We all know that first impressions are important – with homes, as well as people. As a homeowner, there are few things better than when a guest comes into your house and feels instantly relaxed and welcome. This is a more difficult thing to achieve than you might imagine, requiring some work and preparation on your part, but fear not. By following the simple steps listed below, you can create a home anyone would be thrilled to enter.

A person's impression of your home starts to form before they even step inside. When they're standing on your front step waiting...

Exeter’s Tesco stores have joined a city-wide effort to contribute food and gifts to children and families in critical need of support this festive season.

It is estimated that more than 700 families in the city may go hungry this Christmas. Tesco has responded by donating to a local Christmas Hamper campaign to provide the vital support families need.

Ian Dyer, Store Manager at Tesco Exeter Vale, said: “In what has already been a challenging year, it’s important that we do whatever we can to make sure children and their families do not go hungry this Christmas. We are...

Devon County Council’s highways teams are bracing themselves for the possibility of further issues on the county’s roads later this week, with another spell of heavy rain forecast.

Rain and strong winds on Friday and Saturday made it a busy weekend for the County Council, and there is more to come with a Yellow Weather Warning for rain issued by the Met Office for the whole region from 6am on Wednesday until 6am on Christmas Eve.

On Friday and over the weekend, flooding was reported on the A390 Gulworthy, A381 Abbotskerswell, A377 Umberleigh to Bishops Tawton, and A39...

Across Exeter, East & Mid Devon Home-Start volunteers visit families in their homes each week, with services extending as far as Axminster and Crediton, including Exmouth, Sidmouth and Honiton. They are supporting parents in situations as diverse as isolation, bereavement, multiple births, illness, disability or who are just finding parenting a struggle. They provide non-judgemental practical and emotional support and help build the family’s confidence and ability to cope.

All kinds of families can find it hard to cope for all sorts of reasons, maybe because of the illness or...

Today there are excellent programs and tools that benefit us all every day. But, it is necessary to take into account that not all tools are crucial and that some tools are better than others.

Sometimes, transcribing any audio can be a bit complicated, but thanks to new technology it is very simple today. So, if you are looking for an excellent program to help you transcribe from audio to text then you are definitely in the right place. Here you can get the best program for transcribing.

Here is a detailed review of the top 5 voice recognition services for transcribing...

House or apartment? Cash or credit? Where do I begin? If you are looking for a home to buy, surely you have asked yourself some of these questions and many more. Don't worry, it is normal to feel so many insecurities and especially when you buy your first home. Here we present 12 tips to buy your home safely and make your dream of owning your own home come true in 2021.

According to Ben Siggins , the first thing you should do before buying your house or apartment is to determine what will be the maximum amount that you will be willing to invest in your new...

For some people, the end of the year is all about New Year’s Eve. But a smarter approach may be to build up to New Year’s Day , rather than the night before. After all, they do say that you should start as you mean to go on. There’s a big difference between waking up on January 1st a little worse for wear from the preceding night and waking up fresh knowing that you’re going to have a day of fun ahead of you.

If the latter approach appeals to you, then why not consider New Year’s Day racing at Exeter Racecourse? This is a Devon tradition and always promises to be a fantastic day...

Some careers require companies to carry out DBS checks so that they can verify the character of their prospective hires. A DBS check is an advanced criminal record check that will vet an employee and notify an employer as to whether or not they have previous criminal convictions, which would be indicative of bad character. Some careers are more serious than others, and while one job may allow someone with previous convictions, some absolutely cannot. DBS checks are of utmost importance and ensure companies hire the best quality of employee that they can – ensuring they do not get lumped...

Why it’s pros-before-shows when it comes to our health and wellbeing

For many of us, 2020 has seen us bring out our creative sides, sometimes doing things for the first time. Over various lockdowns, our social feeds became filled with gardening, DIY or baking projects and friends’ proud smiles. That is, until people realised Netflix was easier and the zeal slowly dropped off. The bright side is, we now know we can be creative when we want to be.

Many of us poured our creative spirit into a more topical venture. We dusted off our old sewing machines and made funky face...

With the end of the Brexit transition period fast approaching, many people have questions about how travelling from the EU to the UK will change from January 1st 2021.

Currently, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can enter the United Kingdom on holiday or for other short stay purposes without a visa. Just a valid passport is required to cross the border.

The UK’s departure from the EU is likely to change the nature of this arrangement. Whilst there are no indications that EU nationals will be required to obtain a visa to enter Britain, the UK government has expressed its...