London's new garden squares
London is already the greenest capital in Europe, with homeowners enjoying more than 600 garden squares. And the good news is that there are more to come.
As the BBC move out, Shepherd's Bush switches to a new programme
As Aunty leaves the Bush the borough seizes the opportunity to create a proper neighbourhood.
Spotlight on Camden Town
The shops and markets clustered around the high street and canal make Camden one of the most colourful of London's neighbourhoods. The area's period homes and loft-style apartments attract a mix of homebuyers.
Revealed: from Reading to Redhill – the top 20 commuter stations
Choose your route. Our exclusive property buyers’ guide shows travel times, costs and house prices.
My design London - Russell Norman
Owner of Polpo, Spuntino and Polpetto restaurants in Soho, and da Polpo and Mishkin's in Covent Garden, restauranteur Russell Norman opens up on his favourite London haunts.
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: Camden Town
This two-bedroom flat has a pretty park on its doorstep, while buzzing Camden Town is only 10 minutes’ walk away. Big sash windows and high ceilings give a spacious feel and there’s a private garden with a studio/home office (£525,000).
Swap of the week: Willersey, Glouc
This little Cotswolds beauty is just across the road from the village green and duck pond. For £530,000 you get beams, exposed stone walls and an open fireplace, plus four bedrooms, a useful attic room and lush gardens to enjoy.
Life-changer: Trescowe, Cornwall
For a project brimming with potential, what about this coastal home, yours for £545,000? The family space includes six bedrooms, while its collection of outbuildings overlooking an acre of gardens could become income-generating holiday lets.
Spotlight on Camden Town
The shops and markets clustered around the high street and canal make Camden one of the most colourful of London's neighbourhoods. The area's period homes and loft-style apartments attract a mix of homebuyers.
Property search
Playing the 0-per-cent game
By Alex Sheridan
Still in debt from Christmas? Switching your debt to a nought per cent card could save up to hundreds of pounds in interest charges. Zero per cent balance transfers give cardholders an interest-free breathing space of up to a year or more, allowing time to clear debts.Watch out for fees
The catch with these 0 per cent offers is that they generally levy an upfront fee of three per cent of the transferred sum. Santander, however, is waiving this fee for balance transfers to its Zero card for anyone who is a current account or mortgage customer of the bank - that’s eight million customers. The 0 per cent interest rate lasts for a year.
Who offers the top deals?
For non-customers of Santander it could be worth opening a current account with the bank (formerly Abbey), or its Alliance & Leicester subsidiary, to qualify. Otherwise, non-customers are subject to the three per cent charge upfront. Other cards offer even longer 0 per cent deals: 16 months from Virgin; 15 months from Barclaycard. But both have fees of nearly three per cent.
Warning!
Do not spend on a card that you transfer a balance to. Purchases will generally rack up interest until the 0 per cent debt is cleared.
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London’s epidemic of discounting
A combination of greedy sellers, nervous buyers and unscrupulous estate agents who promise sky-high prices in order to tempt clients, is being blamed for an epidemic of discounting in the London property market, where a third of all homes for sale have had their original asking price slashed.
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As the BBC move out, Shepherd's Bush switches to a new programme
As Aunty leaves the Bush the borough seizes the opportunity to create a proper neighbourhood.
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Not even the best tenants come with a guarantee
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Farmer is milking me for road repairs
At my weekend house we have a right of way over a private road owned by a local farmer. The farmer has asked me to contribute half the cost of resurfacing the road, however farm traffic use it far more regularly. What can I do?
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Diary of an estate agent
This week's agent gets the silent treatment while being shown round a minimalist loft apartment in Camden by… a mime artist.
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London’s epidemic of discounting
A combination of greedy sellers, nervous buyers and unscrupulous estate agents who promise sky-high prices in order to tempt clients, is being blamed for an epidemic of discounting in the London property market, where a third of all homes for sale have had their original asking price slashed.
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There is such a thing as a VAT-free lunch
Shop savvily and you can still avoid VAT in some areas — when buying clothes, holidays and presents, for example. But start with a VAT-free lunch — by making it yourself.
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