Helping Innovate Property (HIP) – Blog, Housing Market News and Articles

It can be quite daunting to buy a wood for the first time. Everything related to the purchase and installation of the wood might seem very confusing, especially when some strange wood terminology shows up. Among them is one that you might come across more often: floating floor. But what is a floating floor?

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Most people prefer to work with a fresh canvas. Imagine painting your masterpieces on someone else’s painting. This is probably why brownfield sites are not the most desirable land to start building projects on, commercial or residential. Greenfield sites are a clean slate, previously unbuilt upon and typically are cheaper and easier sites for construction, but as the countryside in the UK rapidly disappears and the population increases, it is time for developers to start re-considering brownfield land.

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It’s obvious that smart home concept becomes globally popular and appealing idea. It eases our life making it more tranquil and secure. A lot has been said about the many benefits house automation brings to homeowners. But have you ever thought those smart home gadgets that gradually invade the world markets can actually help you save money and energy? Well, they really can! So, enjoy your high-tech house and avail of the clever devices you have invested in!

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Over the past five years we have seen an incredible shift towards homeowners and property developers sourcing the most sustainable and economically friendly floors for homes. Unsurprisingly this is a movement that has continued and whilst the threat of deforestation and climate change is still apparent there are many who are doing their upmost to help the environment. So how does this affect the flooring world and what steps have been put in place?

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Are you in the preparatory stages of a new build? Maybe you’re ready to bring in an electrical contractor but are worried about how they’ll fare coming up against Part L of the Building Regs? In this article, I’ll be covering how to choose an electrical contractor for a new build that will be required to pass an air permeability test.

What is Part L

In 2006 the government passed Part L of the Building Regs setting the standards for air permeability in certain new builds and extensions in the UK. The Regulation is concerned with the conservation of fuel and power through limiting heat gains and losses via the building’s fabric. Split into 4 parts the documents lay out guidelines for both new and existing buildings.
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It’s a well-known fact that a properly maintained garage can add serious long-term value to your property. However, if fallen into disrepair, or poorly insulated, garages can also act as parasites, siphoning off your fuel energy and allowing the elements in.

First Things First

Before insulating any garage, it is important to know what that garage is going to be used for. Garages can double up as workshops, exercise spaces and games rooms, offices and studios. To know what type of insulation to use it is essential to know what it will be required to do.
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We are helped out in this day and age when it comes to wanting to switch energy suppliers, but most of us are still very cynical of the whole process. Did you know it can take as little as five minutes to switch, and you could save around £200 in the process over the whole year? Think what else you could spend that money on. Home interiors? Holiday money? Clothes? For just five minutes of your time, it’s silly not to save yourself some money.

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At the end of 2015 the Daily Mail asked a simple question: Has Britain created the most efficient home?The four-bedroom home described in the piece allegedly cost a total of £15 a year to power – including heating, lighting, cooking and water – thanks to a pump for pulling in heat, solar panelling, triple glazing and other insulation.

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Top 40 accountants Bishop Fleming are calling on the government to be open and honest about its plans to reform National Insurance Contributions (NICs) paid by the self-employed.
The firm fears that the promised £145 a year saving for the self-employed from the scrapping of Class 2 NICs in April 2018 will be cancelled out by a corresponding tax rise. Whilst some will be better off, many could face an effective tax rise of up to 2%

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M&G Real Estate, one of the UK’s largest property investors, has announced that it will install the UK’s largest shopping centre solar panel system on the roof of The Galleries shopping centre in Washington, Tyne and Wear.

The system will comprise 1,317 individual photovoltaic panels, covering an area of 41,000 sq ft – equivalent to a professional football pitch – on an otherwise unused part of the centre. New technology to save 165 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually

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In the latest house price index, it was revealed that property in the UK had seen an annual price increase of 6.7%, with the average property now valued at £217,928. Naturally, with a rise in house prices will come an increase in home improvements. Recently, home services marketplace, Plentific.com, ran a survey which found that 1 in 3 renovate their property with the aim of increasing its value. As such, whether buying a new property or updating their current one, many homeowners will plan to renovate to take advantage of the increasing value. Consequently, many areas will see an increased rate of householder development planning applications being submitted to the government. Through these statistics, we can see the latest trends of home improvements in different regions across the UK.

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