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5 Ways to Make your Kitchen a Social Family Space

The kitchen is a beloved part of the family house, a social family space – it’s a room for parties, meetings, dinners and dancing, and according to a recent survey by British cooking appliance brand Belling, 70% of Brits see it as the heart of the home. We reportedly spend an average of three hours a day in the kitchen, so making it a warm, welcoming space can go a long way in helping nurture happy family life. Here are five ways you can make your kitchen a perfect social family space.

Wiggle room

Britons are charging over £1,000 extra to sell a home with a well equipped kitchen

New research has found how much extra Britons are charging for furnishings in the sale of a home by room, well equipped kitchen (£1,080), bedroom goods (£965) and living room goods (£840), found to cost buyers the most. What’s more, one in seven homeowners have found rubbish when moving into a property, and one fifth have moved into a home they described as ‘dirty’.

The top reason given for selling a home with furniture included was found to be to ‘increase the value of the property’, whilst selling without was due to wanting to ‘avoid buying new furniture’ themselves.

Luxurious new homes unveiled at Cavanna Homes’ prestigious Cavanna Wolborough Hill

Ribbon cutting at Wolborough Hill Cavanna Homes

A ribbon cutting ceremony has marked the opening of Cavanna Homes’ most prestigious development to date, Cavanna @ Wolborough Hill in Newton Abbot.
The town’s Mayor, Councillor Richard Jenks was joined by Cavanna Homes’ Head of Sales Paul Furner and Sales Advisor Bernadette Wheeler for the opening of the luxurious new show home, set in the extensive grounds of the former Bishop Dunstan School.
The development will feature 26 executive new homes set alongside parkland and a private tennis court, with stunning views over Newton Abbot, the surrounding countryside and towards Dartmoor.

Inflation Nation: Online Tool Compares The Rise In Property Prices Against Smaller Purchases

A new online tool has launched today that Britons can use to see how the price of their home has increased, taking into account inflation, when compared to items such as a pint of beer, Freddos, petrol and even Glastonbury Tickets, leading to an inflation nation.

House prices continue to increase year on year making it difficult for younger generations to get their foot on the property ladder. Corresponding with this, whilst smaller purchases have fluctuated over the last 40 years, they too have generally increased meaning Britons are having to spend more money than ever before.

Top Tips For A Stress Free Move For Pets

Hilary & David with their pets in their new home

Barratt Homes has teamed up with the UK’s leading animal charity the RSPCA to provide pet owners with advice on making moving home as stress-free as possible for their animals.

Alison Raine, Sales Director at Barratt Homes Northampton, said: “Moving to a new home can be a worrying experience for pets, who often get overlooked during this busy time.

“We want our customers’ moves to be as stress-free as possible, and that includes keeping their pets happy! That’s why we’ve teamed up with the RSPCA to ensure a happy move all round.”

The RSPCA, which has a branch in Northamptonshire, is encouraging buyers to plan in advance and minimise the impact on pets.

Dream home and easy move for new family at Alfred’s Gate in Newton Poppleford

Homeowners outside their new home in Alfred's Gate

When Joy Petley and her husband Alan decided they wanted to move into a new build home after visiting their friends’ new home on New Year’s Eve, they didn’t need to look any further than Cavanna Homes’ Alfred’s Gate development in Newton Poppleford, near Sidmouth.

“We didn’t look at any other homes, our minds were made up and we reserved our dream home! It was like it was meant to be” said Joy, a Fundraising Manager who has moved into a Yarner style property with Alan, a Finance Manager, their 7 month old son Toby and their two cats, Panda and Paddington.

Aesthetics a greater motivator than hygiene to change carpet

People are twice as likely to change their carpet because it doesn’t match the décor of the room than over concerns for cleanliness and hygiene, research shows.

A recent survey by United Carpets and Beds found that home owners choosing to change their carpet to match a new colour scheme outnumber those replacing a carpet that ‘felt unhygienic’ by almost two-to-one.

As many as 86% of those surveyed said they would choose to keep the carpets from the previous owners when moving into a new home, despite old carpets harbouring a variety of germs and dirt—including dead skin cells.

Homebuyers are the bees knees for local pollinators

A new home for bees, as well as people, is on offer from leading developer Lovell as it prepares to give away a free bee nesting block to anyone who reserves a new home at one of its developments next week.

In support of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, which runs ‘Bees’ Needs Week’ (8th to 14th July 2019), Lovell is encouraging its customers to do their bit for nature and install a Bee Brick™ in their garden.

Part Exchange Makes Moving Easy At Willow Grove

Leading housebuilder David Wilson Homes is offering Bedfordshire homebuyers the chance to use its Part Exchange scheme at its development, Willow Grove in Wixams, cutting out the hassle of using estate agents.

Happy buyers, Vivienne and Paul Murphy took advantage of the Part Exchange scheme, that removes the stress of selling your property, when they moved to Willow Grove earlier this year.

Vivienne said: “We chose to buy our new home with David Wilson Homes because of the quality of their properties and how beautiful they are.

“The sales team at Willow Grove looked after us so well and provided us with photos of our house build progress every week.

Barratt Homes Site Manager Recognised As One Of The Best In The Country

A Site Manager for Barratt Homes in Milton Keynes has won a top national award for the quality of the homes he is building from the National House-Building Council (NHBC).

Sam Foglia (36) who is the Site Manager at Brooklands on Fen Street has been recognised by the NHBC for their annual Pride in the Job Quality Awards.

Sam, who has worked for the homebuilder for two years, picked up his first Pride in the Job Quality Award this year.

He said: “This is such a massive achievement for me and it just hasn’t sunk in yet but I’m over the moon.

“I’d like to thank the team around me and the sub-contractors for all of their support, it’s been a real team effort and it’s great to be building for such a reputable brand like Barratt Homes.”