Buy or Rent?

An independent study published in 2010 found that the best place in the UK to rent rather than buy a property (specifically a 2-bedroom flat) was in Huddersfield, which had an average monthly rent of £493 compared to an average property asking price of £146,898. Next on the list was Oldham, followed by Brighton, Swansea, Edinburgh, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Plymouth and Stockport. Renting in these locations was generally a wise move by tenants who could otherwise afford to buy a new property.

The study also found that buying was a far more affordable option than renting in Dundee, which had an average property asking price of £88,263 and a monthly rent of £530. Dundee was followed by Birmingham, Derby, Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Walsall, Nottingham, York, Peterborough and Norwich on the list of places in the UK in which people were better off buying than renting.

The above figures are distorted to an extent by the property crash of late 2008, which was sparked by the trend of sub-prime mortgage lending. The data should also be viewed in context; indeed, landlords looking for the top locations in which to buy properties for rent might choose those from the Dundee to Norwich list because they are likely to produce the highest rent yields for the lowest valued properties. Tenants, meanwhile, might find that the best places to rent property in the UK are on the Huddersfield to Stockport list.

North and South

The northern half of the UK experienced higher average rental yields than the South. According to the mortgage intermediary, landlords in the North reported a yield of 7 per cent, while those in the South saw yields increase slightly to 5.3 per cent (East Anglia), 5.2 per cent (South East) and 4.8 per cent (Greater London). The southern half of the UK reported an average yield below the national average.

Landlords in the South do have some cause for celebration, however, after it emerged that monthly rents rose by twice the national average in London to reach a staggering £1,212. In East Anglia, average monthly rent increased by 8 per cent (3.2 per cent more than the national average); while the North experienced a 6.9 per cent rise. Wales reported the lowest average monthly rent of £474, just ahead of Yorkshire and the Humber.

Rental properties in the UK are likely to remain popular throughout the coming years, as housing prices continue to fall slightly or hold position. Negative equity in Britain’s housing stock is obviously bad news for buyers and developers, but landlords are able to compete in what has become a very healthy rental market.

Like so many other people, we take real pride in our garden. Though we do make an effort not to show off too much, we enjoy presenting the space to friends and family. Gardening, as we all know, is hard work and those opportunities to sit back with some delicious food cooked right out in the open give us the time to take in a view of the progress we’ve made.

What I confirmed is that we need to introduce more lighting to improve the space. Though we already have a nice line up of solar lights to provide illumination to the garden path, we do not have any around the area we socialize in the most. I suppose it has been some time since I last looked into the variety of solar lights on the market but when I did a brief search last night I was dumbfounded. As it was to be expected that the range would grow, I guess it is just one of those things that if you don’t have a need to familiarize yourself with you don’t know about its rapid growth.

First and foremost it was wonderful to see that there is such a demand for the eco friendly product. Promising really to find that people are increasingly turning to solar to power their outdoor living zones. Honestly, it just seems appropriate, considering it is a natural environment. Hopefully, it will become the norm from shore to shore.

Aside from being pleased that others are jumping on the same bandwagon I have chosen, the options were tremendous. I was specifically looking for little solar lights to weave into the branches of surrounding trees and bushes. Never did I imagine I would sit deliberating over whether I wanted colour changing, all white, flower shaped, butterfly shaped or, get this, owl shaped. I decided on the simple white ones, but love knowing the direction things are headed, and that solar is on the rise.

But, as I began to consider which of these remarkable decorations I myself might want to bring into my garden, I reconsidered whether they would be appropriate, and in keeping with the design I had in place. For, I do not want to introduce anything that is not in keeping with my Feng Shui space. To keep the balance, one must contemplate the objects that they bring together.

Of all of the items that had caught my eye, there was by far one that was more thought provoking than any other. That was the use of animal skulls for decorative purposes in an outdoor Noteworthy, that’s for certain, Feng Shui, that was questionable. I think you can see why I was of two minds on this one.

I had to identify whether a cow’s skull, attached to the garden swing would bring in the right vibe, or not.  Would a rabbit skull be disrespectful to the rabbits that travel through, and live in my garden, and should that be of any concern? Perhaps, it would aid the flow of energy, or it might hinder it. These are always the questions to pose when going through the decorating process, and the topic of skulls seemed like a great example of understanding what is and is not proper in this ancient form of art.

Because it is such a good question, I will leave the answer out of this. Instead of sharing the conclusion I sought out, and how I reconciled the idea, I challenge those of you in the pursuit of designing a Feng Shui area of your own to find the response to the question on the table. As it will be of assistance in learning how to research the issues you encounter, and to learn more about the ways of this art form. Sure, it would be easier if I just said, and might seem even better if I were to tell you how I garnered the answer. Yet, in reality, it is truly of more assistance to you if I don’t lay it out on a platter for you, but instead allow you to go through the steps as an exercise.

My take on this years garden party meals is to do the unexpected. With that I mean do the traditional, as far as serving burgers, but switch things up when it comes to the ingredients. Luckily, I didn’t have to look very far before I had quite an intriguing, and tantalizing list of menu items to lie just above the smoky charcoal that is the integral ingredient in any respectable bbq.

Those invited to take in the rays of the sun, listen to a smorgasbord of great music, and basically chill the whole day long with us out back will be treated to a feast as well. In place of the standard beef, we will be cooking up lobster, buffalo, lamb and rabbit burgers. We will however refrain from calling those made with rabbit, bunny burgers even though that is what the barbecue recipe refers to them as. In addition, should our guests inquire as to why the burgers taste so delicious, we will of course reveal our secret of having substituted the beef with more exciting meats (but we will do this out of earshot of the children, as they might not be as keen on trying them if they know its not what they are accustomed to having on a bun).

Surely you can visualise it, the breeze carrying the edges of the tablecloth back and forth in a lulling motion. It sweeps and swishes against the table’s legs. And in that vision sits a particular table, a metal one with romantic details. The sweeter the iron swirls, and curls the better. Perhaps it is the ability of the teardrop based legs of the chairs to dig into gravel, woodchips, or grass that makes it so preferable, or maybe it is its resilience to the weather’s impact. Or, that the shape is as dainty as the cloth that dresses it.

I suppose it doesn’t really matter, as its perfection to not only fit into, but accentuate a country garden is so well recognised. Oh spring, please do hurry, for the daydreaming is only getting me so far, and then the winter leaves its all too familiar mark.

Should you be experiencing a high level of moisture in your home there are several recommendations for limiting it. These include using a dehumidifier, running bathroom exhaust fans for up to half an hour after bathing or showering, and keeping electronic devices far enough away from the ac so it does not sense the heat and lead it to run loner. In addition, since plants are known to produce a bunch of airborne moisture, removing them might be wise. Be sure to place them in a well shaded spot if they are being relocated out of doors.

So, at least for me, I have been brushing oil onto our teak furniture religiously. Doing it the way I was told was required, in the direction of the grain, and not overlapping the strokes. In fact, this care has started to feel so repetitive that I bet I could do it in my sleep.

Then, last time I was doing the chore I began to wonder what the oil was really doing for the wood. After doing some basic investigating, I found that it was actually penetrating the wood in order to protect my rather pricey outdoor furniture from water, fungi and mould. In addition, it was acting a lot like a drink of water for my thirsty furniture, or more like a fortified glass of water I suppose. Now I think of this more like the upkeep a pet might require, and for some reason I do not dislike it as much.

I personally have not used dryer sheets in years, and never missed them. So, I was happy to learn that I was inadvertently doing something eco-friendly by skipping this additive. I have learned that those sheets are not recyclable, and the chemicals found in them are harmful to both humans and the planet. So, I am challenging you all to give it ago for one week without them, and to identify whether or not you actually need them at all. If so, there are eco-friendly brands available, but I bet you never even need go there.

There is no concealing it the outdoor furniture market has truly upped its game. They have brought us wrought iron that has been prepped with a strong under coat, and finished with a powder coat. And wicker is no longer just that, it has been woven together with a resin material that allows it to a much longer life out in the great outdoors. These advances, along with those of outdoor fabrics, make outdoor living spaces, well plainly put more liveable. Leaving us with more time to catch up on the things in the world that have caused everything else to move at a much faster pace. Seems only right that we be able to get the most out of what downtime we have outside.

When deciding upon your windchime you should keep a few things in mind such as placement, materials, symbols and numbers. Placement is a more detailed, and indepth topic than we are able to cover here and now. However, we strongly recommend that this be analysed prior to setting your windchime up. Once you know the area you will be able to quickly identify the best material and symbol for the region. Each corner of your garden will call for different things, and thus specificas are important here.

As for the numbers, The lengths or bells will most commonly be found in groups of six and eight, and both will be beneficial. Still, if you can find one with five, note that it is favoured. If you are wondering, yes the sound the chime makes is entirely up to you.