Embassy exodus returns acres of central London to its residents
As the embassies exit Mayfair and Marylebone, their former bases will free up stunning family homes. While the move of many embassies to Nine Elms at Vauxhall is creating a new residential quarter including thousands of new apartments.
Fast new commuter routes are changing London's property map
Regeneration throughout London continues to change the property map, with the orbital train network and recent Tube line extensions creating faster commuter routes with good-value homes, including Deptford, Bromley and Woolwich.
Brighton spotlight
The East Sussex city of Brighton and Hove offers its residents the best of both worlds: a relaxed life at one end of the line within an hour's commute of London, and a good mix of Regency terrace houses, seafront apartments and family homes.
Canterbury spotlight
The compact city of Canterbury sits 60 miles south-east of London in Kent. In recent years its property market has been boosted by a high-speed rail service into St Pancras, which cuts the journey time to the capital to less than an hour.
Chelsea Flower Show preview 2013
This year the RHS Chelsea Flower Show promises to be suitably fabulous as it celebrates its centenary year with stunning gardens, including the Forget-me-Not Garden by B&Q and Prince Harry's charity.
Find a rated tradesman
Want to add value to your property, make your house a home, or sell your place fast? With 1,000s of tradesmen nationwide, rated and recommended by previous customers, this is the smart way to find a reputable tradesman.
Buy of the week: Stoke Newington, N16
This modern home of almost 1,000sq ft is close to Stoke Newington's high street. A 27ft reception room and two large bedrooms give the flat a spacious feel.
Out of town: Tetbury, Gloucestershire
The beauty spot of Leighterton, with its poppy fields, ivy-covered churches and popular local gastro pub, is home to this four-bedroom house with stone-walled gardens.
Life-changer: Dolwyddelan, Conwy
Have a station all to yourself by buying the Old Station Master's house at Roman Bridge, where trains will stop at your door on request. You also get three bedrooms and 10 acres of grounds.
Oxford spotlight
The small city of Oxford is famous for its university and honeyed stone architecture, but its huge range of property - from affordable new homes to luxurious Victorian houses - and one hour commute to London, are big attractions to home buyers.-
Buy of the week: Stoke Newington, N16
This modern home of almost 1,000sq ft is close to Stoke Newington's high street. A 27ft reception room and two large bedrooms give the flat a spacious feel. -
Out of town: Tetbury, Gloucestershire
The beauty spot of Leighterton, with its poppy fields, ivy-covered churches and popular local gastro pub, is home to this four-bedroom house with stone-walled gardens. -
Life-changer: Dolwyddelan, Conwy
Have a station all to yourself by buying the Old Station Master's house at Roman Bridge, where trains will stop at your door on request. You also get three bedrooms and 10 acres of grounds.
Property search
Home emergency cover
By Lucy Tobin
Homeowners should calculate the financial hit of a broken boiler, leaky plumbing or roof repair and work out whether it might be worthwhile buying home emergency cover.These specialist policies cover major home repairs, like plumbing, drainage, gas and electrical problems, while some even pay up for problems with heating, roofing, security or damage caused by animals.
First, check that you’re not already paying for it - a few home insurance policies include “home assistance” or “home emergency” cover as standard. Otherwise, get some quotes for a stand-alone policy as well as asking your home insurer about the price of buying it as a “bolt-on” extra.
Shop around for the kind of policy you need too: the AA, for example, offers a basic policy for £4.99 a month for AA members or £5.99 for non-members, covering electrics, plumbing, pests, gas, roof damage and water supply cover. Its top-level of cover, which includes an annual boiler service, costs up to £21.99 a month.
Aviva’s package costs from £7.95 a month, with no excesses, and includes up to £100 a night for temporary accommodation if you have to move out overnight.
HomeServe also provides specific cover, like a plumbing policy from £2.48 a month, boiler and heating cover from £6.99 a month, and electrical cover at £2.54 a month.
You can easily shop around for quotes via comparison websites such as Energyhelpline.com and Uswitch.com.
More money-saving tips...
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Post-Olympic regeneration: Bethnal Green, Bow and Stepney
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New Homes Awards 2013: the winners
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London's latest new homes update
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Property search: budget under £500,000
This week, we uncover 1,000sq ft two-bedroom apartment in Stoke Newington, a four-bedroom stone house in the Cotswolds and an Old Station Master's house in the heart of Snowdonia National Park that comes with its own railway station.
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First Olympic village homes up for rent
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