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Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled more details of his Net Zero green agenda in October, with a focus on the future of domestic heating. Responding to the statistic that residential property is currently responsible for 16% of the UK’s total carbon emissions, gas boilers will eventually be replaced with greener ways of heating our homes.

Rather than batten down the hatches, take a leaf out of the Swede’s book and embrace fika. It’s the latest Scandinavian trend that celebrates all things cosy and warm, coming hot on the heels of Danish hygge and Dutch gezellig.

If you’re thinking of selling, the smallest room in your home can have the biggest impact on potential buyers – and it can lead to higher offers and increased desirability. 

Design and decorating companies usually announce an annual ‘colour of the year’ – a shade that encapsulates a nation’s mood and complements current interior trends – and Dulux has been the first to break cover. It has announced that its Colour of the Year 2022 is Bright Skies.

If you’re due to complete on a property soon and want to keep it secure as you settle in, you may find our 6 essential security changes useful.

New analysis has shown houses are still in high demand and are predicted to remain hot property well into 2022. Property portal Zoopla reported that demand for houses in July this year was twice as high as typically seen at the same point between 2017 and 2019. 

While we may only light the gas, fan the real flames or flick the switch of a stove-effect heater when it’s really cold, the mantelpiece is a year-round feature that you can dress to have a big impact. In fact, there is something called ‘mantelscaping’ – the art of arranging knick-knacks, trinkets and flowers on the ledge (the mantel) that sits above a fire.

Increasingly our lives are run from the palm of our hands, especially now almost everyone owns a smartphone. As buying, selling and moving home is made up of lots of elements to keep track of, apps can really help streamline the process.

So just what is boho chic, we hear you ask? In terms of interior design and accessorising, boho chic is the best of laid back, unstructured living, with global influences and a love of all things handmade.

We should be more than three-quarters of the way to being carbon net zero by 2050 and helping us to achieve this milestone is a change to the availability of halogen light bulbs. 

Getting planning permission for work on a property you are looking to sell may sound counterintuitive but it could have its advantages. We look at whether obtaining planning permission can make a property more alluring to would-be buyers and add value to your home in our Q&A blog.

Deciding to add a form of shade to your garden can prolong the amount of time you can sit outside comfortably – and provide somewhere to entertain even if there’s a sharp summer downpour. What type of shade you opt for will depend on your aim, approach to building work and budget.