In the news this week: winter warmers, eco-friendly gardens and new housing starts

Feeling a bit chilly as winter approaches? With temperatures set to drop, keeping your home warm becomes more of a priority. So it was helpful to read a handy list of ideas to achieve just that. Ideal Home has published some common sense, practical tips to help beat the freeze. The advice includes bleeding your radiators, having your boiler serviced and investing in a dehumidifier to combat condensation. Other recommendations to keep a home warm are to draught-proof windows and doors, opt for thermal curtains and blinds, re-arrange furniture so that heat flows better around a room. You can also buy one of those cuddly ‘door snakes’, a padded draught-excluder that lies along the floor at the bottom. Strengthening loft insulation is another suggestion to keep you cosy.

Quite apart from the issue of staying warm in winter has been some garden advice. If you feel overwhelmed by the state of your garden, you may be tempted to consider paving or even concreting as a neat solution. Instead, The Guardian is encouraging you to be more nature-friendly. The paper has flagged a report by the Horticultural Trades Association warning about the extent of prospective garden paving among home owners nationally. In its article, The Guardian lists far more enjoyable and eco-conscious ideas for a low-maintenance garden from creating miniature meadows to putting in giant borders.

In other stories, The News has reported on a study highlighting a significant rise in newly built homes in Portsmouth. The research was carried out by the Bluefield Group, a US-based property brokerage and management firm that has analysed the UK housing market.  It has published data showing that the number of newly completed homes in Portsmouth has increased by more than 55% over the past five years. According to Bluefield, that puts the city in tenth place in the UK for hosting new developments.

Meanwhile, Business Reporter has reported on the nationwide strategy to boost England’s housing stock. In the past 15 months, the news site says, work has started on a total of 86,000 new homes in England. This is said to mark a significant increase compared with the same period spanning 2023 to 2024 when starts totalled 68,080.

If you are a homeowner or a prospective seller, buyer, landlord or tenant and you have a property-related query, contact us on 02392 826731 or visit www.chinneckshaw.co.uk. We’re here to help.

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