Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) were introduced in 2007 to give buyers a better understanding of the energy efficiency of a property they may wish to buy. The EPC is a legal requirement if you are selling or renting a property and are valid for 10 years from date of issue.

According to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) and the Home Owners Alliance (HOA), you can enhance the value of your property by almost £50,000 simply by removing an internal wall to create an open plan kitchen and dining area.

If you're thinking about buying a new home, you'll need to budget for more than just the deposit. It's a stressful time, saving! You work hard to put away savings each month and feel like celebrating when you have saved enough for that all important deposit. But don't get carried away too early, as there are other costs that you need to take into account! When you're working out your 'buying a house' budget, you also need to take account of the cost of buying, your mortgage fees and moving costs - on top of your deposit. It all adds up and can easily plunge you into debt if an unexpected bill hasn't been taken into account.

INTRODUCING WINNER FOR SOUTHEND-ON-SEA Belle Vue Property Services have just won The British Property Award for Southend-on-Sea. Their team performed outstandingly throughout the extensive judging period, which focused on customer service levels.

Buying and selling a home can be a stressful process, so it's important you are aware of the pitfalls that can cause a sale (or rental) to fall though. If you address these early in the process your chances of the deal going through is much greater. According to the NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents) Propertymark, these are the factors that most commonly cause issues..

It's long been understood that colour has the power to transform behaviour and shape the way that we perceive a wide variety of goods and services. Businesses spend millions in branding and marketing to encourage us to chose their brand above others. In our homes, we also use colour to affect the mood and ambience of each room. With brands such as Dulux investing heavily in the branding of colours to reflect the style, heritage and personality that we want to portray.