The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on Sunday 3 June will see a procession of 1,000 boats travel down the Thames, from Battersea to Tower Bridge, flanking the Royal Barge which will transport the Queen. Picture: Maureen Brander

Marking 60 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, the Diamond Jubilee celebrations will celebrate around an extended weekend on 2 – 5 June 2012. Officially recently unveiled, the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on Sunday 3 June will see a procession of 1,000 boats travel down the Thames, from Battersea to Tower Bridge, flanking the Royal Barge which will transport the Queen. The procession, which will include vessels of all shapes and sizes from around the world, including tall ships and square riggers, fishing and cargo boats, yachts, tugs, steamers and canoes, is expected to be the biggest televised event ever to take place.

VisitEngland Chairman, Lady Cobham said: “The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant is a remarkable undertaking and a fantastic draw for London. However, the rest of England has also been gripped by the occasion and there are celebrations taking place throughout the country, from the royal family’s official residences, stately homes and national galleries, to parks and public spaces and in private gardens and family homes.”

Here are just a few of VisitEngland’s highlights of the Jubilee year calendar:

Sixty Photographs for Sixty Years – The Drawings Gallery, Windsor Castle

Opening on 4 February, an exhibition of 60 photographs of The Queen, including the work of leading press photographers of the past six decades, will go on display at Windsor. The exhibition presents a portrait of The Queen’s reign as captured in fleeting moments on both official occasions and at relaxed family gatherings.

The exhibition includes pictures of Queen Elizabeth II on regional and international official visits, leading the nation on Remembrance Day, in the Garter Day procession at Windsor, hosting Heads of State and inspecting the graduating officer cadets at Sandhurst. It also records important personal and family milestones and her lifelong love of equestrianism and of her corgis. The exhibition will run until January 2013. 
www.royalcollection.org.uk

The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned at Hampton Court Palace

Running 5 April – 30 September 2012, this royal-themed exhibition tells a story about the fascination of love, glamour, celebrity, lust and power and involves some of the key characters that lived, loved and died at Hampton Court Palace – Charles II, James II, William III & Queen Mary II and Queen Anne. Beauty was a good thing: it was a reflection of divine perfection, an indication of virtue.

This temporary exhibition will contain magnificent artworks to reveal the stories and scandals, and will include items from the Royal Collection and other public and private collections, many of which are not currently on display.
http://www.hrp.org.uk

The World Comes to Windsor Castle

HM Queen departs from the Sovereigns Entrance of the Palace of Westminster at the end of the State Opening of Parliament.

Held in the private grounds of Windsor Castle on the evenings of 10, 11 and 13 May, the Diamond Jubilee Pageant will pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II’s 60-year reign in a performance that brings together over 500 horses and 800 international performers. Dance, music, military and equestrian displays from around the world will feature in this major show: Around the World in 60 Years and 90 minutes.

Visitors will be taken on a journey around the world, reflective of the Queen’s State and Commonwealth visits during her rain: starting out from London and visiting the Americas, Australasia, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and finally Great Britain. The seven acts draw from their respective continent, ensuring a colourful cultural display. Tickets available at www.diamond-jubilee-pageant.com

Bright, Shiny Diamond Jubilee Beacons – various locations

England has a centuries-long history of beacon lighting to mark national events and the beacon is widely recognised as a symbol of united celebration. On 4 June, 2,012 beacons will be lit across the whole of the United Kingdom, as they were for the Queen’s Silver and Golden Jubilees.

Locations already confirmed include the highest school in England, Flash Church of England school in Staffordshire (which has just 10 pupils); three of His Grace the Duke of Westminster’s estates in Sutherland, Cheshire and Lancashire; and 60 beacons along the length of Hadrian’s Wall – one for every year of the Queen’s reign. 
www.diamondjubileebeacons.co.uk

Go Down to the (Diamond) Woods – various locations

HRH The Princess Royal launches the Jubilee Woods project for the Woodland Trust which marks the Queen's 2012 Diamond Jubilee celebrations with the planting of 6 million trees.

To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, the Woodland Trust is helping millions of people to come together with their communities to plant 6 million trees. The Jubilee Woods Project, fronted by Patron HRH The Princess Royal, aims to create hundreds of Jubilee Woods across the country, and 60 special Diamond Woods, of at least 60 acres – to transform our landscape in a generation and provide a lasting legacy for many years to come. This includes the Trust’s new Flagship Diamond Wood in the heart of The National Forest in Leicestershire, a haven for wildlife and a monument to Her Majesty. To find out more or get involved, visit
www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

Partake in a Big Jubilee Lunch – Countrywide

Building on the established Big Lunch initiative, the Big Jubilee Lunch will encourage friends and neighbours to share lunch in their local neighbourhoods on Sunday 3 June. Based on the premise that a connected community is a safe and happy community, the Big Lunch Initiative was founded by the Eden Project in 2009 and provides the tools and support needed for members of the public to organise and encourage shared neighbour lunches once a year, and as a result to build lasting and valuable connections.

The initiative hopes to double participation numbers in 2012, and to create an annual Thanksgiving Day of sorts, all of our own. To find out more about hosting or joining a Big Lunch, visit www.thebiglunch.com

A Capital Celebration – London’s Exhibitions

HRH The Queen watches a flypast of RAF Jaguars in a flypast Diamond 9 formation when she visited RAF Coltishall. Picture: Arthur Edwards The Sun

In addition to the river pageant, London will be host to several exhibitions on the Royal Family and the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Showing at the V&A from 8 February – 22 April, Cecil Beacon’s Royal Portraits will include 60 photographs depicting the Royal Family at home and on official occasions.

A new permanent exhibition opening at Kensington Palace on 26 March, Victoria Revealed, will look at the life and reign of Queen Victoria – England’s longest-reigning monarch – while Tower Bridge will be re-presenting the Crown Jewels exhibition for the Jubilee year, with new displays showing the jewels like never before.

For more information on Jubilee events around the country, visit www.enjoyengland.com/jubilee

British architects and landscape designers enjoy a hard-earned reputation as world leaders, yet prospective clients often find the right practice hard to identify. No wonder – Britain has 33,000 architects and no limit to the numbers calling themselves landscape-designers.

The RedBook Agency offers a way to spotlight the finest talent in the UK.

The agency will offer architects and landscape designers:

• A way to enter new sectors or to expand a practice in new directions
• An easier way to meet the best new clients from all those who approach them
• A means of winning valuable new projects for the practices represented, through intelligent and highly targeted marketing, and PR and leveraging the Agency’s extensive contacts.

The benefits include:

• matching new clients to architects and landscape designers and ensuring that expectations are happily met on both sides
• No joining fees or other upfront expenses for practices represented by Red Book
• Recognition as one of the UK’s finest talents

Prospective clients looking for a creative partner often have to rely on word of mouth which can be a slow process, yielding only one or two names. And who can be sure whether an architect or landscape designer recommended informally will provide the best possible match of vision, personality or budget?

Sandy Mitchell of RedBook

By using RedBook, clients receive tailored, independent advice on a wide range of the very best practices, so that they can then make an informed selection of architect or landscape designer. All prospective clients will be interviewed by Red Book’s team in person at the outset to assess their needs and commitment – and to form an initial view of the appropriate match.

The RedBook team members will then liaise with practices—giving them a brief on the client’s project—to ensure the client and the project truly appeals. Only then is the client put in touch with the practice.  Neither the client nor the practice is under any obligation to accept a particular introduction from the Agency.

RedBook will represent up to 30 of the UK’s finest architecture practices while the landscape design practices will be limited to 20.

The practices represented by RedBook cover the spectrum – from designing visionary contemporary buildings to restoring historic houses, from creating cutting-edge landscapes to traditional town or country gardens – and they include the most experienced practitioners as well as brilliant young ‘stars of tomorrow’.

Exacting membership standards

The practices work in every corner of Britain, and vary greatly in size of practice just as they do in their fees. Yet all these practices share two qualities: exceptional talent and the highest degree of peer-respect.

To make certain this exclusive ‘club’ retains its exacting membership standards, RedBook relies on a top flight advisory panel to select practices of the right calibre. The panel includes Clive Aslet, an expert on British architecture; Jeremy Musson, the architectural historian; Dominic Bradbury, architecture and design commentator; Sir Roy Strong, the design expert and garden expert Stephen Anderton.

Clients will pay only a small registration fee up front. RedBook’s revenue is earned from the practices represented, who trust the agency to introduce clients they will enjoy working with.

There are no joining fees or other upfront expenses for practices represented by RedBook.

For more information, contact Sandy Mitchell at RedBook on: +44 (0) 20 7060 6222 or e-mail: sandy@redbookagency.com

The boring machine for the Super Sewer is wider than the size of three London buses

Try to imagine the construction that will last for six to seven years of a Super Sewer, that will involve 29,000 lorry journeys during the construction period, that will continue 24-hours a day, that will increase the capital value of Thames Water by 40 per cent and that will cost 14 million Thames Water customers living from Swindon to Essex and all Londoners an extra £80 each year on top of current bills for life to pay for the project.

Unless it is stopped, this is going to take place in the heart of London on the edge of the River Thames.

Also try to imagine having a chest complaint such as asthma or bronchitis and then figure out how you’ll be affected by the amount of pollution that those same lorry journeys will pump into the air as they hold up the traffic in an area that already suffers from major traffic jams.

Oh yes, and Thames Water is owned by an Australian bank, Macquarie.

A consortium led by the Australian bank, Macquarie, bought Thames Water for £8billion in 2006 and if the Super Sewer goes ahead the regulatory capital value (RCV) of Thames Water will increase by at least 40 per cent. This will allow Thames Water executives to charge customers much higher bills in future and make a large profit on their borrowings.

• The River Thames can be made cleaner and London can fulfil its obligations to meet EU directives on water quality without building a hugely disruptive and expensive ‘Super Sewer’ proposed by Thames Water.
• This is one of the key conclusions from Lord Selborne’s Thames Tunnel Commission (TTC) which were made public in October 31 following months of detailed analysis.

Fears over spiralling water bills and residents’ protests over the loss of open space and regeneration sites prompted five London councils to sponsor a panel of internationally renowned experts, led by Lord Selborne. The TTC examined whether there are sensible alternatives to the Super Sewer, or Thames Tunnel, as it is also known.

Thames Water has been promoting its controversial multi-billion pound concrete tunnel as the best solution to cleaning up the river – a solution which will add an estimated £6-£12 per month to water bills of 14 million of its customers.

Following a series of public hearings, which considered oral and written evidence from Thames Water as well as a wide range of statutory bodies and interested parties, the TTC recommends that:

* The primary reasons for rejecting the recommendations for a shorter EU compliant tunnel that costs less than half the current super sewer estimate, should be revisited as a matter of urgency.

* Complimentary green infrastructure solutions that minimise the amount of fresh rainwater entering the sewerage system should be considered, particularly in light of new EU legislation on environmental sustainability.

* Defra, the Environment Agency and Thames Water should give very careful consideration to the other alternatives as proposed by Chris Binnie, Chairman of the Thames Tideway Strategic Study Group from 2000 to 2006, and Professor Colin Green, who is a national expert on water economics.

* Thames Water should examine the experience of other EU member states in complying with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and take note of the experience of world cities like Chicago and Milwaukee.

Hard-pressed utility customers

Lord Selborne says: “Our forensic analysis shows there is a substantial body of evidence pointing to the fact that there is a smarter way to make the River Thames cleaner. A shorter tunnel, combined with green infrastructure solutions that are built up incrementally in the medium to long term, would be both compliant with EU directives and less costly and disruptive to Londoners. These alternatives require further study.”

The TTC also echoes the views of hard-pressed utility customers in questioning the escalating cost of the sewer. In June 2011, Thames Water’s Chief Executive, Martin Baggs, admitted that the tunnel’s current estimated price of £3.6billion is based on 2008 figures that ‘will inevitably increase’. The admission came despite Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman demanding that ‘not a penny extra be spent’ on the Super Sewer.

“There are serious concerns about the escalating costs of the Thames Tunnel and the impact this will have on customers,” continues Lord Selborne. “Many bill-payers will be pushed into water poverty which is not acceptable when there are viable alternatives that should be explored further.”

From L to R: Nigel Henson, Sue Oriel, Ann Rosenberg and Hammersmith & Fulham Council deputy leader Nick Botterill at the meeting in October at which residents grilled Thames Water bosses about the potential massive construction work chaos

Thames Water customers from Essex to Swindon and all Londoners can expect to pay a minimum of an extra £65 per year for life on top of current bills, doubling the cost for sewerage, to pay for the super sewer.

Speaking to reporters last week, Professor Green said Thames Water stands to make a colossal £162million a year in additional revenue from its 20-mile long super sewer due to a ‘perverse incentive’ in the way the water industry is financed.

Chris Binnie, who worked for Thames Water to create the original sewer plans, presented evidence to the TTC arguing that the whole basis for the project was out of date and needed to be revisited.

The TTC is sponsored by the London Boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F), Richmond, Southwark and Tower Hamlets and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, H&F Council Leader, says: “The Selborne Commission has done some sterling work in taking a cold, hard look at the facts. It is now clear from the commission’s detailed report that Thames Water has failed to make the case for the super sewer.

“Thames Water has a vested interest in pushing through this gold-plated scheme and this is why it has chosen to ignore the water industry experts who have repeatedly come forward to say there are alternatives. We now know that there is another way to improve the cleanliness of the river without the huge environmental, social and economic costs.”

It is time for Thames Water to go back to the drawing board

Cllr Greenhalgh says: “If we are not careful we will have a situation where 14 million Thames Water customers will pay a fortune on top of their current bills to fund the construction of a massive concrete tunnel which is driven by EU directives but ultimately designed to deliver profits for an Australian bank.

“Given the huge body of evidence now available against the Super Sewer it is time for Defra, backed by Ofwat and the Environment Agency, to compel Thames Water to go back to the drawing board.”

Councillor Peter John, Leader of Southwark Council, said: “As a riverside borough, we are absolutely committed to the aim of cleaning the Thames and preventing sewage leaks, but the Thames Tunnel plans appear unnecessarily disruptive and costly.

“We’re equally concerned that in the current economic climate, with the rising cost of living, the last thing that Londoners need is a scheme that will cost the equivalent of £70 for every single water bill-payer in the city.”

David Salusbury

David Salusbury, Chairman, National Landlords Association (NLA), commented on the Government’s Autumn Statement:

“The Government has pledged to support small businesses and encourage new investment with its Autumn Statement, but has missed a key opportunity to promote investment in affordable housing to rent by failing to extend the policy of income-tax relief to include landlords ready to invest in new residential property.

“One in five landlords is looking to invest in new housing for rent in the next 12 months, providing much needed accommodation at this time of high demand. With the Government acknowledging in the recently released Housing Strategy that: ‘Demand for rental housing likely to continue to rise’, and with nearly fifty thousand households in England living in temporary accommodation, incentives to increase the stock of well-managed, rental accommodation are essential.”

National Landlords Association can be contacted at: www.landlords.org.uk

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:

Simon Rubinsohn, RICS Chief Economist

“The Government desperately needs a positive strategy for growth and making infrastructure the centrepiece of the Autumn Statement is a good start. Upgrading Britain’s creaking infrastructure will deliver much needed work to members and the benefits will be felt throughout the economy. As well as helping UK business to compete globally, infrastructure development will also help boost housing supply by making large-scale investment more attractive to developers. However, these projects will only have an impact in the medium term. More immediate measures are needed to kickstart the economy now and there is a worrying lack of these in the Chancellor’s statement. A cut in VAT to five per cent on repair and maintenance would be a first step in stimulating demand in the short term.”

Private investment in infrastructure

“While the extra £5bn capital spending from savings in other departments is to be welcomed, it is clear that new infrastructure cannot be funded by the public purse or more borrowing. The Government has little room for manoeuvre and it has no other real option than to look to the private sector. Infrastructure potentially offers pension funds the long-term, low risk returns they require although finding the right vehicle for funds to invest will be essential. Government and investors will need to address the knowledge gap in institutional investors about infrastructure to ensure the right investment decisions are made.

“If there is to be a long-term shift to institutional investment in infrastructure and infrastructure-led development, the planning system needs to support this and recognize the needs of these investors as well as the national interest. The draft NPPF and recent Government Housing Strategy did not clearly address these issues in detail.

“RICS is establishing an Investment Infrastructure Task Force to devise new models and delivery vehicles for financing infrastructure and to recommend improvements to planning practice which encourages greater private sector infrastructure investment.

“Finally, government needs to ensure that new infrastructure projects drive a long-term increase in economic activity as well as delivering immediate benefits for jobs and local economies. RICS has previously highlighted these issues in its Vision For Cities project and will be developing ideas of how growth is delivered by infrastructure investment in 2012.”

For more information, go to the RICS website at: www.rics.org

Samantha Baden, property analyst at FindaProperty.com

www.findaproperty.com:

Samantha Baden, property analyst at FindaProperty.com commented: “George Osborne’s statement today was good news for homeowners and the property market in general. The mortgage indemnity scheme will bring welcome relief to 100,000 people and help first time buyers get a foot on to the property ladder, as will the 50 per cent discount for social tenants wanting to buy their own home.

However, all homeowners should benefit from the announcement that £30 billion will be invested in new infrastructure projects. New transport and utility projects will open up areas for housing and jobs and bring new areas of the UK within commuting distance of major urban centres. While some people will resist this change, for the country as a whole, good infrastructure is the seed for jobs, economic growth and the housing market – all of which is good news for homeowners and those aspiring to get onto the property ladder.”

For more information, go on-line at www.findaproperty.com

In the UK, HM Revenue & Customs publishes a booklet on residency (HMRC 6, previously IR20) but it is only guidance and not law, and it has been famously challenged by some taxpayers and so far HMRC have won (mostly)

Expatriates are used to counting days to establish their tax residency. Many countries including the UK have the ‘183 days a year rule’, while the UK also has the ‘90 days a year over four years’ rule. It is not always as simple as day counting, however, and many countries also stipulate other situations which would make you liable for tax in that country.

Next year the UK intends to introduce a statutory definition of tax residence. The consultation document says that the government considered but rejected a test based solely on the number of days spent in the UK because “it believes that where someone is resident is more than just a question of where they spend their time”.

Its proposed tests therefore seek to prevent someone becoming non-resident simply by reducing the number of days to below a set level and impose a requirement to reduce their other connections with the UK. The rules are far clearer and will provide more certainty BUT they are still complex and confusing to the non-tax specialist. So while they are no longer subjective and vague, the new rules remain complex.

• The number of nights which you can spend in the UK refers to the number in a UK tax year ending midnight 5^th April.

There are separate rules for Leavers, Arrivers and those working full time abroad, so it will be important to follow the rules for your situation.

There are five newly defined connecting factors which are: family in UK (spouses/civil partners and children under 18); UK accommodation; substantive employment in the UK; UK presence in previous years and more time in the UK than another single country.

Are you a Leaver or an Arriver?

Under the Leaver rules, British expatriates who spend less than 10 nights a year in the UK will never be considered UK resident even if they have connecting factors. At the other end of the scale, anyone who spends over 182 nights a year in the UK, or whose only home is in the UK, will always be classed as UK tax resident regardless of how few other connecting factors he/she has (subject only to be overridden by any appropriate double tax treaty).

Otherwise whether or not you are UK tax resident will depend on the number of nights you spend there and the number of connecting factors you have.

Here are some examples under the new rules (the number of days is per UK tax year):

• David and Sarah have sold their London home, are no longer working and will move to Andalucia in Spain where they will live permanently other than visits to the UK. Their adult children remain in the UK. They have one connecting factor (over 90 days in UK in previous two years). They can spend up to 119 nights in the UK provided they are in hotels, not staying regularly elsewhere, without being UK tax resident. This would commence from 6^th April after they have left the UK.
• John and Anne have been living permanently in their property in Bergerac, France for 10 years and shook off UK tax residency. They are both retired. They kept a flat in Manchester because Anne likes to visit her adult children and grandchildren regularly spending over 90 days there each year. They have two connecting factors (UK accommodation and over 90 days) but unlike David and Sarah are classed as Arrivers, not Leavers. They can spend up to 119 nights in the UK without being classed as UK tax resident (had they been ‘Leavers’ it would have been limited to 89 nights).

There is a special rule for people who go to work full time overseas, leaving behind their families in the UK. They will be deemed to be non-resident as long as they spend less than 89 nights in the UK and work in the UK for less than 20 days (defined as less than three hours work in a day: a difficult one to prove/disprove).

• Andrew has been living and working in the Algarve for 15 years where he owns a property. During this time he did not keep any property in the UK and only visited briefly. He will now start to carry out consultancy work in the UK for one week each month and has signed a long-term lease on a flat so he has somewhere to stay. He falls under the Arriver rules and can spend up to 119 days before being liable to UK tax on his worldwide income. He might be liable to UK income tax on the consultancy work undertaken in the UK.
• George is a retired divorcee who owns property available for his use around the world, including London. He spends time in all these countries as well as sailing around the Caribbean. However, he spends more time in England than any other single country and has young children who live with their mother in the UK. He has three connecting factors (UK accommodation; family in UK; more time in UK than any other country) and as a Leaver will be UK tax resident if he spends more than 44 nights there.

The above examples are simplified and you will need to understand exactly how each of the connecting factors work and the number of days you can then spend in the UK to establish your specific situation.

Remember that you will also need to take your local residency rules into account. It is important to seek advice on your personal situation from a firm experienced with international tax residency issues such as Blevins Franks.

Contact details: Article written by Blevins Franks.

To contact Blevins Franks for additional information go to: www.blevinsfranks.com or call them on 0044 (0)20 7336 1116 or email taxadvisoryservices@blevinsfranks.com

The Residence at the award-winning Gwel an Mor resort in Portreath

Combining leading-edge sustainable design, a boost to the Cornish economy and a shared ownership model which makes 5-star living more affordable, The Residence at the award-winning Gwel an Mor resort in Portreath is an exciting new development designed in harmony with its own and the wider environment.

Green: Each retreat uses timber from sustainable forests, provides hot water courtesy of a heat pump and is fully insulated, delivering energy efficiency to Government code level 4 – 44% better than 2006 BRE (Building Research Establishment) requirements. By swapping flights abroad for holidaying in the UK, owners will also be reducing their carbon footprint.

Affordable luxury: Hot tubs, plush furnishings, scenic views of rugged Cornwall, plus the trappings of a hotel – food delivered from Gwel an Mor’s exclusive restaurant and everything cleaned and ready for your arrival – made affordable thanks to the shared ownership model, where up to 12 people own a piece of the freehold title.

Boosting the local economy: Cornwall has two problems: one that its reliance on tourism leaves its economy struggling in the winter months and two, that a high proportion of housing stock, as much as 60%*, are second homes, and this bumps up prices for locals. The Residence combats both of these issues, employing local staff year-round and providing plenty for guests to do when the sun’s not shining, while delivering an affordable solution for people looking for a second home and one that doesn’t affect local housing.

Year-round destination: With a wood burner to keep warm, a club house with swimming pool, spa and gym, a farm and The Terrace restaurant, The Residence offers something at any time of the year. Soon owners will also be able to enjoy tennis courts, 9-hole golf, fishing lakes, a rock climbing wall, indoor children’s and teenagers entertainment centre, event venue and equestrian school.

Investment opportunity: This is not a timeshare, buying into The Residence means actually owning a slice of prime Cornish real estate which owners are free to sell, transfer or bequeath at anytime.

*Office of National Statistics

For more information, go online at: www.ecoholidaylodges.com

London

£125,000

Royal Albert Dock Hotel, London

Obviously this sort of money will not buy you a penthouse flat in London, (Lonely Planet’s Top Destination for 2012), but if you are looking for a double digit return from a UK property investment then take a look at the Royal Albert Dock Hotel operated under the Holiday Inn Express brand.

Available at pre-launch prices, 22% below independent RICS valuations, the Royal Albert Dock Hotel capitalizes on the thriving London hotel market which PricewaterhouseCoopers identified as the best in Europe in 2010.

Located at Royal Albert Dock, just minutes from the financial centre of Canary Wharf and the entertainment hubs – the O2 arena and ExCel exhibition centre – the hotel should attract both business travellers and tourists alike and for a limited time is priced at £125,000 for a suite (with VAT paid by the developer). Investors can expect 7.5% NET yield rising to 10.5% by year five and up to 50% non status finance is available.

For more information contact Property Frontiers at www.propertyfrontiers.com.

Spain

Under £192,500

Mallorca

On the Balearic Island of Mallorca in Spain, leading house builder Taylor Wimpey España is marketing Phase III of Cala Magrana. This development has direct access to the sea, close to superb golf courses and is five minutes from the unspoiled fishing village at Porto Cristo.

Just 20 apartments have been released on Cala Magrana and they are likely to sell fast. All apartments are being built as two-bedrooms with air conditioning, designer brand fixtures and fittings and a sea view. All this for a price of just under £192,500 + VAT.

Contact Taylor Wimpey España at www.taylorwimpeyspain.com for more information.

France

Just over £144,000

The Village, a new active-living development in France

In the Dordogne, a brand new active-living village is being created. This ‘village’ is for those over 50 who want to live in an environment where every day was made for living.

A log cabin or resort style home will be built to the highest standard. With stunning views over the Dordogne and Vezere valley, owners will be able to enjoy the finest horse riding in France plus walking, cycling, canoeing and golf. And for the more adventurous, activities such as potholing, hot air ballooning and even hang gliding will be available. Or for a quiet day there is excellent fishing in the private lake.

The Village will also offer other entertainment, culture and sporting activities as well as superb on-site amenities such as tennis courts and indoor pools. Prices start from just over £144,000.

For more information contact The Villages Group at www.thevillagesgroup.com

Turkey

As little as £57,750

Istanbul

Turkey continues to be a good investment and the wise money is being spent in Istanbul where there is an acute shortage of rental property. Completed in January 2011 Kensington Residence comprises 1-, and 2-bedroom apartments in seven blocks of seven floors each. The properties have a very modern design and the very best in luxury on-site facilities.

Kensington Residence is located in the western suburb of Beylikduzu which has one of the strongest growth scenarios within Istanbul due to its proximity to the city centre. This is combined with the benefits of living in a well serviced environment away from the over-crowded city centre.

Price indicators show 30% growth on current projects from off-plan to completion in 18 months. A one-bedroom apartment will cost as little as £57,750 and 2-beds for just £95,950.

For more information contact Property Frontiers at www.propertyfrontiers.com.

 Albania

Under £205,000

Lalzit Bay, Albania

For an alternative European investment then you might like to consider Albania. There is a strong likelihood that property bought now will enjoy big returns as this country establishes itself as a global tourist hub.

The Adriatic resort occupies a fantastic position in the centre of the unspoiled natural beauty of Lalzit Bay. The resort is just 30km from the international airport with direct flights across Europe and 30km from the cosmopolitan capital of Albania – Tirana.

The resort will benefit from a beach club, sports and tennis club, indoor hydrotherapy pool as well as more traditional indoor and outdoor infinity pools situated around the resort. Shops and boutiques catering for all tastes and an excellent selection of restaurants are on-site offering a range of different cuisines.

For more information contact Lalzit Bay at www.lalzitbay.com.

A technician fitting solar panels

Most of us know about the environmental and energy saving benefits of renewable technology and we’ve heard there are grants available to homeowners to help fund their installation, but how can be we be sure that ‘green’ improvements will be carried out safely? Cathryn Hickey, from the National Skills Academy for Environmental Technologies, provides tips on how to pick the right installer.

“With a range of incentives to heat and light your home without fossil fuels – the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) for off-gas homeowners, Feed in Tariffs (FiTs) giving cash-back for green electricity and the soon to be introduced Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) – now is the time to consider technologies such as solar thermal, heat pumps or micro-wind turbines.

“As with all home improvements, it can be a time-consuming and head-scratching task to select a reputable and reliable tradesperson that you can be confident will treat you with respect, recommend the appropriate products for your property and carry out the job efficiently to ensure your safety and wellbeing.

“A key consideration is that, to access any of the Government grants and payback schemes, you must select an installer and equipment that has been Microgeneration Scheme (MCS) accredited. Its website, www.microgenerationcertification.org, is an ideal place to start your search as it contains a wealth of information on relevant products as a well as a list of approved and accredited installers throughout the UK.

“Look out for the Real Assurance Scheme logo. This scheme has been set up by the Renewable Energy Association to ensure consumers looking to buy or lease renewables in their home have a good experience. Members of the scheme have to adhere to a code of practice and be MCS accredited. More information about Real Assurance, plus details of installers in your area can be found on the website: www.realassurance.org.uk.

“The Energy Savings Trust, www.energysavingtrust.org.uk, is another source of valuable information with details of grants, tips on saving energy and recommended products – you can apply for the RHPP here too.

“To make sure the trades people you choose for any job around the home are reputable, visit Trustmark, www.trustmark.org.uk, a not-for-profit organisation, licensed by Government, to maintain standards and prevent rogue traders. Trustmark-registered workers will have met the scheme’s stringent criteria giving end-users peace of mind. Through the website you can find tips to spot a good tradesperson, plus search for Trustmarked businesses in your area.

“Going down the renewables route will save you pounds on your fuel bills if they’re installed correctly; badly fitted equipment won’t meet energy efficiency claims and may even be dangerous, plus without an MCS accredited installer, government funding won’t be accessible.”

The National Skills Academy for Environmental Technologies (www.nsaet.org.uk) delivers government approved, MCS-recognised training for renewable installers, as well as a qualification in understanding the principles of low carbon equipment for anyone interested in making a move to greener alternatives, such as homeowners, house builders and specifiers.

Phil Spencer from Location, Location, Location

Phil Spencer from the hugely successful TV series, Location, Location, Location is releasing two videos from a series of four with each looking into different aspects of buying and selling property.

In this video, Phil looks at the rise of gazanging – a new phenomenon in the property market where sales fall through due to sellers changing their minds and deciding to stay put.

Phil will be providing his advice on avoiding this and staying stress free when buying or selling. Volatile house prices and a lack of homes ‘for sale’ are driving a new property market phenomenon – gazanging.

New research from property legal website In-Deed suggests that more than 54,000 home buyers (19%) had sales fall through in the first half of this year because sellers changed their minds and opted to stay put.

This represents a 20% increase on the past half year, with gazanging now more likely to affect buyers than gazumping, which plagued the market during the last property boom.
Uncertainty about the property market and an under-supply of suitable homes are major drivers of gazanging, according to the findings, which also found that inefficient legal processes are exacerbating the problem.

More than a quarter (28%) of sellers who opted to stay put say that they could not find a suitable property to purchase. This is borne out by market data, which shows that the number of transactions has declined by a quarter in the last 12 months.

Many gazangers also appear to be getting ‘cold feet’ due to concerns about the market – with almost one in eight (12%) saying they changed their mind because they were unsure about what would happen to house prices.

Frustrations about the home-buying process – and particularly the legal side – are also contributing to the problem, with nearly one in six (16%) saying they were ‘fed up’ with delays and complications.

The study was commissioned by In-Deed, a new service that takes the stress out of the legal side of home-buying using web and mobile technology to let users track every stage of the process. The service can be found at www.In-Deed.net.

Lower Slaughter is typical of the most attractive Cotswold villages

“If you’re thinking of moving to the country, you should definitely consider the Cotswolds.  This picturesque region offers a wonderful way of life, a safe environment to bring up children and is just an hour or so from London.  We have excellent schools and colleges, and for the ‘grown ups’ there’s no shortage of Michelin star restaurants and excellent gastro pubs, making this a highly sociable foodie’s paradise,” says Sam Butler, senior partner at Cotswolds property specialists Butler Sherborn.

“Many people find that once they move to the Cotswolds, they never want to move again.  Some families have lived in the region for several generations, while newcomers soon appreciate the community spirit and openness of the villages.  In recent years, celebrities have caught on to the quality of life and relaxing nature of the area, only a short commute from London, with famous artists, authors and stars of stage and screen establishing young roots in some of its finest old properties.

“Whether you buy a cosy cottage or a rambling rectory, it’s possible to live very well in the region, as Cotswold Life magazine proved at its recent Food & Drink Awards” .  Sam adds: “There are so many opportunities to get to know people and make new friends, and perhaps not surprisingly, much activity focuses around food and food-related events.”

Two typical Cotswold properties are:

2 Hartley's Barn is a converted Cotswold barn

2 Hartley’s Barn is a traditional Cotswold stone barn that has been sympathetically converted by Newbury developers Rivar, to offer a spacious and well presented home. Accommodation includes a kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, cloakroom, sitting/dining room, master bedroom with adjoining shower room, two further bedrooms and a family bathroom. Local pub – The Lamb Inn, Shipton-under-Wychwood. Guide price £480,000 .

Flora's Cottage, located in the village of Fifield

Flora’s Cottage, located in the charming village of Fifield in the heart of the Cotswolds, has a number of attractive period features including exposed beams and walls. Accommodation includes a kitchen, sitting room with wood burning stove and a bathroom on the ground floor.  Two double bedrooms are located on the first floor, while a separate annex offers the option of a third bedroom or study, plus a shower room and cloakroom.  Local pub – The Feathered Nest Country Inn, Nether Westcote. Guide price £350,000.

Burford is around five miles away, Stow-on-the-Wold is six miles and Witney is 12 miles; Cirencester and Cheltenham are approximately 23 miles, while Oxford is 26 miles.  Kingham railway station is four miles, with the journey time to London Paddington around 75 minutes.The Cotswolds is located in the heart of England stretching through Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Warwickshire.  The region is the largest designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales and covers 790 sq miles.