Mansion tax has been discussed again by Vince Cable

Mansion Tax – and why it’s upset Kirstie Allsopp

Who would it affect? Anyone with a home worth over £2m. Cable wants an annual levy introduced in return for letting the Tories abolish the 50% rate of income tax. Right now this affects anyone earning over £150,000.

I think it’s a bad idea.

There are lots of alternatives.

Why does the council tax banding have to stop a G? There are plenty more letters in the alphabet!

Sea Trees in Crackington Haven

Sea Trees is a
Sea Trees is a detached house set up a quiet private road, it is set back about 300 yards from the beach in a sheltered valley along with approximately 5 acres of land overlooking and leading down to the beach. Numerous uses. Beach hut (power and water), surf hut, tennis courts, paddock and foreshore
Crackington Haven is a lovely little place that’s perfect for a peaceful holiday.

house available here on it’s own £650 and land here for £375

Modern house

The house was designed
This is very much a ‘grand design’ – if you love modern lines and lots of glass then this is a fantastic house.

The house was designed by Chris Mackenzie of Designscape and is constructed using local honey-coloured Cotswold stone for the lower floor and a timber-clad steel frame for the upper floor. Extensive use of glazing throughout, both as windows and skylights, make this an exceptionally light house and allow occupants to enjoy the excellent setting. The building sits centrally on a plot of approximately 1.4 acres in size, which incorporates a large level area, a wildflower meadow, a driveway, a vegetable plot and a terrace with fishpond.

Vane Tower

Vane Tower comprises the
Vane Tower comprises the major part of a Grade II listed landmark property constructed in 1872 reputedly for the first American Ambassador to be based in England. The design was probably copied from a similar property overlooking Lake Lugano and is a fine example of the Florentine Style of architecture.
I like the distance photo pointing out just where it is.

10% OFF ALL Tiles, Flooring, Doors, Paint & Lighting

discount at Wickes10% OFF ALL Tiles, Flooring, Doors, Paint & Lighting at Wickes – a great time to smarten up your house!

In store or online for home delivery.
For a limited time only, get 10% Off your purchase when you spend £50 or more in-store or online on a wide range of tiles and flooring products*
10% off up until Tuesday 13th March 2012.

Replacing tiles in a bathroom or kitchen is a fairly simple DIY task that you could easily do in a weekend. Get new tiles and your whole kitchen looks smarter!
Paint and decorate your home with Wickes special offers.

This is a great idea to spruce up your house for less especially if you’re thinking of putting it on the market.

Grand Designs Dance Floor in Basement

Kevin McCloud meets Claire Farrow and Ian Hogarth, who are trying to build a home containing a sauna, spa, dance floor and DJ booth on a small patch of land in London. They have applied for planning permission to include a basement and started work on the construction, but setbacks, including their digger smashing into a neighbour’s wall and the re-emergence of the old river under the building, threaten to prevent them completing the project

This was a great episode. Kevin was almost beaming with glee with his map of London rivers pointing out that a creek does underground just where they were putting their massively deep basement.
Double tanking was needed when they hit the river and they had to pump water out and stop it as best they could. It would worry me somewhat knowing that water was there still!
This was of course after the obligatory planning debacle where they had to argue with neighbours about having the bigger size house on the smaller plot. Massive disruption for neighbours with the size of machinery required to dig the piles and a small bump into a garage.
The house was very modernly retro with a huge gold sofa and light up dance floor.

Watch on 4onD

East Wing of Alkrington Hall

Alkrington Hall is a
East Wing of Alkrington Hall – Alkrington Hall is a Grade II listed Palladian mansion erected by Sir Darcy Lever (High Sheriff of Lancashire) in 1736, the architect was Giacomo Leoni who also re-designed Lyme Hall at Disley near Stockport. Alkrington Hall is an important and imposing example of Leoni\’s work and is one of only a few surviving examples throughout England.

Alkrington Hall West is also for sale