Wigwam Magazine Issue No.6

ISSUE No.6

PROPERTY & LIFESTYLE

TALKING HOMES WITH TV PRESENTER & BUSINESS OWNER

GINA AKERS

Introducing Award-winning property service Perry Bishop and Paul Dearing

Meet experienced agent Paul Dearing, our new Associate Partner managing sales and valuations in and around Swindon.

Call Paul on 01793 686305 for your free consultation and property advice.

• Enjoy personal service, from valuation through to a successful sale with guaranteed viewing feedback and weekly marketing updates • Benefit from award-winning service and marketing from this multi-branch agency, named one of the best in the country* • Tap into our database of over 12,000 home hunters • Take advantage of our 11-step plan, our tried and tested strategy for attracting the right buyer and delivering the best price

* Featured in the Best Estate Agent Guide 2020 and 2021, compiled by Rightmove.

Helping people on the move in Swindon

Paul has lived in Swindon for over 20 years and has a vast knowledge of the local area.

He started his career in estate agency over 15 years ago and is passionate about property and delivering a First Class Service. You may also have seen him on Homes Under the Hammer!

Paul Dearing Associate Partner, Swindon T: 01793 686305 E: swindon@perrybishop.co.uk perrybishop.co.uk

Decades of experience helping clients find their way through the specialist finance market

Independent mortgage brokers specialising in providing the best commercial and residential mortgages

Speak to us about ü Residential Mortgages ü Commercial Mortgages ü Buy-to-Let Loans ü HMO Mortgages ü Secure & Bridging Loans ü Development & New Build Finance

01793 977790 | prosperofinance.co.uk Prospero Finance are an appointed representative of Executive Wealth Management Ltd who are Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Financial Services Register Number 534018. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

brand. design. digital. social. film.

Propel your marketing with expertly crafted creative services

In a fast moving market you need fast moving design services to keep up with demand and the Jazzbones team love a challenge. We have been partnering with Swindon businesses for over 15 years providing award-winning brand, design, digital and film solutions. Now with our Propel pre-paid packages you can get all-inclusive design for a fixed time period.

01793 847300 or jazzbones.co.uk

Jazzbones Creative Ltd.

|

2nd Floor Cornmarket House, Old Town, Swindon SN1 3EB

www.optps.co.uk

Specialists in conveyancing, property law, wills and probate The legal team at Optimum are specialists and experts, so we really know the ins and outs of our area of law: property law, wills and probate. And because we specialise in these areas, we can focus on the real issues that affect our clients daily: property sales and purchase (residential and commercial), buying land, drawing up a will, dealing with probate, powers of attorney and so on. We offer the same approach to all our clients: we listen carefully, we use our expertise to come up with the best course of action for you, and we deal with your issue in a professional, responsive manner keeping you informed every step of the way.

Straightforward legal advice from an experienced law team you can trust.

01793 538198 | info@optps.co.uk | www.optps.co.uk

Image Credit: Angela Nott Prima Magazine

CONTACT US jeff@wigwampropertynews.co.uk wigwampropertynews.co.uk

CONNECT @wigwampropertynews

ADVERTISING 01793 847 300 mark@wigwampropertynews.co.uk

Wigwam® is published by Jazzbones Creative Ltd. Registered In England No: 0658 6564 VAT Reg No: 891 859463 2nd Floor, Cornmarket House, High Street, Swindon SN1 3EB 01793 847300 www.jazzbones.co.uk

The content of Wigwam is for informational purposes only, and you should not construe any such information as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

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Please recycle this magazine when you have finished with it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO WIGWAM! Welcome to the sixth edition of Wigwam magazine, the premier property and lifestyle magazine inspired by Swindon and its spectacular hinterland.

As a dedicated property mag and website, we’ve featured plenty of stories about estate agents during our first year. Now we’re asking people to vote for their favourite estate agent in Swindon and help us to answer the questions on every home buyers’ lips (see page 14 for full details).

Launching a property mag during a pandemic has not been without its challenges, so I’d like to say a big thank you to our our followers and supporters and of course our sponsors for their valuable support. Optimum, Prospero Finance, Jazzbones Creative, Pebley Beach, ExtensionPRO and Awdry Bailey & Douglas; without your support Wigwam wouldn't be possible. We'd also like to share a warm welcome to our newest sponsor, Paul Dearing from Perry Bishop estate agents in Swindon.

Enjoy the magazine and remember, Wigwam was founded to promote the local property sector, so if there’s anything at all we can do to support your business or if you have any news you would like us to share, we can’t wait to hear from you.

Nathan Sandhu Wigwam - Co-Founder nathan@wigwampropertynews.co.uk

BACK ISSUES Our goal from the begining has been to serve you the very best property news with an added dash of lifestyle features.

We’ve discussed the serious stuff - house prices, mortgages, property tax – but also waxed lyrical about the best in interior design and the arts. We’ve featured words of wisdom from Mary Berry, Dom Joly, Niall Keating and Binky Felstead, amongst others. Above all, we’ve done our best to promote Swindon's property sector and why we like to call Swindon home.

Sign up to receive Wigwam for FREE. Simply enter your details online to receive the next Wigwam magazine delivered straight to your inbox or we can deliver a 'real' copy in the post free of charge. wigwampropertynews.co.uk/magazine

WIGWAM TV Switch on to the latest video content from Wigwam TV. We'll be sharing all the latest property interviews and property tours on the Wigwam website and via our YouTube channel so make sure you are subscribed to our channel.

As video approaches 70% of consumer internet traffic, it is a format that is making a huge impact on the way businesses engage with customers new and old. If a picture paints a thousand words, imagine the impact of expertly crafted moving pictures can have for your brand.

Share your video content with Wigwam or we can create a video for you. wigwampropertynews.co.uk

For your daily dose of property inspiration follow Wigwam

ISSUE No.6

HIGHLIGHTS

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THE PROPERTY TWINS

Wigwam sits down with Tonya and Rea to talk estate agency.

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TALKING HOMES

Talking homes with TV presenter and business owner Gina Akers.

50

TAP TO TIDY

New book by Stacey Solomon urges people to create happiness in a messy world.

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SHERYLL K FOX

Artist reveals the inspiration behind her paintings.

WIGWAM ESTATE AGENT SURVEY 2021

WIGWAM WANTS YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS IN THE TOWN’S PROPERTY SECTOR.

VOTE FOR SWINDON’S BEST ESTATE AGENT Had a good experience with a Swindon estate agent? A bad one? Want to vote for the town’s best agent? Tell us about your experiences when buying or selling?

Take Wigwam’s quick 10 question survey and help us discover the answers to the questions on every property watcher’s lips.

You will also have the chance to tell us what you look for when choosing an estate agent, whether the pandemic has affected your house hunting, and estate agent pricing.

We asked Claire Phillips, Wigwam blogger and Magical Mummy, what she looked for when choosing an estate agent to market a property. “The first thing I would do is look at reviews online to find out what other people are saying.

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I’d want to know how professional they were doing viewings and what kind of marketing they do.”

“I would also research their fees and I would be interested in whether they offer in-house financial services. I’d want to know if there would be one point of contact to take responsibility for my sale. Finally, and this is very important, I would want to meet the people dealing with my property and decide if I liked them!”

To take the survey go to www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MYNVC8Y The results will be published in the next print edition of the Wigwam magazine Issue No.7 and also online.

wigwampropertynews.co.uk

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PROPERTY NEWS NEW BUILD DEVELOPMENT

PROPERTIES AVAILABLE AT HILLS HOMES’ LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN CALNE DEFROSCIA CLOSE IS A SELECT DEVELOPMENT CONSISTING OF THREE DIFFERENT HOUSE STYLES.

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windon-based Hills Homes is an awardwinning local developer building quality homes across Wiltshire and neighbouring counties.

Following on from the success of Hills’ High Penn Park development, the company is building more homes just a stone’s throw away. Whether you are looking for the first home to call your own, more space for a family or a home office, or even looking to downsize, Hills’ latest development may tick all the boxes and be the perfect place to end your search.

DeFroscia Close is a select development consisting of three different house styles, The Grafton, Kington and Edington, providing a range of attractive two, three and four bedroom homes. Each property has its own garden for relaxing outdoor space and the development benefits from having its own children’s play area, as well as green spaces and amenities nearby.

The first homes at DeFroscia Close are now available to purchase.

Nick King, Group Director - Hills Homes said: “We are pleased to have released homes for purchase at our latest development in Calne - a vibrant and well-located community. We look forward to welcoming new buyers to our sales office at High Penn Park where the team will be available for appointments to discuss these new homes”.

of nature trails, cycle routes, riverside walks and nearby Penn Wood nature reserve. Hills supported the development of Penn Wood with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust by planting more than 10,000 trees on the reserve with the help of 100 volunteers.

The town has a selection of independent shops and cafes, the Heritage Centre, Castlefields Canal and River Park, and the Atwell Wilson Motor Museum.

Hills Homes builds houses to a very high standard using quality materials and finishes, providing economical, sustainable and efficient modern living for home owners. Thoughtfully designed, each home includes a range of interior and exterior features at no extra cost and will ensure a warm, safe, low energy, sustainable living space for you and your family.

Show homes can be viewed less than one mile away at Hills’ High Penn Park development. As per current Coronavirus guidance, show home viewings and visits to the sales office are by appointment only.

To find out more about DeFroscia Close visit www.hills-homes.co.uk/our-developments/ defroscia-close-calne/ or to register your interest contact the selling agent Atwell Martin on 01249 813813 or email: res.calne@ atwellmartin.co.uk. hills-homes.co.uk

Calne provides a weekly market and various sport and leisure facilities, including a number

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VICARAGE GARDENS SOUTH MARSTON DISCOVER A RANGE OF HOUSE STYLES AT VICARAGE GARDENS IN SOUTH MARSTON bellway.co.uk

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icarage Gardens is a stunning development of new Bellway homes in the village of South Marston, an attractive location just 15 minutes by car from Swindon town centre. The anticipated product mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes will appeal to first-time buyers, families and commuters around the region.

Built across a variety of styles and to the high Bellway standard, these homes present a wide range of design features including open-plan living, contemporary fitted kitchens and ensuite bathrooms, in addition to garages and allocated parking.

At the top of the range is the four-bedroom The Vicarage at £767,500, a one-off home with an extensive footprint which is being built in place of the Victorian vicarage that later became the South Marston Hotel before it burnt down in 2017.

Other homes range from The Wroughton, a four-bed detached at £479,995 to The Shaldon, a three-bed semi-detached at £288,995.

Vicarage Gardens occupies an enviable position just 5 miles from Swindon train station, which offers direct trains to Bristol, around a 40-minute journey, Bath at 20 minutes away, and Reading at 30 minutes.

There are also direct trains available to commuters to London Paddington in under an hour. As well as train options, Vicarage Gardens is ideally located for road travel. A 10-minute drive via the A419 leads to the M4 for commuters going east or west. In addition, Oxford is only a 25-mile drive from the development.

For shopping, nearby Swindon does not disappoint.

Notably, the Designer Outlet is filled with high-quality brand stores, lots of restaurants and a children’s play area. For everyday items, there is a Sainsbury’s supermarket just a five-minute drive from Vicarage Gardens.

The development is ideally situated for a number of leisure, dining and entertainment options, not least an Empire IMAX multi-screen theatre, located just under three miles away from the development.

For those fond of the outdoors, the Wrag Barn Golf Club, an 18-hole golf course that offers panoramic views of the local countryside is 4 miles from Vicarage Gardens. Just over eight miles from the development is Lydiard Park, a historic house and estate on the western outskirts of Swindon set in 260 acres of parkland. Families are well catered for at Vicarage Gardens. There are a number of primary schools in the areas surrounding the development, including South Marston CE Primary School, which is around a minute’s walk from the development.

For older students, there are a variety of secondary schools and colleges in the area, including St Joseph’s Catholic College, which is around three miles away.

Bellway has been building exceptional quality new homes throughout the UK for over 70 years, creating outstanding properties in desirable locations.

During this time, the developer has earned a strong reputation for high standards of design, build quality and customer service.

From the location of the site, to the design of the home, to the materials selected, Bellway’s impeccable attention to detail is at the forefront of their build process. It creates developments which foster strong communities and integrate seamlessly with the local area.

Every Bellway home comes with high quality fittings as standard, but to add that personal touch you can also choose to upgrade from a wide range of options (kitchens, floorings, wardrobes, gardens, etc.) to make sure your new home feels distinctive. Your home, your choices.

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STRIKING NEW HOME BUILT NEXT TO BARBURY CASTLE BLACKWOOD BY SEYMOUR-SMITH ARCHITECTS IS A MODERNIST MASTERCLASS IN A RURAL SETTING.

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lackwood is a replacement dwelling that enjoys a stunning location along the Ridgeway National Trail in Wiltshire, adjacent to Barbury Castle, an Iron Age fort.

Swindon Borough Council had owned a 1970s bungalow on the site, which had been used as an unofficial tearoom for some years, but then suffered an arson attack and was left derelict. In selling the site, it was refreshing that the council advised that “a well-conceived contemporary design may be appropriate”. The clients’ brief was equally welcome, asking for an architecturally exciting contemporary house that was extremely energy efficient.

The new house was positioned to the northern side of the site, to make the most of the southerly aspect, and to maximise garden space to the south and keep vehicles to the north side and hidden from view. The plan developed into an L-shaped layout to enable the maximum orientation to the south and the main view, whilst also addressing a long-distance view to the west.

Photos by Neil Speakman / Maple Photo

The different roof slopes were a response to the conflicting requirements of sloping down to the south for photovoltaic panels, versus wanting the roof to slope to the south to open up and maximise enjoyment of the southerly view from the main first floor living space.

This led to two very distinct volumes, with distinct characters. They are connected by a double height volume, leading to all of the spaces being interconnected, which was a fundamental part of the clients’ brief, and makes the house feel much more spacious than it actually is.

employed here – a highly insulated envelope which is airtight and uses mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, together with highly efficient triple glazing. Consequently, a small air source heat pump (powered by the photovoltaic panels on the roof) is able to supply all of the house’s heat and hot water.

Cross Laminated timber (CLT) was used to construct the house. These are panels made from gluing layers of wood together, with each layer orientated perpendicular to adjacent layers, resulting in a panel that has strength in both directions – like plywood, but thicker. The CLT panels not only form the structure, and are able to overcome challenges of the design such as cantilevering, but also serve as the internal finished surface of the walls and ceilings.

The CLT panels are externally insulated, and then clad in different materials for the different volumes. Black corrugated metal wraps around the entire west wing. Using the same material for roof and walls creates a solid monolithic entity. The dark material is striking, but also helps to assimilate the building into the dark vegetation that forms its backdrop.

The east wing has a brick external leaf. This gives a solidity that contrasts with the lightweight cladding to the west wing – but is also a dark colour to harmonise with the west wing. The use of long thin grey bricks brings a contemporary twist to a traditional material. The contrasting warm timber of the CLT panels throughout the interior seamlessly continue outside on the roof soffit, thanks to the clerestory glazing, which makes the roof appear to float. seymoursmith.co.uk

Although not a certified Passivhaus, all of the principles of Passivhaus design have been

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THE GRANGE WROUGHTON THE GRANGE DEVELOPMENT IN WROUGHTON IS PROVING EXTREMELY POPULAR lindenhomes.co.uk

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ith over 85 per cent of homes already sold at Linden Homes’ popular development in Wroughton, time is running out to secure one of the beautiful new properties at The Grange.

As the development nears completion, homebuyers can make an appointment to view the well-designed, high quality homes that have proved popular with families and professionals.

Nestled in the Wiltshire countryside on the edge of the Marlborough Downs – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – the village location provides great access to the M4, as well as Swindon, Marlborough, Royal Wootton Bassett and Newbury. The development is also located near shops, amenities and excellent schools like Wroughton Primary Federation and The Ridgeway School and Sixth Form.

The village of Wroughton itself supports a host of clubs and community activities, while local amenities include shops, pubs, sports and entertainment facilities and the parish church. Nearby Swindon town centre offers ample opportunities for work and leisure, with superb shopping, restaurants, bars, entertainment and sport. The town also has a thriving arts scene, while Old Town – a five minute drive from The Grange - offers a diverse range of smaller independent shops and a lively nightlife.

Living at The Grange, you can explore the beautiful countryside and picturesque villages of both the North Wessex Downs and the Cotswolds.

National Trails, such as The Ridgeway, provide fine opportunities for walking and cycling, while heritage attractions such as Avebury, Stonehenge and the Uffington White Horse are all within easy reach.

Closer to home, you can visit Barbury Castle and Burderop Wood.

take shape now it’s almost completed. We’ve sold 85 per cent and since the stamp duty holiday announcement we’ve seen a real increase in reservation levels and enquiries. Homebuyers have been keen to make the stamp duty savings of up to £15,000 and many people are keen to buy a property with a study as so many are now working from home.”

Sue added: “Appointments are available daily, so call us to arrange a viewing. It’s easy to do the maths yourself and think affording the space you need is out of the question, but there are so many initiatives that can help – if you need to raise a bigger deposit, have a property to sell or need lower mortgage repayments – visit us to find out more, you could be moving to a gorgeous new home at The Grange sooner than you think.”

There are currently beautiful four-bedroom properties available. Home 105 is The Kempthorne, a large detached home with a garage, priced at £449,995.

The stunning property features an open plan kitchen and dining area with double doors that lead outside, a separate living room with a gorgeous dual-aspect, dining room or study, utility room and downstairs toilet. Upstairs there is a fantastic master bedroom with an ensuite shower room, three further good-size bedrooms and a family bathroom.

Plus, Linden Homes is also offering an attractive garden package worth £1,000 including a chic bistro set, a wood burning fire pit with cover, a stylish Weber barbecue and a solar lantern bundle, available on selected homes reserved in April.

The Grange is located off Swindon Road in Wroughton, SN4 9BY. For more information or to arrange an appointment call 01793 352602.

Sales and Marketing director, Sue Scholfield, commented: “The Grange is a wonderful development and it’s been fantastic to see it

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PROPERTY ON THE MARKET

ON THE MARKET WITH PERRY BISHOP Brand-new Wigwam sponsors Perry Bishop are highly respected estate agents in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire and are now expanding their Swindon operations, led by associate partner Paul Dearing. The Swindon office offers a range of properties from premium homes to buy-to-let opportunities.

Premium Property. £760,000 Raglan Close, Lawn, Swindon, sought-after location.

Ticking all the boxes...move straight in, privileged location, local schooling and amenities.

This stunning six bedroom property offers everything you could possibly need and more.

As soon as you walk through the door, you get the feeling of space.

Contact Paul Dearing 01793 686305 perrybishop.co.uk

Country Living. £575,000 Cricklade, Wiltshire.

Situated just over half a mile’s walk from Cricklade’s High Street and just moments from the countryside is this substantial detached bungalow offering flexible accommodation and a wonderful rear garden as well as garaging and parking with the potential to create further accommodation or an annexe subject to the necessary regulations and planning permissions.

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First Time Buyers. £235,000 York Road, Swindon.

New Build. £695,000 Longcot, Faringdon

**NO CHAIN** Would suit a First Time Buyer or an Investor with potential to convert into a HMO. An attractive red bricked Victorian property a short walk from the Town Centre and Drove Primary School. There are three good size bedrooms and an all important upstairs modern bathroom. A spacious sitting room to the front with a fireplace, exposed floorboards and bay window making the room feel light and airy.

A spacious family home with sensational views over the countryside. The property is designed and finished to a very high standard and boasts additional features such as underfloor heating, triple glazing and wiring for electric cars. This property backs on to open fields and farmland.

The developers have also created landscaping around this bespoke site to raise biodiversity of the green space.

Rental. £800pcm Purton, Swindon.

Investment Opportunity. £150,000 Park South, Swindon

A detached bungalow with off road parking and large private garden. Entrance hall, sitting room with gas fire, kitchen/ breakfast room, two double bedrooms and a bathroom with shower over the bath. Adjoining large garage/workshop.

Parking and good sized private garden to rear. Unfurnished.

EPC Band E.

**Freehold** Ideal for a First Time Buyer/Investor. If you'd like a garden this coach house has one. This one bedroom coach house is deceptively spacious and also has a garage plus parking. Amenities and schooling are within walking distance.

The Town Centre and M4 motorway are within easy access.

View more properties at perrybishop.co.uk

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PROPERTY NEWS RETAIL

MARLBOROUGH NAMED FIFTH BEST RETAIL CENTRE IN UK Just 12 miles from Swindon, the market town is ideal for some retail therapy.

Marlborough High Street has been named the fifth most vibrant retail centre in the UK – and the best in the South West.

Despite the effects of the pandemic – or perhaps because of them – the town climbed five places in the 2021 Vitality Index by retail consultancy Harper Dennis Hobbs, which rates 1,000 high streets in terms of the quality of the shopping experience.

The report measures the health of high streets and shopping centres, including the change in residents’ movement, vacancy rates, and suitability to local consumers’ demands.

The poll was topped by the Buckinghamshire market town of Beaconsfield, followed

by Henley-on-Thames, Tenterden, and Wimbledon Village.

“Our analysis is unique as we use variables that both consumers and retailers consider when assessing shopping locations to rank the top 1,000 retail centres in Great

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Britain," said Andy Metherell, head of retail consultancy at HDH. "This Vitality Ranking looks very different from previous years as the ‘retail health’ of high streets across the country has seen contrasting fortunes since the start of the pandemic."

“The most vital retail centres currently provide services that are essential to people’s lives, such as grocers and pharmacies. These essential retailers have been able to trade throughout the strictest lockdowns, and consumers have not been willing or able to travel far to visit these stores.”

"Shopping patterns have therefore changed significantly since the start of the pandemic, and consumers’ local high streets are benefitting at the expense of major destinations.”

centres have taken due to the pandemic.

Westfield Shopping Centre in London, which was at number 2 in 2019, fell 203 places this year, while Canary Wharf tumbled a staggering 531 places from its number 8 position in 2019. More locally, Cribbs Causeway near Bristol fell 308 places, taking it well away from the top 20.

"The inhabitants of smaller towns have remained in the local area to a much greater degree since the start of the pandemic," noted the report's authors.

Once the pesky lockdown is over the Wigwam team will be hightailing it to Marlborough for some retail therapy in Mint Velvet, Cath Kidston, Luna Boutique, The White Horse Bookshop, Landmark and Sound Knowledge, fortified in advance by a full English breakfast at The Polly Tea Rooms. Can’t wait!

The reason for the high performance of market towns in affluent areas this year has a lot to do with the hit regional shopping

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THE COTSWOLDS’ COOL CAPITAL

CIRENCESTER WITH AMAZING COUNTRYSIDE ALL AROUND IT'S PERFECT FOR MOVERS FROM THE SOUTH EAST, SAYS PERRY BISHOP.

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ith breathtaking, caramel-hued buildings and acres of historical landmarks and history, it’s no wonder Cirencester is high up on the list of dream places to live.

Joules and The Danish Wardrobe Company (owned by comedienne Sue Parkinson) for highend fashion and for homeware try, Biggie Best and French Grey.

Roman Cirencester

Being a truly stand-out Cotswold market town that combines history with coolness and perched on the edge of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Cirencester is crammed with pretty butterscotch lanes, outstanding schools, bustling boutiques, exceptional restaurants and a chilled café scene.

Famed for being ‘well heeled’, it’s in fact a wonderfully friendly town with a strong community spirit and warmth that makes it an ideal place for families.

The Abbey Grounds play host to the Phoenix Festival every year – the Cotswold’s free music and arts festival which will no doubt be back post-Covid. The ‘Cotswolds Capital’ gives you historic architecture, fantastic bars that are ‘chomping at the bit’ to re-open, as well as pretty pastel shops, and galleries that make it a place you like to go to, even just to stroll around.

Women who lunch!

We all love food and a lot of businesses will need support when they re-open, so it’s worth taking note of some of the most popular places to eat such as The Malt and Anchor, which won Best Fish and Chip Shop in the UK last year and the King’s Head Hotel with its rooftop bar for cocktails for a truly Regal experience. Other favourites are the pretty-in-pink Luxe coffee and cake shop and Pretty & Pip coffee shop and walled garden.

Gladrags and handbags I for one cannot wait until the shops re-open and ‘Ciren’ as it’s known to locals, is a great place for shoppers to revisit. Head to Crew,

On the outskirts of Cirencester are the massive earthwork remains of one of the largest Roman amphitheatres in Britain. It was built in the early 2nd century, when the Roman city of Corinium was second only to London in size and importance, with a population of over 10,000.

The amphitheatre could hold about 8,000 spectators.

Things to do If you ever did think of moving to the area of Cirencester, the Abbey Grounds is lovely for picnics, or head 10 minutes south and discover the Cotswold Water Park with 170 lakes to walk around, a pop-up beach, pedalos, and water sports galore.

Average house price According to Zoopla the average house price in Cirencester (March 2021) is £476,551, which is a fall of 1.17% in the last three months and a rise of 6.87% over the last 12 months.

“Cirencester has long been a very well regarded and sought-after location,” says Phillip Bishop, managing director of Perry Bishop estate agents in Cirencester. “It’s beautiful, well placed with excellent road and rail links and having a great community but even more so now. The market place is very appealing, and with amazing Cotswold countryside all around it fits the bill for many people moving out of the South East. It’s a small town with great activity, everything you would need day to day locally with larger towns within easy reach.”

Claire Phillips Blogger and Magical Mummy

HOT PROPERTIES IN CIRENCESTER

Coates, Cirencester - £900,000, new instruction through Perry Bishop

Cirencester, Gloucestershire - £400,000, new instruction through Perry Bishop

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INTERIORS INSPIRATION

LOOK LIVELY JULIETTE WILLS ON BRIGHTENING UP YOUR BEDROOM WITH CAREFULLY CURATED COLOUR. After what can only be described as a totally nuts, mostly difficult and definitely not very exciting year, it’s fair to say we’re entitled to feel like change is on the horizon. Having spent so much of our time indoors we can reflect on how we feel about each room and its relationship to us. Your bedroom is probably sick of the sight of you, but are you sick of the sight of it, too? If the answer is ‘yes’, then read on.

MAIN PIC Linen ‘Fiori’ Duvet Cover Set £115 johnlewis.com

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Set of Two Botanical Prints £95, made.com Lali Chest of Drawers £599, made.com

Now that spring has sprung and we’re all brimming with optimism, why not surround yourself with uplifting, colourful objects that reflect the brighter days ahead? You can achieve that (literally) with an in-your-face neon sign, like this handmade ‘Love More’ one. Swap black and white pictures for bright botanicals, bring in warm woods and channel your inner grandma with bold florals. If that all sounds too much, introduce subtle pops of colour with dried flowers or a single bright cushion on a chair - a much better idea than 156 cushions on your bed that end up on the floor every night.

I’ve picked out some pieces that I think deliver on two counts: each of them alone will brighten up your space, but combine the duvet set with the Mid-Century chest of drawers or the dried flowers with the etched mirror and you’ll start to see a theme from which you can layer more pieces to complement those. In other words, anything goes. It’s just about time we had some fun.

‘Colour Pop’ Dried Flowers £22, bloomandwillow.co.uk

West Elm Mid-Century Chest of Drawers £949, johnlewis.com

‘Happy’ Rainbow Beaded Cushion £29.50, oliverbonas.com Palm Etched Mirror £59.50, oliverbonas.com

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‘THE PROPERTY TWINS’ WIGWAM SITS DOWN WITH TONYA AND REA TO TALK ESTATE AGENCY, PROPERTY PORTFOLIOS AND MORE. We have to ask this question first, are you actually twins?!

Yes, we are real twins! We were born 30 minutes apart and Rea is the oldest.

How would you describe your professional journey?

We have both been in property for over 13 years, working in estate agency and buying our own properties to gradually build our own buy-to-let portfolios. It’s been years of hard work, blood, sweat and tears at times and just absorbing as much knowledge as we can. We have now joined forces to really up our game in the property industry and looking forward to seeing where this next chapter as business partners takes us.

Currently you are estate agents, property consultants, interior design bloggers, garden designers, buy-to-let landlords, mums to four young children - how do you juggle so many balls?

I think it’s all we know really. Even when we were young, we would always have several jobs on the go and it’s how we function best. We like to be busy and are always making plans, it keeps us motivated and focused. We have learnt how to balance motherhood and work life pretty well and above all the children always come first.

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How have you been handling lockdown?

Being at home with the children has meant we have been kept very busy. It has been nice quality time we have got to spend together which we would never normally get to do with work and school so that’s been really lovely. Tough at times, as both our husbands have still been working full time and we are also trying to work from home but we can’t really complain. It’s been fun for the most part but we are now looking forward to getting back to business and to a bit of normality.

What was the first ever property you each bought and how much did it cost?

(Tonya) My first was a three-bedroom terraced property I purchased for £153k for my now husband back in 2011. I spent £5k doing it up and we later sold it for £220k. This is what really started my bug for property investment.

(Rea) The first property I purchased was a three bed ‘80s semi-detached. I purchased it to flip and to date it's one of the best deals I have done. With one owner and needing a complete renovation we secured a

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deal at £160k. We spent £25k on the refurb with an end market value at £275k, making a £90,000 profit.

The investor I teamed up with brought me out and then continued to rent the property out. It’s now worth £350k... you don't see many deals as good as that nowadays!

Could you tell us a little about your own homes?

(Tonya) We purchased our forever home a couple of years ago, a detached 1930s property, and have had planning approved to totally renovate it. We haven’t started yet so it’s not to my taste at all at the moment but my style is period features mixed with modern décor and that’s the style we will go for when we eventually start the renovation.

(Rea) We both love character properties, a mix of new and old executed in the right way to suit the property style and surroundings. I'm currently living temporarily (for schooling) in a farmhouse style property built in the 1850s, it’s attached to a 17th century chapel and we are surrounded by woods. It’s very beautiful... we would love to buy it!

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You recently set yourself a challenge to transform a room for £1,000 (one living room and one children’s craft room). You obviously believe that interior design is not all about big budgets?

are showcasing someone’s property. We think it’s important to take pride in your appearance and that it sets you up well for the day ahead.

We totally believe in this; we love decorating on a budget and you don’t need to spend a fortune to get the look. We love High Street brands and also pick up some bargain second hand furniture that can look amazing with a bit of a spruce up. Any look can be created on a budget.

We would have liked to at least doubled our property portfolios and hope that our new property business we are launching this year will be booming – the new business is a brand-new selling and sourcing agency called Victoria Louise. It will offer a personal, bespoke and luxurious service to sellers and buyers in Essex and London. Watch this space!

If you had to choose one statement piece for a house what would it be?

We love a statement vase; they are so versatile and you can add foliage to them to fit the season so you can create different looks and moods all year round.

You can also move them around the house to create new looks in different rooms, we are forever moving bits around in our homes.

Your motto is “closing deals in heels”, that’s so cool.

Where do you see yourself professionally in 10 years’ time?

Finally, which holiday destination are you dreaming about once lockdown is over?

We have been fantasising loads about what holidays we can book and when we can finally go abroad again. I think it might be somewhere luxurious and indulgent in the Caribbean for a couple of weeks. officialpropertytwins.com victorialouiseproperty.com

Heels aren’t essential (for us maybe) but we do believe you should present yourself well when you

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INTERIORS INSPIRATION

WASH THIS SPACE! JULIETTE WILLS ON CREATING A BEAUTIFUL BATHROOM THAT YOU’LL FIND ANY EXCUSE TO SPEND TIME IN If your bathroom is looking a little rough around the edges, why not treat yourself to an upgrade? Depending on how much upsets you – grubby grout, mould spots, a pathetic shower spray, tired towels, lino that’s seen better days or just a colour scheme you’re bored to tears with, you can cheer up a bathroom whatever your budget.

MAIN PIC Tonbridge Roll Top Bath £419.99 bathroommountain.co.uk

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Siren Black and Brass Ceiling Light £89, made.com

Curved Bath £284, wickes.com

Scallop Shell Towels £30, johnlewis.com

A roll-top bath adds instant glamour, and they aren’t as expensive as you might think. Curved baths, too, if you have the space, can elevate bath time from necessity to luxury. Most bathroom lighting is unimaginative and dull, but if you look around you’ll see some splendid statement pieces that wouldn’t look out of place in your living room.

Orla Kiely Bath Mat £25, johnlewis.com

If you’re not about to go down the refurbishment route, and just want to make one or two superficial changes, then new flooring can make the world of difference, especially if you’re swapping old vinyl for new. If you’re putting in a new shower, why not go for a matt black unit and change the taps on your sink to match?

If all else fails, bring in some nice new towels, a new bathmat, upgrade the light and refresh the walls with a coat of paint in anything but white.

Nizza and Correale Floor Tiles £99.80 psqm, firedearth.com

Arezzo Matt Black Shower £249.95, victorianplumbing.co.uk

Isa Terrazzo Washbasin £89, tikamoon.co.uk

ISSUE No.6 | 37

AKER

GINA

TALKING HOMES WITH TV PRESENTER & BUSINESS OWNER

RS

Image Credit: Jay Williams

GINA AKERS IS NOTHING IF NOT A RENAISSANCE WOMAN. Television star (This Morning, The Salon, Fake Britain), owner of a media agency, Glastonbury collaborator, start-up guru, Events and Festivals lead for Discogs, prime mover in the Parisianbased JUMP European Music Market Accelerator programme.

Gina took a break from her very busy professional life to talk all things homes with Wigwam.

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build house which had been one of the beautiful show houses. It was within walking distance of Lydiard Park and I was one of the first children to attend Brookfield School on its very first day opening. My drawing of a rabbit in a field was part of the design for the original Brookfield School logo.

Later we moved into another completely new show home on Saddleback Road in Ramleaze.

The two largest bedrooms, one of which was mine, had these huge floor-to-ceiling mirrored wardrobes. I would get the school bus to Bradon Forest School from the bus stop on Ramleaze Drive. We’d always have to run for the bus because we were in the shops buying sweets!

Tell us a little bit about your grandfather and his role in securing Lydiard Park for the people of Swindon?

My great-grandfather, Councillor Francis Elliott Akers, gifted Lydiard House and handed over the Park for the benefit of the community in 1943. He was also an Alderman and Mayor of Swindon. At the time he stated, “I am glad that the community may be possessed of 150 acres of one of the most beautiful spots in the county". He loved Lydiard so much that even his Christmas cards during his term as Mayor of Swindon featured Lydiard House and Park.

What kind of house did you live in growing up?

The first home I remember was in Braydon just outside of Swindon, called Woodside Farm.

It was a large detached bungalow in a rural setting with a swimming pool and we were surrounded by the fields we owned. We had stables, a jumping paddock and outdoor riding school, and a huge garden. There was also an old well pump in the garden which I found fascinating. The woods were right outside my bedroom window, and at the end of one of the fields there was a small river our horses would jump over so they could eat the fresh grass in the field opposite.

In my later teens we moved to Sage Close in Haydon Wick. I knew the Greenmeadow and Rodbourne Cheney areas well as my grandparents had always lived over that way.

My aunt was a teacher at Rodbourne Cheney Primary School and my cousins had gone to school there. The house was detached with four huge bedrooms, the master bedroom had an ensuite and a dressing room with walk-in wardrobe. As a fashion-conscious teenager I was very jealous of my parents having that!

What was the first property you ever bought?

I was only eighteen when I bought my first property, a maisonette in Shanklin Road, Moredon. I knew the area as my family had owned Akers Garage on The Street in Moredon and my nan had lived in the wonderful Victorian double fronted house next door since the 1940s. My maisonette was a first floor twobedroom property with a private ground floor porch way and entrance. I did some updating and less than nine months after I bought it, I sold it for almost three times the amount I had paid for it.

Later on, I lived in West Swindon, firstly on Sandacre Road in Nine Elms in a detached new Image Credit: Richard Wintle

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Image Credit: Angela Nott Prima Magazine

Tell us about where you live now?

I live in a detached 1800s cottage with tons of character and that you can instantly see could tell many stories. The house has a large spacious living room with an open fireplace and wooden beams, and a very large garden. It’s very quirky.

Interestingly, I’ve actually known of the house all my life. As a child, I would often go to my cousin Kate’s school as her mum was a teacher there, so every school fete, disco, Christmas Party, I was there. There was one house in particular very near the school that absolutely fascinated us. We could always see it from the school, particularly from the playground, and even walked past it countless times in awe on the way to our grandparents’ houses.

The reason we were so fascinated by this old detached cottage was because on the side of it was a large black iron spider’s web, complete with a spider attached! We called it the spider house and we talked about it a lot, imagining who might live there, how the spider’s web got there, what magic lies behind the doors and of course, at Halloween it was an extremely popular point of conversation with all the local children.

As time went on our shared grandparents moved slightly further away to Avonmead but my cousin’s grandma still lived on the same road. We’d often ask her is the spider house still there? Does it still have the spider? Fast forwarding, after some years of owning my own business (aqua-G Salon in Swindon’s Brunel Centre) I decided to come away from it and move to the side of town where my grandfather lived as he was unwell. It seemed like

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a good time to also downsize a bit as I was living on my own at the time and wasn’t spending as much time in London.

While looking through the properties for sale one very pretty cottage kept catching my eye. It was a white cottage with a black roof, and black and white decorative shutters on the windows. It looked very old, too, and was certainly full of character. I decided I should do some investigating and at least drive by to have a look.

On approaching the property, I quickly realised it was the spider house and I couldn’t believe it. I booked a viewing and liked it inside too, so much charm and character and certainly very quirky! I remember telling my family the news that I was moving and had bought another house, when they asked where all I had to say was “it’s the spider house”.

The previous residents left me a couple of very old photos of the house. It was built in 1890 so actually older than I thought and had originally been red brick. One of the photos showed the first lady who lived in the house outside the front of it with her children. It was believed her husband built the house for them and it was named after her.

As for the spider and its web, at some point over the years an ironmonger had lived in the house and had made the black iron web and spider as a decoration. I like to think it was to amuse and capture the imaginations of the children at the school nearby. With all its stories it does feel as though the house has a certain magic about it. As for who lives in the spider house, well I now know the answer to that too, it’s me!

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How would you describe your interior design style?

I love old antique pieces. I love art and creative objects but also am absolutely immersed in the tech world so my style is certainly a synergy of the old and new. I like things that are a bit different.

My favourite colours for interiors have always been blues, greys, sometimes the right shades of purple.

I have a huge attraction to monochrome, the exterior of my house is black and white, my car is black and white, even my hair pretty much. It’s my favourite colour combination in fashion, too.

I’m incredibly selective and fussy about patterns so tend to go for plain fabrics, but I do like textures. I like a balance of comfort and practicality and I’m a bit obsessed with lighting. I’ve had to ban myself from buying any more lamps for the home!

For a long time, I’ve been particularly in love with Victorian and Georgian architecture and design.

One area where I do like patterns is tiles, and occasionally rugs and cushions. I love the Victorian style tiles with the mixtures of shapes, and I like

simple Moroccan influenced patterns on the odd textiles here and there - but not overdoing it.

Most of the house is painted with Frenchic paint.

The living room has a feature wall in Gentleman’s Club. That end of the room has a slight 1930s Art Deco vibe with a big round backlit mirror that I had custom made for the room and a prominent black legged tripod lamp.

The sofa has a kind of textured criss-cross pattern at one end that I thought made it a bit different. The coffee table is a marble type that was a gift from House of Fraser home collection. The wooden sideboard from John Lewis Home is in a dark wood shade matching the wooden beams.

It’s the little details that I’m really fussy about. I love Seletti so there are a few Seletti mouse lamps and accessories around the house. I’m not a collector of crystals but I have a beautiful light blue example similar to my birth crystal and a gorgeous purple one that I bought from Jubilee Market. They are stunning when they catch the light.

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I also quite like bugs and creatures. I have an exquisite framed butterfly that I love to look at, and there’s a brass snail tape measure that is always round the house somewhere which has been one of my favourite items from Rockett St George. I originally saw it in Liberty - when I’m in London I always go there to get inspiration for quirky home ideas and find things that are a bit different. I find it’s particularly good for bugs and creatures themed pieces!

I tend to bring colour into rooms through accessories. I have old singer sewing machines that have been passed down through my family in the front windows. These are surrounded by orchids of every type, shape and colour. Some are quite rare and unusual ones and when they are all flowering it’s pretty spectacular.

Other favourite items are the coasters I have made of petrified wood. Petrified wood is wood that is millions of years old that has, over time, been completely turned to stone. They are a true connection to nature and time and a unique way of bringing the outdoors indoors. I’m also very interested in archaeology, so they reflect that, too.

My favourite item in my entire home is something I feel incredibly lucky to have. I love art but I am extremely fussy about what I like. I came to possess or rather I say become the guardian of the most incredible piece of art, ‘Radmenes’ the most breathtaking sculpture by Piotr Gargas. Piotr is famed for his skill with sculpting, in-particular for gargoyles to maintain the historical preservation of the way the oldest buildings in Oxford look. Radmenes is sculpted from French limestone and is an award-winning piece of art, I could honestly spend hours looking at her. She even has a fossil within the limestone she’s made of.

With the most special pieces of art, I don’t believe we own them, they are too special to ever be owned and appreciated by any one person, I believe that we are actually guardians as they remain timeless and so often outlive us. I also have a number of framed prints by artist Olly Howe, who creates the most wonderful visual pieces but really works the texture to bring them to life.

The conservatory features round brass wall lights designed by the Albert & Victoria Museum as part of a limited-edition collection with John Lewis. They have a Moroccan feel but when you turn them on, they make a massive starburst pattern over the wall, this was a very popular pattern in Victorian design.

The room also features a brass star shaped clock.

The floor is covered in a very large Moroccan pattern inspired rug with similar patterned cushions.

Unusually for me this room has a lot of green, I liked the light soft minty green combined with the brass tones and grey. It makes for a good transitional journey from inside leading to outside.

Is outdoor space important to you?

I’ve always loved green spaces, with my intrinsic family connection to Lydiard and having partly grown up in the countryside, it’s just who I am. My home has a very large garden which has been a bit mystical and allowed to be natural much of the time to the point where it’s even pretty much become a wild meadow. During the pandemic it has become a real escape, a great tranquil space and I’ve been able to give it much more attention.

Along with taming the wildness I have added some amazing plants including a variety of mini palms, a lavender plant and an Edelweiss plant which has a personal family connection for me. I even did very well growing strawberries, mint and rosemary last summer. I’m looking forward to doing more with the garden this summer and can’t wait for homegrown strawberries again. I’m going to try to persevere with growing elderflower too.

I’m still letting the garden keep its natural feel, we get a lot of wildlife. Very early in the spring I saw a peacock butterfly, all sorts of garden birds visit and in the summer evenings the bats were loving it out there. I want to help support the bees, insects, hedgehogs and all the endangered critters, too.

Check out wigwampropertynews.co.uk for more on Gina’s TV experience and the future of Swindon town centre.

I love history so there are a lot of antiques and family heirlooms around my home. I’m also keen on astronomy and have a bit of a thing for stars, including the first welcome into my home which is an outdoor mat at the front door with a big star on it. Immediately inside there is another mat with three big stars on and the hallway also features a wall light in a star shape. Even my cats are called Sunny and Star!

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BUILDING BETTER FUTURES WITH A 10 PEAKS CHALLENGE… … HOUSEBUILDERS ARE YOU READY? YOUTH ADVENTURE TRUST’S HOUSEBUILDER CHALLENGE IS BACK!

The days are getting longer, the first signs of spring are showing, and the outdoors is calling. It’s time to turn off your screens, escape the four walls of home working or the dust of the building site, and dig out your walking boots.

On Friday 9th July, the Housebuilder Challenge organised by Swindon based charity Youth Adventure Trust will see housebuilders, as well as suppliers and sub-contractors to the industry, take on a 10 Peaks Challenge in the stunning Brecon Beacons National Park.

As the restrictions of lockdown, home working and limited travel ease, the Housebuilder Challenge provides the perfect opportunity to meet up with colleagues face to face and take on the ultimate team challenge. Who doesn’t like a bit of friendly competition?

develop confidence and learn the skills they need to face the challenges in their lives. Taylor Wimpey, Redrow Homes, Barratt, Crest Nicholson, Bloor Homes, and Galliford Try have all taken part in the past.

Thanks to event sponsorship by Taylor Wimpey and other companies, all the funds raised by teams will be channelled towards enabling more young people to benefit from the charity’s three-year programme. The challenges they face have been further exacerbated by the stress, anxiety and isolation of Covid 19 and lockdown. This challenge will raise vital funds to enable our young people to fulfil their potential and build better futures.

Teams of between 4 and 6 will hike a route of 34 kilometres with a total of 1,695m ascent over 10 hours and include iconic peaks such as Pen Y Fan, Corn Du and Fan y Big. This is a walk in the park of a different kind and in taking on the challenge you will be not only building better futures for vulnerable young people, but also giving staff the opportunity to get outside, focus on their well-being for a day, team build and network.

Mark Davey, CEO of the Youth Adventure Trust says: “After a year of people being more isolated from their colleagues than ever before, this is an opportunity for companies in the outdoors and sports sectors to actually get their employees outside and bring teams together again in a Covid-safe way.”

“It’s also a chance to remind people of the importance of getting outdoors for better mental health and wellbeing, network with others in the sector and position your brand as one which genuinely believes in building better futures.”

The Housebuilder Challenge is now in its third year and has to date raised over £275,000 for the Youth Adventure Trust. The children’s charity uses outdoor adventure as a platform to help some of the most vulnerable young people aged 11 - 15 build resilience,

Taylor Wimpey, Dandara, Tile Mountain, EcoWorld International, Kaboodle and Ecofficiency are just some of the companies that are signed up and ready to don their walking boots. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to join them!

To find out more and to sign up for the ultimate team building and housebuilding network event of 2021, visit https://www.youthadventuretrust.org.uk/housebuilderchallenge or contact Philippa Cox on philippa@ youthadventuretrust.org.uk youthadventuretrust.org.uk

ISSUE No.6 | 49

NEW BOOK BY STACEY SOLOMON URGES PEOPLE TO CREATE HAPPINESS IN A MESSY WORLD TAP TO TIDY IS ABOUT CONTROLLING THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE US HAPPY IN THE SAFE LITTLE WORLDS WE MAKE INSIDE OUR OWN HOMES. Mum, singer, Loose Women star, meticulous organizer and crafter, Stacey Solomon happily admits that tidying a drawer is her form of meditation. Now in her brand-new book, Tap to Tidy, she shares her ingenious tips for decluttering your home and boosting your happiness.

In this extract she recommends some easy steps to becoming a clutterbuster.

“Being organised doesn't mean living in a bare house with nothing in it.

That said, you go through phases of what you want around. Sometimes, I'll look at a shelf and there's too much on there. I've taken it too far! So I'll put stuff away.”

“When they reopen, you can take unwanted items to your local charity shop, or upcycle them into a gift for a friend.”

Making the bed “Just making the bed in the morning makes me feel like the day is going OK. It may not seem a lot, but with a baby, two older boys, a job, a cat, a dog and my partner Joe, it feels like a massive achievement.”

“Don't worry about your nails — this technique won't wreck them. Just pull everything off, smooth out the sheet, waft the duvet over, put two sleep pillows flat at the top and then stand the other two, pretty pillows at the front. Then tuck in the duvet.”

“As I go along, I use a wooden hanger to tuck everything into the bed

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frame tightly, all the way around. I'll stretch that blanket out as much as I can, that's why my bedding looks smooth, like it's been ironed!” “My hanger hack means I don't hurt my hands and it saves my nails! I'll finish it all off with a spritz of pillow spray.”

Make-up drawer “When it comes to my make-up, I like to be able to see what I've got. I used to have drawer organisers — little storage tubs — but I couldn't see what was inside.”

“Then I realised I had so many shelves in my oven that it was annoying me. I thought I could put them inside my drawer and stack my make-up. So I did!”

“I laid two oven shelves flat inside my drawer, then arranged my make-up between the wires, so it couldn't roll around. It helps me keep my make-up arranged by type: lips, face, whatever.”

Clear out your cluttered cupboards “By tackling one messy cupboard at a time, I can just about stay on top of my kitchen. It can still feel covered in stuff, but if I know where it all belongs and everything has a home, it's so much less overwhelming when it comes to sorting it.”

“Then, every so often, I'll go in there and go mad, putting everything back where it should be. I will also deep-clean: wipe down the cupboard fronts, give the tiles on my splashback a good scrub and get in all the grout.

Once it's all done, it almost feels like a new kitchen.”

“And that's the point of organising, be it a room, cupboard or drawer.

Nothing's perfect all the time.

However, when it's organised it's maintainable.”

Patio spring clean “I find the garden is the hardest space in the house to keep tidy. The way I tackle it is everything has a place in the garden, and I will put it back every single day: the boys' bikes, Rex's toys, the glasses people leave lying about. The rest — sweeping up leaves, deadheading and watering plants — Joe and I do as and when.

My lawn is fake, so we never have to mow it. We jet wash the patio a few times through the summer.”

Get a car bin “A lot of what gets left in the car doesn't need to be in there.

Sometimes Joe will leave a swimming bag in there for months! Anything that does belong there, I put in separate bags in the boot. Car bins are really useful. We got ours from eBay. It's a little black bin that hangs on the back of a front seat. The built-in car bins are like an ashtray — far too small!”

Tidy up tweaks “I use lazy Susans — rotating trays — in my cupboards to store things such as cans. That way, you won't struggle to reach a can hidden at the back; just give it a twirl and grab the one you want. You can buy lazy Susans from IKEA, Amazon and homeware stores.”

Tap to Tidy now available from Ebury Press

Penguin.co.uk/books

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Photo Credit: Chelsea White

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LIFESTYLE BROADBAND

SLOW BROADBAND COULD KNOCK £46,634 OFF YOUR HOUSE VALUE! Fast internet is one of the top three priorities for prospective house buyers, only topped by gardens and open-plan living. Would-be purchasers would consider slower speeds but only if the property price was reduced by a whopping 19%.

Those are the revealing findings from research conducted by Compare Fibre, one of the UK’s leading broadband comparison sites.

Why fast internet is so important for home buyers A fast and stable broadband connection has never been so important. We browse and we stream TV and movies more than ever, plus the internet is now essential for those who work or learn from home.

4% of respondents to the Compare Fibre survey stated that speeds of 30Mbps or greater would be on their list of features considered essential in a new home.

30Mbps is the rate that Ofcom considers to be “superfast” broadband yet only 69% of British households can achieve this speed.

27.8 million households in the UK, that’s 8.6 million homes, are not able to enjoy speedy WiFi connections. Around 1.2 million houses are sold each year in the UK so

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nearly a third come with slower broadband for buyers.

•

your home’s value An unkempt front garden instantly wipes 5% off the price a buyer will pay Living in a house unluckily numbered 13 knocks 4% of its value

Even more astonishingly… two percent of survey respondents said they would consider buying a house with fast broadband to be more important than an indoor toilet, and seven percent would rate speedy WiFi as more important than a garage.

•

Slow broadband lowers the value of your house

Fast broadband Is becoming a necessity

This is the bottom line on broadband.

What this research demonstrates is that fast internet speeds are increasingly considered an essential.

The average house price in the UK is £245,443 (as of October 2020).

Respondents to the survey were asked to place a figure on the amount they would offer on a house with slow broadband.

The average price reduction a buyer would expect when considering purchasing a new home was 19%.

That means a slow internet connection could wipe £46,634 off the value of your house.

Let’s put that into perspective. Studies have shown the following: • Living next to a McDonald’s can knock 24% of a property’s price • Living next to identifiable “nuisance neighbours” could cost you 13% off

What does seem certain, is that fast broadband is increasingly likely to be a deal breaker when it comes to selling houses.

Buyers expect fast broadband – estimates suggest that the existence of a superfast connection will add 3% to the value of your home. But if the absence of it knocks off a huge 19%, then that suggests viewers will simply walk away once you reveal your subpar speeds.

If you are selling a house, be as prepared to have to explain to viewers the megabits per second rate of your property as well as the energy efficiency rating, council tax band and detailed description of how lovely the people next door are. comparefibre.co.uk

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Let Us Create Your Happy Place extensionpro.co.uk | 01793 387 205

The team at ExtensionPro specialise in making the most of your home and the land around it. We delve deeply into how you live and use your property to enable us to produce an extension design that suits your needs, fits your budget and looks absolutely amazing!

Our one-stop service means we carry out the complete design, planning, building regulations, structural calculation and other legalities on your behalf, with your dedicated project manager overseeing the whole

process! Meaning a clear and concise process, with no hidden costs or delays along the way.

We can then construct the extension on your behalf ensuring your build is in safe hands, working with a company you already know and trust!

ISSUE No.6 | 53

WHY WOMEN MAKE THE BEST ESTATE AGENTS “Behind every successful man, there is a strong woman.” This age-old saying is one that’s now likely to cause understandable consternation.

For whilst it was once well intended and designed to acknowledge that ‘successful men’ are only such because of the support they receive from their spouse, it is nonetheless condescending in its assumption that men are the ‘successes’ in a work sense and women ‘support’ them from a position of domestic servitude.

It’s straight out of the ‘How To Be a Good Wife’ handbook of the 1950s and has no place in the 21st century – not that it ever did at all.

•

This article is not some attempt at amateur gender psychology as ‘why’ they are better at the job is not really my point.

It’s simply just so and that’s that.

Proportionally, the best in our industry that I have seen are not blokes and in fact I’d go further and say that the majority of the issues I’ve had to deal with around unreliable staff, erratic performance, questionable social habits and general aggro – have involved men.

• •

In the context of the estate agency industry (and as I’m quoting old sayings) let’s instead turn to one that I rather prefer to illustrate the essence of this piece…

•

• “If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.”

The late, great Margaret Thatcher said this and she should know because she was, after all, a woman and a woman, no matter where your political allegiances lie, that got things done for better or for worse, one way or the other.

And so it is that in my 25-year property career it has been my experience that the best estate agents are women.

But women also care more about others and their welfare – women have more empathy

Most likely to not turn up to work due to a hangover? Men Most likely to be fired for drug use?

Men Most likely to cause upset to customers through unreliability, false promises or rudeness? Men Most likely to crash a company car into a ditch? Men

Your experiences may be different of course. Your professional journey perhaps littered with male dominated anecdotes of superiority – maybe.

But I can only tell it how it is from a 25-year life in the property business and in settings that range from a five branch Essex firm to a venture backed online agency and across a good few hundred team members hired along the way.

The occasional fella sneaks into my list of greats but predominantly the trophies that I gave out, the league tables that were topped and the accolades I bestowed were on female members of the teams that I have been responsible for.

But the point of this story is this…

But why are women the best negotiators, the best listers, the best sales progressors and the best branch managers?

It seems so out of whack that the property sector is dominated in performance terms by penises, so to speak. So I ask again, ‘what is wrong with women’?

I am not an expert on female psychology, my wife and daughters will certainly attest to that, and so I can only guess at why – but here are a few suggestions: • • • •

Women are more diligent than men Women are more conscientious Women are better organised Women have less ego

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Why do major estate agency companies not promote/hire women to the most senior levels within their businesses? Why is our industry led by men?

And I mean this from the seeming perspective of the industry’s chairmen (yes, men) and boards whom obviously think there is something of the inadequate about the fairer sex or else why are there not more female CEOs, managing directors and board members at the helm of our big corporate organisations?

wigwampropertynews.co.uk

Of the CEOs that run the top 100 biggest companies in the UK across all industries just 6 are women. That’s bad enough.

But within the UK’s largest estate agency firms there’s just one female CEO. Glynis Frew is on her own at the top and is also the only female board director at Hunters. No other major estate agency brand has currently hired or promoted a woman leader, yet the last time I looked almost exactly half the British population were women.

The top tier of the property industry can certainly therefore be described as predominantly male and pale. Masculinity seems hard-wired into business.

Does this stem from school ties?

That is to say, not connections made whilst in academia but actual ties as in collars and ties. In the same way that Eton and Harrow do not permit girls, boardroom doors seem locked to them too.

You know, 80% of consumer purchase decisions are influenced by women, including presumably home buying and one’s choice of estate agent.

So, help me out here – half the UK population are female.

Arguably the best estate agents are women. And women are pivotal in consumer purchase decisions.

But they remain almost misogynistically non-existent where positions of ultimate responsibility, power and earnings are concerned within estate agency.

Question… Are you ok with this? As the world is currently experiencing a period of great reflection and debate on matters of racial discrimination, we might also consider gender inequality as being an issue somewhat close to home too.

Literally.

Russell Quirk Director of Keller Williams www.kwuk.com

ISSUE No.6 | 55

ASK THE EXPERT EXTENSION PRO

56 | ISSUE No.4

ASK THE EXPERT

EXCEPTIONAL EXTENSIONS FROM EXTENSION PRO EXTENSION PRO PROVIDES EVERY SERVICE YOU’LL EVER NEED TO TURN YOUR DREAM EXTENSION VISION INTO A REALITY

Our professional, in-house team can take care of every step of your extension journey; guiding you through every stage from design, plan drafting, planning permission, building regulations, structural design, party wall matters and buildover agreements, right through to actually constructing the build on site for you.

Your dedicated project manager will oversee the entire process, navigating you seamlessly through each stage from start to finish, meaning just one point of contact for you throughout. You can also keep an eye on daily progress using your own dedicated client portal.

We also have in-house specialists to take care of all other issues that may arise during the design phase of your project ... from party wall matters and boundary issues to build over agreements with your utility suppliers, Extension Pro have you covered.

Every step is expertly overseen by your own dedicated project manager, from the very first sketch design to handing the keys over to your completed extension. One easy process, from start to finish and all the technical bits in between.

It really is this simple..

These are Extension Pro’s core services.

Dream it.

Design & Plan Drafting Our experienced in-house team of architectural designers and surveyors will take your brief and work with you every step of the way to turn your property vision into realistic plans and visuals to suit your budget.

Planning Permission Once your plans are just as you want them, we'll submit them to the local planning department on your behalf.

If any planning related issues crop up along the way, no problem, we’ll act as your agent and sort them out.

Building Regs & Structural Once your planning permission is granted, we will put together your construction issue drawings, structural calculations and building regulation documents and submit them to Building Control for you. Ensuring everything is ready for a completely stress-free build.

Building & Construction Now the design, planning, structural and building regulation boxes have all been ticked, our specialist on-site construction team can start your build. As always, your dedicated project manager will oversee every step for you it really is one easy experience, from start to finish.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want a larger kitchen or family area, maybe a new bedroom with en-suite; whatever it may be, our architectural design team will take your brief and turn your vision into realistic plans and visuals ready to submit to your local authority for planning permission or lawful development certificate.

Build it.

Once all the planning, building regulation and other compliance matters have been ticked off, our specialist construction team will start your build. We believe in working with you every step of the way to turn your vision into reality.

Enjoy it.

Once the construction process is complete, we clean the site and leave your home as found, leaving you to enjoy your new extension and space. What’s more, we believe that after care is equally as important as the main build; so for peace of mind you are fully covered with a 12 months defects liability period after completion.

We are happy to visit you in the comforts of your own home, following relevant Covid safety procedures.

Bradley Quesnel Managing Director ExtensionPro extensionpro.co.uk

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ASK THE EXPERT PEBLEY BEACH

58 | ISSUE No.6

ASK THE EXPERT

VEHICLES AS MOBILE BATTERY PACKS? THERE'S A POWERFUL IDEA Hyundai has just launched its new electric vehicle, the IONIQ 5, which as well as looking incredibly cool and being jam-packed with gadgets comes with vehicle-to-load capability.

Here, it's still a niche technology. Japan, by comparison, has dozens of H2 refuelling stations – from Kagoshima in the south, to Sapporo in the north. Tokyo alone has nearly 20.

In layman's terms, this means you can use your car as a mobile battery pack.

Japanese manufacturers have been pouring billions of pounds into researching and developing hydrogen technology. Before the now-postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, organisers announced competitors would be ferried around 'The Hydrogen powered Olympic Village' in a fleet of 20 hydrogen-powered buses.

While we're used to charging our mobile phones via our 12-volt accessory port, the IONIQ 5 can supply up to 3.6 kilowatts of power via its V2L port, even when the EV is turned off. That's enough to power a microwave or a TV. And leisure use was very much the thinking until an extreme weather event hit Texas in February this year. Three severe winter storms caused a massive electricity generation failure. More than 4.5 million homes and businesses were left without power.

Facing days without heat and light, many Texans abandoned their homes and camped out in their cars for warmth. Which was fine so long as there was gas in the tank. The disaster got people thinking about the car as an alternative energy source.

Now, an EV is only going to be so much use during a power cut. Once you've drained the battery, there's little you can do without being able to charge it again. But on the other side of the Pacific, manufacturers have been looking at a hydrogen solution.

You'll have heard a lot about hydrogen fuel technology: Swindon is something of a centre for it – sustainable technologies company Johnson Matthey develops hydrogen fuel cells for the automotive and other industries from its base in Lydiard Fields, while Pebley Beach brought some of the first modern hydrogen-powered cars back to the UK's roads; first with the Hyundai ix35, and then with its replacement, the purpose-built NEXO. In fact, Swindon has the only hydrogen refuelling station in the South West. The nearest are at Heathrow Airport and Port Talbot in South Wales.

Meanwhile, Honda and Toyota have been collaborating on a mobile battery pack of their own – think the IONIQ 5, but at scale.

The Moving-e is a bus packed with batteries charged by hydrogen technology. The island is prone to natural disasters: typhoons, earthquakes, and the sometimesresulting tsunamis. And when power plants are taken offline – as happened during the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster – you have power shortages to worry about, as well as the potential impact of a nuclear accident.

Displaced people need food and shelter. The injured need to be treated, and medics need beds and power to treat them. And emergency workers need power sources to search for survivors – especially at night, when floodlighting is essential.

A single Moving-e can power a search and rescue mission with up to 100 portable battery packs, as well as providing emergency workers with a place to rest and hot refreshments to emergency workers.

And just one Moving-e can power a large emergency evacuation centre like a sports facility or school – bringing home comforts to those who most desperately need them.

Alternative fuel vehicles are not just helping to reduce the impacts of climate change; they can help mitigate the disastrous effects of extreme weather events and other emergencies, too.

Dominic Threlfall Managing Director Pebley Beach pebley.co.uk

The external vehicle-to-load unit on the new Hyundai IONIQ 5

ISSUE No.6 | 59

ASK THE EXPERT OPTIMUM PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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ASK THE EXPERT

STAMP DUTY LAND TAX: IS THE HOLIDAY EXTENSION ALL IT SEEMS? When Chancellor Rishi Sunak stood up to unveil the Budget in March, much of it had been pre-announced, and that included an extension to the holiday on Stamp Duty Land Tax. The news was especially good for buyers who feared their sale might not complete before the 31 March deadline. The SDLT holiday had created a bulge in the housing market, with buyers rushing to take advantage of a tax cut with the potential to save them several thousands of pounds on their purchase.

Introduced in September as temporary nil rating of SDLT for property sales under £500,000, and due to run until 31 March, the holiday was extended in the Budget until 30 June.

After 30 June, the rules change yet again. From 1 July to 30 September the nil rate band drops to £250,000 and from 1 October returns to the standard rate, of £125,000.

On the face of it, a generous offer from the government, and indeed a nil rate band under £500,000 has saved several thousands of pounds for homebuyers - although this has to be offset, of course, against a rise in property prices partly fuelled by the SDLT holiday.

Dig a little deeper, though, and we can reveal that once the nil rate drops to £250,000 on 1 July, the saving may not be so impressive and here is why: Under the standard SDLT rating scheme – which we revert to on 1 October – the nil rate band is £125,000, followed by a £125,000 band at 2 per cent, and then from £250,000 up to £925,000 it is 5 per cent.

Currently, and up until 30 June, the nil rate band is £500,000 and then levied at 5 per cent thereafter.

However, it is for the period of 1 July to 30 September that the saving is less generous. Here, the nil rate band is £250,000 but then from there to £925,000 it is 5 per cent.

The 2 per cent band is swallowed up by the nil rate band.

This means, there is a disproportionate increase in the Stamp Duty Land Tax levied after 1 July. Clearly, the lower the house price, the better the saving. If you are buying a property, and the transaction goes through after 1 July, then the saving on a sale under £250,000 is proportionately higher.

With the average house price in Swindon – where we help homebuyers and sellers with legal conveyancing - at around £243,000, many buyers will be able to take full advantage of the current SDLT regime. But it you are buying property costing more than £250,000, then you need to be aware that the saving you make is less attractive.

On a property sale at £500,000 the SDLT is currently zero.

From 1 July it will be £12,500 and from 1 October back to the pre-pandemic rate of £15,000. This means the bulk of the SDLT levy returns from July not October. It’s essential when buying a property to be fully aware of all the costs, including legal fees, moving fees and, of course, Stamp Duty Land Tax. There was, however, other welcome news in the Budget for homebuyers, in the shape of a new mortgage guarantee scheme. Under the scheme, which was due to open from 19 April, participating lenders can offer 95% mortgages under a government guarantee. The aim is to increase the availability of 95% loan-to-value mortgage products, enabling more households to access mortgages without the need for prohibitively large deposits.

The scheme is similar to the Help to Buy, which ended in 2016, but this time is not limited just to first-time buyers or new-build homes and is available on new mortgages taken out until 31 December 2022, on homes costing up to £600,000.

At Optimum, our solicitor-led team specialise in property law and conveyancing. If you are buying or selling a property, then please get in touch for advice. Email kgleed@optps.co.uk

Iain Mason Head of Legal Optimum Professional Services imason@optps.co.uk optps.co.uk

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ASK THE EXPERT AWDRY BAILEY & DOUGLAS SOLICITORS

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PLANNING TO POP THE QUESTION? A PRENUP CAN HELP YOU PROTECT YOUR FUTURE TOGETHER SAYS PETER BERRY OF AWDRY BAILEY & DOUGLAS SOLICITORS

Planning to pop the question soon? If you are, you may wish to think about having a conversation about a prenuptial agreement with your partner.

What is a prenuptial agreement?

A prenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement (commonly referred to as a prenup), is a written contract entered into by a couple prior to a marriage or civil partnership that enables them to discuss and agree many of the legal rights they acquire upon marrying, and what happens if the marriage ends by death or divorce.

It may seem unromantic but actually this is a modern, forward thinking way of entering into marriage. After all, getting married is a big decision and not one to be taken lightly. The more open and honest you are with each other, the more likely it is that you will never need to use the prenup. However, for peace of mind for both of you, it makes sense to put an agreement in place.

Everyone is different but there are a variety of reasons for putting a prenuptial agreement in place such as: You’re bringing personal assets into the marriage For example, one of you may have been given money by a parent or grandparent that you intend to put down as a deposit on the property you will both be living in together.

A prenuptial agreement can ringfence that money so that in the event of a split you won’t lose the money your parents or grandparents worked so hard to save for you.

There are assets or property that would be very hard to split 50/50 It may be that you are entering into a second marriage or your partner was previously married, and that one or both of you has property or assets that are connected to that previous relationship. In this example, it is best to be upfront and let your partner know what your previous circumstances were.

For further information or to arrange your free, initial consultation please contact Peter Berry using the following details.

Full financial disclosure will be required in order to enter into a prenuptial agreement.

You may have children from a previous relationship and want to ensure that certain assets and their inheritance rights are protected These days it is common for new couples to have children from a previous relationship, and you will probably want to make provision for them in the future.

Your future spouse may have outstanding debt; a prenuptial agreement with a ‘debt clause’ can protect you from being liable Debt is a very difficult subject to discuss with your partner but we would strongly advise doing so, as it is much better in the long run to speak plainly about such things.

Once you have had this conversation, you’ll both feel better for it and you’ll be able to go forward into your marriage confident that you’ve done everything you can to ensure the marriage starts from a place of open, honest communication.

Are prenuptial agreements legally binding?

It is important to note that prenuptial agreements are still not legally enforceable in England and Wales – for the time being at least. However, following the landmark decision in the case of Radmacher v Granatino in October 2010, Judges are attaching more weight to prenups and are more likely to uphold them, unless they are considered to be unfair at the time the parties get a divorce.

A prenuptial agreement is more likely to be upheld if: • It is signed at least 21 days before the wedding day • Its contents are reasonable • It is clearly not out of date (providing for future children, for example, and preferably a review after a period of time) • It was properly drafted by a family lawyer with both parties receiving independent legal advice and providing full financial disclosure.

Peter Berry Associate, Chartered Legal Executive, Family Law Awdry Bailey & Douglas Solicitors 01793 384123 awdrys.co.uk

ISSUE No.6 | 63

ASK THE EXPERT PROSPERO FINANCE

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HOW TO RAISE MONEY TO FUND HOME IMPROVEMENTS LAUREN WEBB FROM PROSPERO FINANCE ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SECURED AND UNSECURED FINANCE

There are various ways to raise finance to fund improvements to your home, whether that be for an extension, loft conversion, or simply a refresh. There is a difference between finance that is secured against your home and finance that is defined as unsecured. You are more likely to need advice when looking to secure the finance against your home as your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up the repayments on your home.

Finance options that are secured against your home involve using equity that you have built up. There are three main options; remortgaging, additional borrowing and second charges. In each scenario there will likely be an affordability assessment, a property valuation and an application process to follow. We shall look at each in turn.

You can consider remortgaging whether you have an existing mortgage or not (known as an unencumbered property). If you have an outstanding mortgage you should check with your existing lender whether you have an Early Repayment Charge (ERC). If you repay your current mortgage balance while an ERC applies you will likely need to pay this too.

A remortgage might be considered if you have reached the end of your initial mortgage deal with your current lender and are currently paying their standard variable rate which is typically higher.

This would involve researching lenders that are available to you and looking to raise not only your current mortgage amount but also additional funds to complete the intended work to your home and completing an application with the new lender. You will need a solicitor for this option.

Sometimes lenders may allow you to use their approved solicitors free of charge. Once approved and completed, your new lender will replace the previous lender and you will receive the additional funds.

Additional borrowing would likely be the option if you are currently tied into a fixed deal with your existing lender and do not want to have to repay an ERC to move to a new lender. This involves applying to your current lender for additional funds on top of your current balance.

It may be possible to apply through an intermediary or you may have to talk to your lender directly. In this scenario, the lender pays the funds directly into your bank and there will be a new monthly payment in addition to your current monthly payment to pay for the extra borrowing amount.

A second charge is a loan secured against your home in addition to your current mortgage. Your current mortgage is secured against your home as a first charge and another lender then sits behind them, holding a second charge.

The order of the charges is the order that the lenders would receive their funds if your property were to be repossessed and ultimately sold.

You would likely need to ask your current lender for permission to add a second charge to your home. You may or may not need a solicitor to complete a second charge application. The second charge funds will then be paid to you and you will make a payment in addition to your current mortgage payment. The rates for second charges are typically higher than first charge mortgages.

Some unsecured options are personal loans, credit cards or store finance. These options range in interest rates, typically tending to be higher ultimately, and are usually expected to be repaid in a much shorter timescale. Securing against your home means that you could explore longer term borrowing to make the monthly payments a little lower rather than having to pay larger payments much quicker.

If you would like to talk over your finance options, we would love to hear from you.

Lauren Webb Mortgage & Protection Adviser 01793 977790 prosperofinance.co.uk

ISSUE No.6 | 65

Visit Swindon

ARCHITECTURE PHOTO CHALLENGE #SWINDONARCHITECTURE2021 visitswindon.org.uk

SUPPORTED BY

66 | ISSUE No.6

wigwampropertynews.co.uk

WIN A FABULOUS OLD TOWN SHOPPING VOUCHER BUNDLE WORTH £300* IN THE SWINDON ARCHITECTURE 2021 PHOTO CHALLENGE Share your architecture themed photos of Swindon with Visit Swindon, the town’s official destination tourism website, and you could win a £300 Old Town shopping voucher bundle plus a fab Sunday Roast for two from The Bank.

Swindon is steeped in architectural history, and that history is a photographer’s dream.

The English Heritage listed Railway Village, the Victorian houses of Old Town including the Sir John Betjemen favourite Villett’s House, the fading grandeur of The Mechanics’ Institute or The Locarno, the old GWR works reimagined as the Designer Outlet - we’re talking one great big history book crying out to be captured on camera or smartphone.

But it’s not just about the historic buildings, Swindon also boasts plenty of photogenic modern buildings like the skyscraping David Murray John Building that casts a dramatic shadow over the Swindon skyline and Brunel Shopping Centre, the Sir Norman Foster designed Spectrum/Renault building as seen in the James Bond movie A View to a Kill, the stunning canal side Hall & Woodhouse pub, or the brutalist Wyvern Theatre designed

by Sir Hugh Casson. And for something left field, how about the slightly kitsch Hongxin Chinese Restaurant at Peatmoor Lagoon or the futuristic Whale Bridge Car Park in Swindon’s town centre?

In fact, the building doesn’t need to be well known, you may well choose to take an atmospheric or abstract photo of your own street, or even your own house. As long as it’s a photo of architecture in Swindon (and not necessarily a building, it could be a structure like the art deco diving board at Coate Water or the bridge over the Wilts & Berks canal) you’re in with a shot of winning the prize.

Best of all, by entering our #SwindonArchitecture2021 photo challenge you will have a chance of winning a £300 Old Town shopping voucher bundle*, containing £50 vouchers for each of Food Magpie, Magnum Wine Shop, Oink, Kapada Vintage, Willoby’s Furniture and the Wood Street Food Hall. Plus a tasty Sunday Roast for two from The Bank restaurant and bar in Wood Street.

Taking part in Visit Swindon’s #SwindonArchitecture2021 photo challenge couldn’t be easier!

All you have to do is: ‘follow’ Visit Swindon on Instagram @Visit_Swindon Then upload your photos to Instagram using the hashtag #SwindonArchitecture2021 The competition, which is subject to the terms and conditions of entry, is now open and closes on 30.06.2021, and the winning photo will be selected by a Visit Swindon panel headed by acclaimed Swindon photographer Mitchell Nelson.

Please remember that if your photograph includes a person, you must obtain that person’s consent to be included in the photograph and for you to submit that photograph as a competition entry.

If you have any questions about Visit Swindon’s #SwindonArchitecture2021 photo challenge, please contact infocentre@swindon.gov.uk • The Bank is a chic, informal, continental style brasserie.

• Food Magpie is a brand-new organic cafe, deli and shop in the heart of Old Town.

• Oink is Swindon's leading gallery for contemporary art, furniture, books and gifts.

• Kapada Vintage is a lifestyle store selling vintage clothes as well as independent brands.

• Magnum Wine stocks an unrivalled selection of wine, fizz and beer from all over the world.

• Willoby’s is a family furniture company with a passion for great furniture at great prices.

• Wood Street Food Hall - step back in time to traditional values, fresh, top-quality meat and fish.

Prizes kindly supported by Wigwam Property News – the ultimate property news and lifestyle platform covering Swindon and the surrounding areas.

Please ensure you are following your local Covid guidelines if you are out taking photos for this competition. *Check the visitswindon.org.uk website if you need further information or terms and conditions.

ISSUE No.6 | 67

Your loved ones are guaranteed a warm and safe environment at Coate Water Care

— Coate Water Care is a family-run business that provides high quality care service in all our Nursing, Residential and Dementia care homes.

We provide 24-hour nursing, residential and dementia care, as well as specialist care for clients with end of life and palliative needs. The health, safety and well-being of our residents, visitors and staff has been Coate Water Care’s number one priority during the pandemic and our very high standards in safety and cleanliness provide peace of mind to both residents and their loved ones.

Let us help you find the right care for your loved ones.

Please contact our ‘Welcome Team’ to arrange a visit to your local Coate Water Care home.

Call: 01793 821200 or Email: info@coatewatercare.co.uk to request a brochure.

Arbory | Ashbury Lodge | Chapel House | Church View | Downs View | Mockley Manor | Westley Court | Woodstock

Progress means pushing our Hybrid range further (and further).

Introducing the new KONA Hybrid and IONIQ range.

Progress is the new IONIQ range, and KONA Hybrid. We’ve taken our forward-thinking technology further, so you can go further. Our new electrified range combines efficiency, low emissions, and outstanding performance, to deliver a driving experience without compromise.

Experience the next level of hybrid. Book your test drive at try.hyundai.co.uk today.

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Paddington drive, Swindon, SN5 7SB 01793 816800 | www.hyundai.co.uk/dealer/pebley-beach-swindon

Fuel Consumption figures for the Hyundai Range. Mpg (l/100km): Combined 28.0 (10.1) to 256.8 (1.1). CO2 emissions: 265 - 0 g/km.

Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures were obtained after the battery had been fully charged. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. Hyundai 5 Year Warranty subject to Terms and Conditions. Participating dealers only.

ARTS & CULTURE SHERYLL K FOX

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ARTIST REVEALS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND HER PAINTINGS A

FTER A DEGREE IN ART AND DANCE IN LONDON, SHERYLL J FOX WORKED AS AN ILLUSTRATOR AND DESIGNER, DOING GUIDEBOOKS FOR A PUBLISHING COMPANY IN DEVON. SHE THEN WORKED IN TWO DESIGN STUDIOS IN SURREY, CREATING CONCEPT DRAWINGS FOR EXHIBITION STANDS, ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS, LOGOS AND MORE. IN MORE RECENT YEARS SHE HAS PAINTED PORTRAIT COMMISSIONS IN OIL FOR CLIENTS ALL OVER THE UK.

Sheryll also ran her own part-time stage school for nearly 20 years in Swindon until two years ago, when she decided to focus on her painting. She still teaches a handful of drama students in the evening, which might explain why you will find her happily chatting away to a video camera in her studio while she paints. These videos become her monthly painting lessons and although they are specially created to meet the needs of her students she finds that they often inspire elements of her own practise.

How would you describe your painting style?

As a visual artist with a background in theatre, I see each picture I create as a character to explore.

Principally a figurative artist, I create pieces that share wider themes expressed through figures and faces.

I use a mix of abstract and graphic techniques to express the emotions of my characters.

I regularly sketch in the landscape and from models, then work in my studio from these drawings and photographs, exploring with experimental techniques in acrylic paint and mixed media on wooden panels, canvas and paper.

Which artists are you inspired by or influence your work?

I love the oldies like Van Gogh and Klimt, but more recently through social media have found artists like HUSH and Joan Dumouchel, whose work I find very inspiring.

You had two paintings from your ‘Golden Girls’ series in the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London.

The first three paintings explore what it is to be a teenager, that intense time trying to find the calm in the chaos, studying for exams and training for a future of dreams, desires, frustrations and the unknown. The next three ‘Golden Girl’ paintings move on from the struggle of the first to a more optimistic future.

The model is an amalgamation of my teenage daughter and myself. I look at her journey through GCSEs and college applications and reflect on my teenage years, the Golden Girl being a reference both to her hair and to being seen perhaps from the outside as having it all and not seeing the struggle within. I have made a short film about the ideas and creation of these paintings which you can see on my You Tube channel (Sheryll K Fox_ART).

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ARTS & CULTURE SHERYLL K FOX

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ARTS & CULTURE SHERYLL K FOX

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What about the ‘Meditations on Now’ series?

This series of paintings is my response to a fascination with the ways people cope with stress and uncertainty.

I created these images during the first lockdown, which reflect my experience of coronavirus and a need to turn inwards. I love the sereneness of Buddhist images with their hope of calm and I do meditate at times with a guided tape or music. These images give me a feeling closer to what I imagine a practised mediator can achieve.

The model is my daughter again who patiently poses for my sketches and photographs. I started these images really loosely applying colour with an idea of composition, but enjoying not committing or controlling the outcome, completely feeling the colours and thinking about the emotions which I want to convey.

I then sketch, trace and transfer the figure onto the image exploring where the background can bleed through. I clean up the image with paint and pen, then love to dive back in with more paint and a variety of tools risking losing the image altogether.

I am currently working on a new figurative series of paintings called ‘Reflections’ inspired by a single full figure. The definition of reflections I am exploring here is ‘a thought, idea, or opinion formed or a remark made as a result of meditation’.

In this series I am exploring mixed media, as well as acrylic paint. The paintings are full of texture and free mark making contrasted with carefully considered emotional figurative stances.

‘Looking Forward’ is the first in the ‘Reflections’ series and the title feels very appropriate now. Although I aim to keep the painting open to be read by the viewer, as an artist I cannot help but be affected by the way that life has changed over the last year and I too am looking forward to things moving on and to feeling more connected and less isolated. These are the thoughts reflected in this painting when I made it.

I have also released a beautiful greeting card of my ‘Butterflies Blue’ painting. The cards are 150 mm square and cost £2.50 each, or £7 for 3. They are printed on eco-friendly board and come with a white diamond flap heavy envelope and are protected by a cello bag.

I have continued to add to my library of video acrylic painting lessons and give ‘live’ support to the budding artists who take my classes on the last Saturday of each month. This year the new lessons are ‘The Eye’ and ‘Dramatic Skies’. These and many more are available on my website. skfoxart.com

ISSUE No.6 | 75

PROPERTY NEWS COMMERCIAL

HONDA'S SWINDON HOTEL SOLD TO LEISURE GROUP A 78-bedroom hotel owned by motor manufacturer Honda until the firm announced its intention to leave Swindon has been sold.

The luxury Stanton House Hotel was used, in part, to accommodate visiting Honda executives, and had a plaudit-winning Japanese restaurant that was open to the general public.

The hotel was put on the market in October last year, with a guide price of £4.95 million.

This week joint agents Knight Frank and Colliers announced the sale of the hotel to businessman John Mulchandani. The hotel will be operated by Meridian Hotels, which runs the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn brands.

The hotel, set in 11 acres of private grounds at Stanton Fitzwarren, will benefit from a £2 million makeover and will continue to trade under the Stanton House Hotel name, said Paul Evans, operations director Meridian Hotels.

76 | ISSUE No.6

Matthew Smith, partner in the hotels team at Knight Frank, said: “We are thrilled to have completed the sale of Stanton House Hotel, with both buyer and seller pleased with a successful outcome.”

"This is the second hotel we have sold to John Mulchandani, who purchased The Holiday Inn Sittingbourne in Kent through Knight Frank in 2019.”

"Meridian Hotels have been appointed to operate the hotel and under their management along with the future investment plans for Stanton House Hotel the business will no doubt be a huge success.”

"Despite the ongoing lockdown restrictions interest in Stanton House was strong given its proximity to the Cotswolds, making it an ideal asset for the burgeoning staycation sector.”

"The hotel also presents an excellent opportunity for hosting large events thanks to its numerous function rooms and manicured gardens.”

"It is an exciting asset, with significant potential for development, either through expansion of its current accommodation and facilities or through residential development, subject to planning permission.”

"The sale is further evidence of the strong demand for hotels in and close to popular tourist destinations that we are finding at Colliers.”

The manor house was built in the 1930s and was extended in the 1990s. It has three function rooms boasting original features, in addition to a modern main function room with room for up to 110 guests, which is suitable for weddings and conferences.

Peter Brunt, director of hotel agency at Colliers, said: “Stanton House’s combination of seclusion and accessibility make it a valuable leisure investment”.

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