John Lewis Store opening sees massive turnout

Whilst there is still a great deal of gloomy news relating to the recession, the economy, and lack of spending on the High Street, a recent store opening in Dorset saw a massive turnout, with more than a thousand customers pouring through the doors to enjoy the opening of the flagship store. Read more

Tags: dorset john lewis, shopping, High Street, Poole, john lewis, National

Have You Considered Swapping Homes Instead of Selling?

A new trend has arisen in the housing market among those wishing to either upgrade or downsize in their homes. With the housing market in a slump, many who would like to sell their homes are unable to do so because the prices have hit an all-time low. They would not be able to receive enough profit from the sale for it to be of any financial benefit for them. Read more

Tags: experience, home swap, single red paper, sell home, Direct Property Exchange

Greener cars mean lower tax and insurance, says expert

Drivers of greener vehicles can take advantage of lower tax and insurance costs, which may be especially beneficial under the current credit crisis, the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) has said.

Since road tax is based on emissions, owners of green cars will save money compared to other car owners, particularly those who have four-wheel drives.

Insurance is based on risk-based pricing, which is made up of several factors, including a person’s age, experience, the type of car, and the value of the car.

According to Articlesbase, the recent budget introduced an increase in car tax and a 2p rise in fuel costs to come in effect from October 2008, although critics are unsure whether the tax cuts for greener cars will encourage drivers to consider cleaner transport.

However, Graeme Trudgill, technical and corporate affairs executive for BIBA, says: “People recognise that the large four-wheel drive vehicles aren’t so popular and therefore people are now thinking more about buying more environmentally friendly cars like the Toyota Prius.”

Tags: lower tax, four-wheel drives.Insurance, experience, fuel costs, Insurance, effect

Britons improving to add value

Homeowners in the UK are taking the time and effort to improve their properties in the hope that it will boost value.

Research carried out by Halifax found that 25 per cent of people who carried out work on their home in the last year did so in order to increase its worth – up from seven per cent last year.

Some 16 per cent were inspired to improve their houses in order to make it easier to sell, a higher figure than the two per cent who did the same a year before.

“Our research shows that Britain has become a nation of movers and improvers,” said Patrick Swindon from Halifax. “It’s great to see that so many people are investing time and effort in improving their home.”

The study revealed that the most popular ways to improve property were redecorating for 66 per cent, overhauling the garden for 41 per cent and laying new flooring for 25 per cent.

Interior designer George Bond recommends that homeowners focus less on the wallpaper and more on the main rooms in the house.

“In my own experience, the major parts of the house to change to increase the property’s value are the bathroom and kitchen,” he said. “These are the key areas of the home; if these rooms are modernised, the property’s value will go up.”

Tags: designer, experience, George Bond, bathroom, order, home, research, higher figure

Expat banking comes recommended

An expatriate lifestyle magazine has today mapped out some of the typical preferences regarding banking abroad for expats.

Rhiannon Williamson, director of ShelterOffshore.com, said that her clientele tended to gravitate towards established banking names because they were a “known institution”, and regarded banking using different currencies as a “bonus”.

Offshore savings accounts – favoured by expats – differ from conventional accounts in that they tend to calculate interest on a daily basis due to the account’s inherent increased flexibility, which tends to lead to lower interest rates.

“Expats seek flexibility and low charges when banking abroad,” Ms Williamson said.

She added: to have the ability to bank and transact – i.e. transfer money and pay bills – in various currencies is a bonuses and a benefit.

“In our experience at ShelterOffshore, those who do business internationally or who live, travel or work in more than one country have a strong requirement for bank accounts with a single bank in more than one currency.”

For more information, ShelterOffshore’s website offers a comprehensive overview of the positives and negatives of various different accounts suitable for expatriates.

Tags: savings accounts, lifestyle, Currency, single bank, experience, benefit, Expat, expatriate