Homes & Gardens

Most people have extension leads in their homes, often using four-way bar adaptors to increase the number of appliances that you can plug into a wall socket.

Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service remind you that although there is space to plug in four appliances, this does not mean it is always safe to do so.

Different electrical appliances use different amounts of power. To avoid the risk of overheating and possibly fire, you should never plug into an extension lead or socket appliances that together use more than 13 amps or 3000 watts of energy.

The...

Persimmon Homes will be the first housebuilder in Devon and Cornwall to offer prospective home buyers access to the Government’s FirstBuy 2 scheme after signing up with the Homes & Communities Agency.

Nationally, 281 of the group’s Persimmon and Charles Church developments will offer the scheme, with a possibility of further sites being added at a later date. Across the South West region at least ten of the developments will offer the scheme. Home buyers can reserve their new home using the scheme from this week for legal completions from 1st April, 2013 to 31st March, 2014....

Estate Agents are frequently asked, "Is there anything you feel we should change about our house or things we could do that you feel will help sell it?" Unfortunately the stock answer to this from most estate agents is usually, "Oh gosh, no, it’s lovely, sign here..."

Over the years I have become more and more aware of just how many sides there are to estate agency, but easily the most important is that of ‘trust’. Clients choose an estate agent, not because of a suit or a flashy car, and not because of the number of boards up, houses sold or websites used… it comes down to the...

With forecasters predicting a cold snap in the weather over the coming weeks, a joint project being run by Devon County Council and NHS Devon is offering support to vulnerable people who might be affected by the colder weather.

The Staying Warm and Well service, set to run until the end of March, provides support to vulnerable Devon residents living in a cold home, who need extra support over the winter or who have a heating emergency.

The service is provided by a group of three trusted providers who can provide food and medicine supplies in bad weather; make welfare calls...