The current climate in the property market is scaring many potential buyers off, resulting in more and more people looking to rent. "People who would normally be looking for new mortgage deals are opting to rent instead", one expert has claimed. The National Association of Estate Agents explained a signif...

First-time buyers need help with funding their home purchases, it has been asserted. More schemes are needed to assist people who struggle with getting together a large deposit, according to First Rung Now. Finding an affordable mortgage can be a "huge problem", managing director of the firm, Helen Adam...

For those who watch plenty of daytime television, the BBC show "Homes under the Hammer" is something you may be familiar with. The show chronicles the efforts of people rennovating houses they bought at auction, starting with the bidding process and finishing with a guided tour of the newly-decorated propert...

With the property market slumping many first time buyers are wary about stepping on to the property ladder, and those looking to make their first big move may have to rely on family members for extra cash to secure a house. "People are likely to increasingly rely on help from their families when looking to g...

Buying an apartment can be a hassle-free and relatively affordable investment option, though others are wary of their potential downsides. Buying a new apartment For the most part, details of new apartments are readily available, with developers advertising projects well in advance both online and in newspapers....

For some people simply heading away to a hotel on a foreign holiday is not enough. Many are choosing to buy property abroad, but are not thoroughly considering the potential pitfalls of purchasing a foreign retreat. Some choose to buy when they retire, others may make theirs an investment earlier in adulthood. Eithe...

Mus domesticusYou have Well, lucky, lucky you! No wonder Walt Disney chose this sweet, shy, moustache-twitching little furry fellow as his inspiration for Mickey Superstar. And we've all been

The yucca is a succulent, tree-like plant native to southern North America, Mexico and parts of the Caribbean - in other words, the hot bits! It thrives in drought and blossoms with creamy clusters

With summer coming, now is the time to get to work in your garden. A new wall can make all the difference, whether it is used to separate your property from your neighbours or as an internal feature.

A. This isn't the time to start clearing out debris or changing the water, that should be done in late autumn or early winter when things are dormant. But the pond is starting to come alive now

A. While we are dragging well behind many of our European counterparts (there are 60,000 homes in Holland that generate electricity by way of solar panels, for instance) solar heating is no longer

A. No, although it can certainly lay claim to being the most famous, probably in the world. The biggest is actually the Royal Horticultural Society's Hampton Court Flower show. It is held at the

A. The first bamboos came back to this country with the planthunters and merchants who opened up the Far East, particularly Japan and China. The early introduction commonly made their way on to

It may not feel like it, but when the clocks go forward this weekend it is officially British summer time. With spring just about sprung it might seem a bit premature to start thinking about those

A. Its exact role and direction in 2002 is the subject of much debate at the moment. However, basically its core functions are, as they describe it themselves, 'to preserve and protect the

A. Loads of reasons. For a start they are extremely easy to start and maintain and you don't need much room to grow one. Then there are the plants themselves, which often have attractive foliage and

A. Every week thousands of us either find some old wooden furniture in the attic or uncover something at a junk shop or sale, but the true character of the piece is disguised by an often tatty

A. There are plenty of very beautiful ground cover plants that have a place in the garden in their own right. However, as well as their decorative value they are also very useful, problem solving

A. There are a number of different reasons why we go round the garden lopping bits off here and there. There is the formative function, either to keep a plant within certain bounds or to encourage

There is plenty of advice on how to counter the damage those little winged beasties and bugs can do to our plants during the summer months, but what about those rather larger, furry or winged pests