devon housebuilding firm welcomes strong start to 2013

Have your say on £850 million proposals to improve your water and sewerage services

How a HIL can help you out of a hole

The Rise of the 'LBK' (Little Black Kitchen)

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