Lifestyle

For many of us, three little words have become the focus of our finances: energy price cap. This guide to the current energy situation answers many of the most commonly-asked questions and features advice for confused households.

Moving home presents an excellent opportunity to change purchasing habits, especially at a time when many people need new items. The small but conscious choices made can make a big, collective impact on the environment, and there’s no need to compromise on style either.

If you were lucky enough to have a spare bedroom in 2020, there is a high chance that you shoved the bed to one side (or got rid of it altogether) to make way for a home office.  In fact, ​​a report from Zoopla suggests that some nine million bedrooms were lost during the pandemic to other uses.

Designers have often used hand-picked books as props when dressing show homes but the art of primping with paperbacks really went mainstream during recent lockdowns.

Some of the most eye catching home additions are permanent, expensive or both. While there is no doubt that replacing an old kitchen or installing a new bathroom will transform a property, it’s not a practical path to follow for tenants or for soon-to-be sellers.

If you are moving home soon and want to know if the property will retain heat, there are a few things you can look out for. The first is the EPC rating – which shows how energy efficient the property is…

It may be best to stop reading now if you’re a fan of neutral design palettes, as home interiors are set to be full of Very Peri this year – Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2022. For the first time in its annual colour trend history, the company created a brand new shade that wasn’t already in its extensive catalogue.

Preparing our properties for inclement weather is more important than ever this year, with many of us mindful about the amount of gas we are using and how low the temperature may drop, thanks to climate change.

Bonfire night can be so exciting for children and parents with all the sparkles, unexpected flashes, noises and array of colours, but for your dog Bonfire night can be particularly stressful. Our special Bonfire night blog looks at a few things you can do to look after your dog and reduce their stress levels.

Rather than batten down the hatches, take a leaf out of the Swede’s book and embrace fika. It’s the latest Scandinavian trend that celebrates all things cosy and warm, coming hot on the heels of Danish hygge and Dutch gezellig.

Design and decorating companies usually announce an annual ‘colour of the year’ – a shade that encapsulates a nation’s mood and complements current interior trends – and Dulux has been the first to break cover. It has announced that its Colour of the Year 2022 is Bright Skies.

If you’re due to complete on a property soon and want to keep it secure as you settle in, you may find our 6 essential security changes useful.