Gary Neville House approved

Yesterday Bolton councillors approved amended plans for the Gary Neville’s zero-carbon mansion. These will now be referred to the government though. The house would be build on green belt land on the moors above Bolton and this is causing some contraversy.
It looks a bit like a telly tubby house.

This is Neville’s current home up for sale on rightmove He owns the Harwood estate and his house is Alexander House
It’s amazing with a swimming pool, gym, cinema room and it’s very glam.

One could easily question the eco-friendlyness of building a brand new home when one already owns a house.

How to make a small room bigger

When you have a small room that you want to make it look bigger there are several simple things you can do.

Add a mirror. This is a good trick to use on a landing halfway up stairs. You’ll bring more light in too but the reflecting makes the space feel bigger. In a room a big mirror can double the light and give the appearance the room is bigger than it is.

Use smaller furniture. If you can buy a smaller, narrower bed then the room will seem more spacious. Smaller pieces of furniture will give the room a more spacious feel.

Use a strong colour on a far wall to bring your eye across the room. This is the theory behind having a feature wall.

Use light colour furnishings and carpet. Light curtains that are neat won’t crowd a window. Light carpet is a must. Dark colours on floors and walls can just suck in all the light making the room darker.

A white ceiling is always good! White woodwork can help too. Ensure the room is spotless too. Pale walls are essential.

Wall hung shelves take up no floor space. Even a bedside table shelf can help! Look for space saving wall mounted items. This is a useful idea to look out for bathroom cupboards too.

Declutter. Declutter as much as you can. And then declutter some more.

Make sure you can shut the bedroom door! Some small bedrooms have the problem of the door bumping the bed when you try and shut it. Don’t do this! It instantly shows how small the room is. Get a smaller bed. Consider a built in bed if space is tight. Consider a day bed if you are showing a room as a guestroom.

As well as mirrors paint finishes can reflect light. Look for shiny objects for the room – including shiny bedsteads and ornaments.

As long as you make the room look nice and usable as a bedroom or study then potential buyers will see it as a room they can use.

What is a duplex?

There are several different definitions

A duplex apartment is one which has rooms on two floors that are connected by a staircase.

A maisonette could be considered a duplex.

A duplex house can be a house that has separate entrances to two different apartments. Whether they are spread over two floors or have a floor each.

A duplex can also be side-by-side apartments on a single lot that share a common wall. Technically a semi-detached could be called a duplex.

If something is described as a duplex then ask the estate agent who’s written the listing what they mean by that.

High windows

Steps to windowWith some houses there are little quirks that can make you smile. I love the steps in this property that they have to enable them to see out of the window.
This reminds me a little of some strange concrete house that was on Grand Designs Abroad – in Spain they had a mezzanine floor with a window out, but only if you were very very tall.
Still at least in this house in Somerset you get plenty of headroom!

Rating houses to compare them

How to rate a property and compare it with others you have viewed.

When you do several viewings you might find it hard to weigh them all up and compare them properly.

A simple way of doing this is to write down their score out of 10 for each of the following points. Add up the totals and see how you feel about your reaction. Sometimes the property you didn’t think you liked that much actually makes most sense.

1. Location – how perfect a location is it for schools, shops, peace and quiet,
2. Parking – is there the parking or garage you require.
3. Size of property – is it big enough so you don’t outgrow it in a matter of months?
4. Potential for expansion – just in case you ever feel the urge.
5. Outdoor space – is there enough outdoor space
6. State of property – will it need redecorating or completely renovating. How do you feel about picking
up a paint brush or getting major works done?
7. Feel of house – how did it make you feel looking at it and going in.
8. Neighbours – what are they like?
9. The price – is it a good price or overpriced?
10. The must have factor – does it make you go WOW!

When you’ve added the scores up you’ll be able to rank properties. Sometimes your results are quite surprising and will make you look again at properties you weren’t sure about before.

Most expensive street in the UK?

Victoria Road in Kensington, west London, has been named as the most expensive for property in England and Wales by website Mouseprice.com.

Want to google view it? This is the top of the road by Kensington Gardens

8 bedroom house for sale on Victoria Road, Kensington
For only £13,000,000

The street has an average price of £6.4m

see house prices data for this road

Of course it’s not the most expensive property in the UK as this £70M mansion is still for sale but above that in a search comes this place that’s Price on application

Environment search

The Environment search can cover:

Land Contamination
Neighbourhood Nuisance, e.g. proposed erection of mobile masts or effluent plants Common Land Ownership and Rights of Commoners Village Green and Grass Verge Ownership
Town & Country Planning applications and history
Civil Aviation activity in the area
London Underground routes & Tunnels affecting the property
Flood sites, Potential Flood Areas and Potential Subsidence Areas
Coal Mining
Limestone or Gypsum Quarrying and risk of Subsidence
Brine Works
Existing and Proposed Overhead and Underground Electricity Cables
Radon data
Existing and Proposed Mobile Mast Sites and Information
Council Tax Bands, Local Secondary Schools, Hospitals and Public Footpaths
Aerial Photography
The council’s Local Plan and Planning Policies
Local Crime Statistics and Local Police Forces
The impact on the value of the property of Environmental factors
Hazardous and Regulated Installations
Proximity to Landfill Sites, Waste Sites and Scrap yards
Petroleum and Fuel Sites
Pollution Incidents
Flood risk areas
Subsidence risks
Landslip risks
Mining & Mineral Extraction
Radon & Radon Protection Measures
Air Quality
Radio Masts
Landfill and Waste sites
Storage of Dangerous, Hazardous & Radioactive Substances
Past & Current Industrial Land use