Homes & Gardens

Expecting Guests for Christmas? Three Ways to Make Your Guest Room Extra Welcoming!

Plymouth is a great city to visit, so many of us will be expecting to open up our homes to family or friends from other places over the Christmas holidays, ready to celebrate together on Christmas Day. If you are having overnight guests over the Christmas period, making your guest room as comfortable and festive as you can, can make their stay far more enjoyable, so here are some ideas to help...

Devon website is supporting Armed Forces

Nearly 3,000 visits have been made to a new website for Devon's military service leavers, veterans, reservists and their families in the first four months since its launch.

The most visited web pages have been for information about housing, support for military families, about employment, and health matters.

The Devon Forces Family website, www.devonforcesfamily.org.uk , was...

New phase launched at Plymouth development

A second phase of construction is underway at a popular development in Plymouth.

Building work is in full swing at Persimmon Homes Cornwall’s development in Derriford, known as Palmerston Heights (postcode PL6 5WR).

When complete, the scheme will consist of 132 properties. Already 48 homes have been completed and all of those properties are occupied.

Due to the strong...

Households at risk of surge in burglaries after clocks go back

As the clocks go back and the evenings become darker earlier, homeowners all across the UK are being warned to heighten the security of their houses.

A spokesperson from the a leading locksmith Newcastle company – QuickPick locksmiths says “homeowners should not be deterred by costs as there are a wide range of affordable basic digital locks on the market to secure your possessions and...

Help to Buy is not ending (despite the rumours)

Part of the government’s Help to Buy scheme is ending this December. However, Barratt Homes in Plymouth is advising customers that the most popular part of the Help to Buy (HTB) scheme is definitely not ending. People can still buy a new home with just a 5% deposit, and this is set to continue until 2021.

There are two main elements to Help to Buy: i) the mortgage guarantee scheme, and...

Get mortgage fit for winter move

Historically low interest rates and schemes such as Help to Buy are set to ensure that buyers looking to make a move to Plymouth in 2016 will be able to take advantage of some of the best buying conditions the housing market has ever seen.

Five star housebuilder Barratt Homes, which has a number of new developments in Plymouth, said the EU Referendum result has created some uncertainty...

Need some home inspiration? TV's George could help

If you're planning to renovate your home but are lacking inspiration, why not ask TV architect George Clark to help you out?!

George has a new Channel 4 programme which focuses on transforming ugly properties into beautiful, contemporary homes.

And he is looking for Devon residents to take part.

After making three successful series of Build A New Life for Five from 2003...

Washing clothes releases thousands of microplastic particles into environment, study shows

More than 700,000 microscopic fibres could be released into waste water during each use of a domestic washing machine, with many of them likely to pass through sewage treatment and into the environment, according to new research.

A study by Plymouth University examined the mass, abundance and size of fibres present in waste effluent following washes of synthetic fabrics at standard...

Social housing tenants face £1,000 a year average rent rise

The Local Government Association is urging new ministers to rethink the Pay to Stay policy which will require councils to charge some of their tenants higher rents from April 2017.

It comes as new analysis reveals today that more than 70,000 social housing tenants could face rent rise bills of an average £1,000 a year from next year under government plans to increase rents for those...

New Interim Director of Public Health for Plymouth

A new Interim Director of Public Health has been announced for Plymouth City Council.

Dr Ruth Harrell will take over the reins in the autumn when Professor Kelechi Nnoaham leaves the Council after two and a half years, to take on a new role in South Wales.

Councillor Ian Bowyer, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said: “We are sorry to say goodbye to Professor Nnoaham but he has...

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