Tips to Save on Your Energy Bills and Help the Planet
With 40% of UK carbon emissions coming from households, the road to a cleaner, greener planet starts at home.
First, the good news (yes, there is some)
In 1990, the average UK home generated 12.8 tonnes of CO2. (To get this figure, the Committee on Climate Change analysed data on heating, electricity, transport, aviation and waste.)
By 2014, this figure had dropped to 8.1 tonnes of CO2. The aim now is to get the average down to 4.5 tonnes of CO2 by 2030.
Greener … Continue Reading…
Join the Fight Against Litter
How we can improve the local environment by joining the fight against litter.
If the sight of discarded fag butts, empty bottles and plastic wrappers makes you see red, you’re not alone.
Litter is an issue that frustrates and aggravates many people in the UK, and rightly so.
Not only is litter unsightly and expensive to remove (in 2017/18 keeping the streets clean cost local authorities £663 million), but it can damage the environment and harm wildlife.
Cigarette packets and butts top the list … Continue Reading…
Is Your Rental Property Gas Safe?
Yesterday, Monday (14th) was the beginning of the tenth annual Gas Safety Week.
The awareness campaign is timed to get people thinking about and checking their gas appliances as the autumn chill starts to take hold.
Gas Safety Week’s goal is to raise awareness among homeowners and landlords about the crucial importance of having their gas appliances serviced every year.
And while homeowners don’t legally need an annual gas safety certificate – landlords do.
You cannot lawfully start a tenancy unless a gas safety … Continue Reading…
How to Ease the Back to School Worries
As schools return we look at seven things you can do to ease the back-to-school nerves children may be facing ahead of the new academic year.
The lockdown and ongoing fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic have been tough for everyone.
But it’s been especially hard for school-aged children.
They’ve gone months without seeing a lot of their friends, have had their routine turned upside down and now face new worries as the schools head back in September.
It’s going to be a challenging time … Continue Reading…
Why Overvaluing Your Property Costs You in the Long Run
Today we look at why setting an unrealistic asking price can delay and even derail the sale of your home.
If you’re planning on putting your property on the market, there’s one key piece of advice to remember.
It’s not a slick statement from a TED Talk or the title of a trendy self-help book. It’s an age-old saying that your Nana probably used: “If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.”
Vendors should keep this in mind when looking for … Continue Reading…
Three Reasons Why The Property Market Is Flying High
Last month saw the UK record its highest temperature in 17 years.
And it’s not just the weather that’s been red-hot.
The property market in Wellingborough, Irthlingborough and Rushden is going through a blisteringly busy period.
At Richard James, we’re seeing a surge in the number of buyers seeking property locally.
Unprecedented was an often-used word to describe the lockdown experience we all went through. And it feels like an appropriate word to use, especially when describing what’s happening in terms of people wanting to move.
But … Continue Reading…
Evictions – An important update for landlords in Wellingborough, Irthlingborough & Rushden
On Friday it was announced by the Government there is now an extension on the ban on landlords evicting tenants in England and Wales.
The new ruling means landlords will have to legally wait until 20 September to begin proceedings using the eviction process.
Landlords will now have to give tenants six months’ notice of eviction, before the pandemic struck it was usually two months.
It was a last-minute measure by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as the original deadline … Continue Reading…
The most common mistakes Landlords in Wellingborough, Irthlingborough & Rushden make
Hands up if you think this statement is true. Being a landlord is easy. You buy a property, find a tenant, and then sit back like Daddy Warbucks and count the cash as it rolls in!
If you raised your (jazz) hands, then we’ve got news for you. One of the most common mistakes new property investors make, is to assume that all landlords live on Easy Street.
The reality is that letting a property comes with a host of legal responsibilities. If … Continue Reading…
August Market Comment
As soon as the Brexit decision was “concluded” late last year, we were hit by the pandemic. Four years of uncertainty was condensed into a bottle neck of demand, which was then frustrated by three months of lockdown – and longer hair! But three months of hair growth does not require three haircuts – yet three months of pent-up housing demand DOES require three times the stock availability!
That bottle stopper has now been released, prompted by the end (?) of … Continue Reading…
Warning – Look Out for the Phone Criminals
We look at the despicable criminals targeting people’s phones in Northamptonshire and what we can do to stop them.
Do you know your fishing from your phishing?
While one is a gentle pastime popular among millions, the other according to Wikipedia, is this:
Phishing is the fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information or data, such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details, by disguising oneself as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication, usually an email.
In other words, it’s a scam email.
But now we … Continue Reading…