If you are Buying, Renting, Renovating or Decorating your Home or Property on the Isle of Wight, Island Pulse “House and Home” publish local links below:
Estate Agents:
Bob Lancaster
Creasey Biles King
Fox
Hadlands
Hose-Rhodes-Dickson
Island Residential
Isle of Wight Homes
Kingston & Grist
KJ Daniells
Marvins
Mountford
Olivers
Pittis
Rightmove
Town and Village
Waterside
Watson Bull & Porter
Wheeler
Wright
Island Pulse:
A 220ltr compost converter costs £8, a 330ltr model costs £10 and a hinged lid, 250 litre model is available for £20. Delivery is free for all models. To find out more please visit: Recycle Now or Isle of Wight Council . Alternatively call 0845 077 0757
Island Pulse:
Isle of Wight Council public service information and services via “Do It Online”
Holiday Refuse and Recycling Changes HERE
Energy Rating Top Tips for Home Sellers.
Improve the saleability of your property by improving its energy rating using these top tips provided by the ultimate home information pack (HIP) resource “ hipCENTRAL
Low Cost
Check that you have Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) fitted. If not these can be purchased for less than £10 and fitted by a plumber for a similar price.
Replace the all the bulbs in your home with energy saving bulbs. These have come right down in price and can be picked up for just a few pounds each.
If your property has a hot water tank check that it has an insulating jacket or sprayed with insulating foam. A jacket for your hot water tank can be purchased for about £20.
If you have no loft insulation or less than 100mm than lay some more to give your property between 150mm and 200mm at a cost of about £2 per square meter.
Does your central heating system have thermostatic controls and a timer? If not, it might be possible to have these installed at a reasonable cost or you may need a complete new boiler.
High Cost
If your walls are un-insulated you are losing a third of your heat there. If you have cavity walls consider getting cavity wall insulation.
If you don’t have double-glazing you are losing a fifth of the heat through the windows, so consider having double glazing or secondary glazing installed in your home. As well as improving the saleability of your home by improving its energy rating, it also improves security and reduces noise levels – it is definitely something that buyers look for.
The biggest source of energy inefficiency in the home is often the type of boiler installed. If your boiler is over 10 years old consider getting a modern energy saving condensing boiler you may even be able to get a grant to install one.
Island Pulse:
Digital Switchover Help Is At Hand.
Starting in October 2007 and ending in 2012, TV services in the UK will go completely digital, region by region. The UK’s old analogue television signal is being switched off and replaced with a digital signal.
This is part of a four-year nationwide switchover, during which time all regions will lose their analogue signal to go digital. On October 17th at 2.37am Whitehaven in Cumbria Read more »
Hampshire Constabulary reminds homeowners of simple and innovative security steps to help make homes safer.
SmartWater: a non-hazardous liquid, which can be used to mark property, or as a spray to shower intruders when they enter premises protected by the system. Each batch has a unique ‘DNA-type’ forensic code, tying its use to a specific location or item of property. Once a suspect has been sprayed, the SmartWater will fluoresce brightly as offenders walk under ultraviolet lights when they’re brought into custody at police stations.
For more information, contact 0800 521 669 or www.smartwater.com
Keep valuable items out of view – if you have electrical equipment worth hundreds of pounds, don’t keep it by the window where passers-by can see it.
Never leave a key under a doormat, or on a string through the letterbox – it’s the first place any burglar will look.
Make sure tools and ladders are kept in a secure place – burglars will happily use your own garden equipment to break into your home.
If you’ve taken extra security precautions, let would-be burglars know. If you have an alarm, make sure the box can be clearly seen. If you take part in a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, display a sticker in your window, and if you have a dog, put up a warning sign.
Hide financial documents and keys – if someone does break in, you don’t want them to also steal from your bank account, or take your car.
Make sure you secure all your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even if you are ‘just popping out’.
If you are in the garden or upstairs, make sure your downstairs doors are locked – In the summer, burglars can often just open the front door and help themselves.
