And finally …

National Gallery Trafalgar Square London columns

Time capsule reveals donor’s true feelings

The National Gallery opened in 1838 on a site at Trafalgar Square, which at the time was considered to be the very centre of London ...
Window tax blocked up window on period property

Accidentally bought a cannabis farm?

A quick Google of "cannabis farm UK" will deliver a shocking number of news articles related to the discovery of illegal farms around the country ...
Buildings on the Portsmouth water front

Home with a view you may be too self-conscious to enjoy?

The affluent property buyers of new homes proposed in converted derelict naval gunnery buildings may get rather more of a view than they expect. Eastney ...
house built around lamp post

House built around lamp post

A housing developer who built a new build property around an existing lamppost has defended his actions after online photos of the property went viral ...
Grafitti at Kelburn Castle Largs

Tattoos decorate Chiswick home

A London artist and twenty of her friends have spent the last twenty years decorating the front of her house to represent her life story ...

Santa’s Climate Conundrum: A Meltdown at the North Pole

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the Arctic, not a creature was stirring—except for a concerned Santa, sweating in his iconic red suit ...
homes doorbells ring street view leafy shady cool houses

Here’s how to win millions with your Ring camera AND rid yourself of nuisance critters

A Surrey home owner has found a novel way of ridding his garden of nocturnal nuisances using his Ring camera system. IT expert, James Milward, ...
invasion of the giant house spider in the home

The invasion begins!

Love them or hate them, it's that time of year again - the nation's homes are about to be invaded by Eratigena Atrica (giant house ...
photo of a sheep in the middle of a field garden village planning permission

Partial victory in Clarkson’s ongoing planning war

Jeremy Clarkson has won a partial victory in his ongoing war with planners over his Cotswold Farm, 'Diddly Squat'. The farm was made famous by ...
old brickwork

Rural property with extensive grounds sells for £100,000 under asking price

What makes the owner of a rural property which comes with extensive grounds sell up for at least £100,000 less than the potential asking price? ...
roof tile property

Woman terrorised by squirrels in her own home

If you’ve never had a problem with squirrels in your home, the prospect of a bushy tailed, tufty eared Nutkin terrorising a homeowner might at ...
C&J Clark building, Street, Somerset

Woman sells home bought a century ago

A woman who has lived in the same house for 102 years has put it on the market. Nancy Gifford’s family bought the property just after ...

Tenant wanted to bare all in Manhattan

Looking for a bohemian apartment share in Morningside Heights, Manhattan? The average rent for an apartment in Manhattan, in an area close to sought after ...
roof tile property

Living alone for 50 years … but facing eviction

A petition has been set up in Herzliya, Israel, to save a modern day hermit from eviction from his home of 50 years, after authorities ...
virtual property tour

And finally … would you buy a virtual home in the metaverse?

If you're old enough to recall conversations in which you questioned the possible use of the internet, you may well wonder at the possible usefulness ...

And finally … Tylwyth teg? ti’n cymryd y Micky!

The Brondanw estate community is in the beautiful mountainous surroundings of North Wales, with views directly overlooking Mount Snowdon. The properties are clearly identifiable by ...
Strange properties on Zillo Gone Wild

Enjoy finding an interesting home on social media?

There are people who strive to create their own interesting home, while some just like to see what others have done. If you're one of ...
house drain blocked with root growth DIY project

When and how NOT to tackle a DIY project!

Home improvements are often left for the property professional and, for many people, any DIY project can be something of a daunting prospect. Plumbing, electrics ...
chimneys on large traditional property

In case you missed it – A Christmas guide to different types of chimney and how they might stop you from receiving your Christmas presents

With Christmas just round the corner, families will soon find themselves searching for turkeys, fixing broken fairy lights and using endless amounts of sellotape to ...

Estate agent seeks to sell tower

A London estate agent has written to the Tower of London to offer its selling service. Addressed to the 'legal owner', the letter said the ...
yacht to access community pub building

Pub may be saved from extinction !

If you want to nip to the pub in Inverie, on Scotland's Knoydart Peninsula in Lochaber, you'll need your walking boots. The Old Forge is ...
Oast Houses in Kent

Erroneous planning decisions used inappropriate language

A member of the planning support team, working to 'test' new planning application software, has accidentally published test planning decisions. In September, the Mid Kent ...

Facts about an old profession – from an old professional

Surveying is among the oldest professions, and dates back around at least 3,000 years to the ancient Egyptians, whose pyramids still stand today. Surveyors carry ...
Money to buy property anti-money laundering register AML

The price of property has gone mad

A Victorian wooden hut near Shaftesbury, Dorset, once used as a shepherd's hut, and now thoroughly rotten and sporting a leaky roof, has just sold ...
Houses getting smaller?

Nearly a million for Central London’s narrowest house

Nearly a million for a two/three bedroom, two bathroom terrace in Shepherd's Bush but it won't suit everyone. Why? Central London's narrowest house is only ...
Bunkers Hill in St Ives. On June 17, 1775 during the Revolutionary War (1775-83), the British defeated the Americans at the Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts)

Origins of English place names

Have you ever wondered where the name of a place has come from? Prior to the 15th Century, the majority of English place names referred ...
Harry Potter's Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry building for sale

Potterheads (Harry Potter fans) recreate Hogwarts buildings in the home

Wondering what to do this Christmas with a Potterhead in the family? You might like to join the surprising number of fans building replica sets ...
Christmas house decorations

The Christmas gifts that good taste forgot

Wondering how to impress your friends and family this Christmas in the midst of lockdowns and health worries? You’re probably wondering how to ‘up your ...
fire damaged building

House blown up in bid to remove fly

If you have a gas barbecue or use a gas canister for cooking, whether in the house or elsewhere, take note of this reminder of ...
historic england history of planning regulations

Question: What do Buckingham Palace, dinosaurs and a 1986 business park have in common?

Answer: They are all listed on Historic England's National Heritage List for England ('The List'). The List began in 1882, but only developed into the ...
image of a house kitchen mop

Sexual fantasy confusion over wrong home address

As if more evidence were needed that some very strange things happen Down Under, two men have appeared in court in Australia, after a home ...
Providing your landlord with a 'virtual' house inspection

Providing your landlord with a ‘virtual’ house inspection?

Asked to provide photos of his property to his rental agent, an Australian man has taken the opportunity to have a little lockdown fun. Tim ...

Why not use self-isolation to revive life skills?

What would you do when your radiators weren't performing well? Or you fancied a change of colour scheme in your home's front room? Or your ...

Hot Fuzz hits Derbyshire town

The town of Melbourne in Derbyshire has been accused of artificially buoying its house prices. The attractive Georgian market town lies close to the National ...

New RHS categories to reflect homes with smaller gardens

The RHS has introduced two new categories to its annual Chelsea Flower Show that will appeal to owners of property with small or non-existent gardens ...

Historic properties celebrating the evolution of Christmas

The National Trust has transformed many of its historic houses to reflect Christmas from times gone by. Travel anywhere from the 1970s back to Tudor ...

PC brigade fell Ancient Tree because of falling pine cones

An 18-metre Scots pine tree is to be killed and removed by the Church in Sussex because of the 'threat' of falling pine cones. Chichester ...

Trainspotter installs railway carriage in bungalow

A four bedroom property near Chichester, West Sussex which is currently on the property market, hides a secret unbeknownst to anyone viewing from the outside ...

Tips for taking picture-perfect photos of your home

We’re all familiar with the types of magazine or Instagram photo that make other people’s houses look attractive and spacious. We look at ways to ...

Stranger breaks in to clean home!

How often have you left home in a rush for work, wishing someone would clean it up before you got back?  That is what happened ...

Downton Abbey? More like ‘Downton Shabby’!

It isn't quite Downton Abbey, but Hopwood Hall is a Grade II* listed manor house in Middleton, north Manchester, that dates back to 1426. From ...

Could redesigned buildings really ‘solve’ Brexit?

An architectural practice has suggested it could break the 'Brexit deadlock' by proposing new designs for the building interiors and exteriors at the Palace of ...

Essex keeps America ‘on track and thriving’

Just a stone’s throw from the popular seaside resort of Clacton-on-Sea lies the village of Jaywick, a village not unlike many others along the Essex ...

Could you live in a ‘haibu’ pod?

A company in Barcelona has sparked outrage by suggesting that tiny living pods may be the answer to the housing problems of some Western cities ...

Here’s why Ed Sheeran won’t be going to the chapel to get married …

Ed Sheeran has pretty much succeeded at everything he's done in the music business. He shot to fame when, as a teenager, he independently released ...

Painting your house makes you happy (and richer)

An article about the residents of Nettleton Road in Gloucester and their brightly coloured houses went viral in April, and was shared by the Metro, ...

11-year old boy’s Camelot-style, fairytale castle

As a small child, Mark Baker would pass by the remains of Gwrych Castle in Abergele, North Wales, on his way back and forth from ...

“Don’t be afraid of the system” say Devon couple evicted from their mud home

After being ‘forced out’ of her previous rented home, Kate Burrows said her permanent flu-like symptoms were a result of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity*. Kate and ...

Church of England claims ancient rights to the underworld

A 2013 change in the Land Registration Act 2002 meant that all mineral rights must be logged with Land Registry or potentially be lost. In ...

How to own a beautifully restored home with ballroom, cinema room and six bedrooms for £2

In 2011, graphic designer Dunstan Low bought Melling Manor in Lancashire, a Grade II listed, semi-detached mansion built in 1792, for £435,000. He thought it ...

Olde Worlde village sold in Yorkshire

The village of West Heslerton, near Scarborough, has been in the ownership of one family for 150 years.  Its 84-year old owner, Eve Dawnay, died five ...
Gargoyle on building property

Gargoyle or grotesque? That’s the question

A gargoyle or grotesque is probably one of the most mysterious building features you will find, but what are they for? We look at the ...