Buying a home in the UK can be costly, there are no two ways about it. So if you are thinking of buying a new home then you need to budget for these costs. Let's have a look at some of the costs involved with buying a new home in the UK. This is an ad.

Deposit

When you buy a property, if you are needing a mortgage (a loan to buy your home) you will need to put a deposit down on the house. This could be anything from 5% to 20% or more. As you can see that's a large amount of money and it's a good idea to set up a savings account beforehand, in some cases years in advance to get your deposit ready.

Valuation Fee

The mortgage lender will assess the value of the property to establish how much they are prepared to lend you. Depending on the type of mortgage you may need to pay a valuation fee which is around £250 on average. 

Surveyors Fee

Before you buy a property it is important to get a survey done. This will show up any problems with the property such as structural damage. This can help prevent you make a mistake in buying the property but can also be a bargaining tool to get a cheaper price if there are problems. A surveyor's costs will vary depending on the type of property, its size and location and will cost anything from £350 to over £800. 

Stamp Duty

Stamp duty is a tax to the government paid when you buy a property. You pay this to your solicitor and then they pay the government for you. This applies to properties in England and Northern Ireland and is a percentage of the value over £500,000 but over £300,000 if you are a first-time buyer. In Scotland and Wales its a devolved issue so they have their own rules. 

Legal Fees

Legal fees are carried out by a solicitor or conveyancer and are typically from £500. These can be a set fee or a percentage of the property so it's best to check carefully. Local searches are also carried out and will cost another £300-£400. 

Land Registry Fees

The Land Registry keeps records of all properties in England and Wales and charges a fee for registering a new owner. This can depend on property price but it is typically in the region of £100 to £150. 

Mortgage insurance

Ensure you get mortgage protection so that if something serious happens such as death or disability then the mortgage is paid off. This is really important for peace of mind. There are two main types - Level term cover and decreasing term cover. 

Moving Costs

There are some significant costs with moving. You may want to pay for a professional cleaner to clean your old property first. Then there is the cost of hiring a removal service or van hire if you are doing it yourself. You may want to put some of your items in storage so you need to factor in that cost. Mail redirection can be set up with the Royal Mail. Check out my 9 ways to take the stress out of moving for more advice. 

So as you can see buying a new home costs a lot of money so start saving now. 

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Moving home should be an exciting and pleasant experience, free from worry or stress, and packed with fond memories. You should be able to look forward to this time, though a lot of people find themselves feeling stressed about it. I'm going to take a look at nine of the best ways to take the stress out of a move, giving you the chance to breathe easy when you go through this process for yourself. This is an advertorial.

While it may sound a little obvious, most people don’t take the proper steps to prepare when they are moving home. You need to consider every aspect of this day, making it difficult to feel confident that everything is covered. Keeping a record of your plans will make it much easier to tick every box. This can start with a simple checklist of each of the things you have to do, but you need to make sure that each element of given the same level of attention.

2: Find The Right Removal Experts

Most cities and towns are home to plenty of removals companies. This gives you access to all of the support you’ll need when it comes to moving home, but it’s worth spending the time to find an option that will be good for you. You should look at reviews for each removals company you find, making sure that other customers have had a pleasant experience with them. Alongside this, it’s also worth exploring your options to make sure that you’re getting the best deal.

3: Figure Out The Floorplan

Next, it’s time to think about your new home a little bit. Your floorplan should be available to you, and this can give you the chance to plan where everything is going to go. Each piece of furniture should have a destination, but you can go even further with this if you have the time for it, giving all of your possessions a place in your new home before you get there. This will make it much easier to create a smooth unpacking experience at the other end of your trip.

4: Buy Some Boxes

Boxes can make a huge difference when you’re moving home, but most people find that simply saving old boxes from products isn’t enough. eBay and Amazon are packed to the brim with listings for boxes that will be great for moving, and your removals company may even provide this for you. Thick cardboard is a good option, though plastic boxes will often be better for more fragile items.

5: Pack According To Rooms

With a floorplan mapped out, you can start to think about how you’re going to pack everything up. Boxes should always be assigned to rooms, ensuring that everything destined for a room is consolidated into a range of boxes. These can be labelled, and you can also prepare them for shipping by padding out your boxes. With your boxes packed like this, you will be able to move them straight to the rooms they are destined for.

6: Keep An Inventory

While having items in the right boxes will help, it can also be a good idea to make a record of which boxes your most important items go into. It can be all too easy to be stuck without something that you need when you’ve just moved home, with a lot of people having to unpack everything into a big mess. You can save yourself this pain by simply taking some photos on your phone.

7: Assign Jobs

Your removals company will do a lot of the work for you during your move, but you can pitch in and make the whole process smoother. Your family members can all get involved with this. Assigning jobs to each person ahead of time will mean that everyone can get down to business with their work in the new house without wasting time talking about it. Of course, though, you need to make sure that you don’t get in the way of the pros.

8: Give Yourself Breaks

Packing everything into a day or two for your move will leave you with very little time to think. Planning ahead will help with this, but it also makes sense to give yourself breaks throughout the day to ensure that you don’t get overwhelmed. It doesn’t always feel like you have time to take a break, but it can be well worth doing it. This sort of action can clear your head, saving you from making costly mistakes that don’t need to happen.

9: Leave Plenty Of Time

Time is always an issue when people are moving home. You will have a limited window to coordinate all of this work in, and it can be all too easy to run out of time. It’s always worth starting your packing early, booking ahead with your removals company, and giving yourself the chance to take breaks when you are moving home. If you think you’ll need a day, it makes sense to have two available, ensuring that you can’t run out of time no matter the delays you face.

Having all of this organised before the day of your move will make the whole process feel a lot smoother. You’ve got a lot of work to do before you can settle into your new place, and it’s always worth taking the time to plan it out and consider every step along the way. This post should be enough to get you started, but you still have plenty of research to do, and there’s no time like the present to take the plunge.

There is definite interest in vintage engagement rings at the moment, with people enjoying the uniqueness, the history, the heritage and beauty of a vintage engagement ring. Vintage and antique rings attract the attention of couples looking for something a little different, from the design to the diamonds set in white gold or platinum – these rings have excellent investment potential.

One reason is the price. An older ring, with an unfashionable setting, can often be sold for less than the value of the stones it contains. This is because it can be hard to properly assess diamonds while they are mounted in a setting, and removing them from it for inspection can damage the setting. This means that rings that have been sold off from deceased estates or to raise emergency funds, can be sold for less than fair market value. So, if a couple falls in love with a ring that is preloved, they could well be able to snap it up as a bargain, getting a better deal than even they know! They could then set the diamonds in their own ring, and use the gold as well to make a bespoke piece or wear the ring as it is, in its own beauty as an engagement ring.

Uniqueness

Often, older rings have been custom-designed, and will therefore be unique. This is especially true of rings made by hand, before the advent of modern technology. Many of these rings are handcrafted so you have a beautiful and different style of ring. A unique design, unusual setting, or some other quirk can make a vintage ring a one-of-a-kind proposition: perfect for a couple that feels that they break the mould in their own way!

Heritage

Sentimental reasons are another motivation for choosing a vintage ring. This is especially true if the ring belonged to an elderly relative on one side or the other. Wearing a ring that has been in the family for many years can be a way for the couple to cement their commitment to each other, an awareness that their union is meant to be eternal. If there are images – paintings or early photographs – showing other family members wearing the ring this can really bring home the sense of family and unity that are the keystones of any successful marriage.

History

A similar sense of history is often felt by purchasers, even if they are entirely unrelated to the original owners of the ring, and have no mementoes or clues as to who wore the ring last. A meaningful and distinctive engagement ring with a rich history behind it can be a treasured possession once again. This represents both a rejection of cookie-cutter newness and a celebration of survival and standing the test of time, both of which are, again, symbols of a successful union and true partnership.

As the nights draw in and the temperature drops, you’re probably looking forward to staying cosy and warm indoors. You will likely be spending more time at home than usual this winter, so it’s important to create an atmosphere that can help you to relax and unwind. With these top tips, you style your home for the season and look forward to cosy nights in and festive treats:

Updating your décor can transform your home and give it a new lease of life. From neutral paint colours to bright, vibrant wallpaper, there are endless options to explore. You can even overhaul your kitchen and bathroom without committing to a full renovation project. Grey kitchen and bathroom tile trends are popular this season, so why not add new tiling to update these key areas of your home? With fresh tiles and new accessories, it’s easy to make a room feel brand new.

Incorporate Greenery

Bringing nature indoors lets you enjoy the outside world without venturing outdoors. Greenery is a fantastic way to make your home feel alive and there are plenty of winter flowers and plants to choose from. Whether you opt for a Christmas rose and Winter honeysuckle or Winter aconites and Winter Heather, you can incorporate colour and scent which you fill your home with greenery.

Add Texture

Adding varying textures to a room can make your interior design come alive. While you can use paint effects and specialist wallpaper to achieve this, there are simpler ways to add texture to your home during Winter. Simply layering throws and blankets on sofas and across the back of chairs will give you the extra warmth you’re looking for. Similarly, new cushion covers will complement your existing decor but give each room a new feel.

Use Festive Fragrances

When you’re styling your home, you never want to overlook the importance of scent. Choosing an aroma that’s well-suited to Winter will reignite memories of Christmas past and put you in the festive spirit. Vanilla, cinnamon and pine are all top Winter scents, but ginger, clove and nutmeg are also popular. With scented candles, potpourri or diffusers, you can enjoy a subtle scent that permeates throughout your entire home.

A portable fireplace is a great way to add atmosphere and warmth to any room. Wood burners and real log fires may be picturesque, but you’ll need to have these professionally installed and situated in one location. With a portable fireplace, however, you can move it to any area of your home and create a fantastic ambience. Whether you’re entertaining friends and family or settling in for a quiet night, it will create a comfy and cosy environment for you to enjoy.

Make The Most Of The Season

Winter may bring rain, cold temperatures and dark evenings but it’s also a season that’s filled with fun and festivities. By styling your home now, you can make the most of everything Winter has to offer and enjoy the crisp air, twinkling lights and cosy nights in.

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Men today are more fashion-led than ever before and there is a real market these days for jewellery in men's fashion. However many men may still be wary of jewellery, and most want to balance the look without going over the top. The key to this, especially if you are new to wearing jewellery, or want to buy jewellery for your partner for the first time is to keep it simple and sophisticated. So let's have a look at 5 items of jewellery all men can wear.

Rings

A bracelet or bangle is thought of as a modern choice of jewellery for a man but simple chain link and curb bracelets in gold have been worn for hundreds of years by men. Some men wear bracelets as a fashion or wealth status today, with bigger gold and silver bracelets being popular in rap music for example. Bracelets can also be functional with medical alert bracelets being more stylish than ever.

Modern bracelets from a company like Treasure Bay can be made of silver, cord or leather and plaited in a design for a more casual look whilst a classic silver bangle can be masculine and stylish at the same time but still modern.

Cufflinks

If you have to wear a suit to work then cufflinks are essential to many mens' wardrobes. Cufflinks can be classic and stylish or fun and quirky to go with your personality. Go for simple silver or gold cufflinks for a standard classy choice and you won't go wrong, just be sure the cufflinks are in the metal the man wears.

Cufflinks can also be worn for formal occasions such as a wedding, a cruise, a day at the races and more. Personalised cufflinks are a great choice for a wedding or anniversary too, or what about a very special pair with a diamond design.

Necklaces and pendants

Let me know, does one of the men in your life wear jewellery?

Some hair loss is normal, but when hair loss becomes troublesome then it can really affect your self-esteem. There are many reasons for hair loss, let's have a look at some of these and what you can do about this condition. This is an ad.

What's normal?

Causes of hair loss

According to the NHS website article on hair loss, there are a number of causes to this common condition. These can include illness, stress, cancer treatment, weight loss and Vitamin D deficiency and iron deficiency. If your hair loss is bothering you, your first port of call should be to see your GP. They can examine you and check your health, with a combination of blood tests, and a physical examination.  If you are embarrassed about your baldness you can get an online appointment with a doctor through an online pharmacy. This is straightforward to do and can save you time getting a GP appointment locally.

What can a blood test show?

A blood test can show the level of vitamins and minerals in your blood. This is important as it can show your overall health level, as well as deficiencies. Vitamin D and iron have both been linked to hair loss for example. It can also show your hormone levels. Hormone levels and hair loss are linked to male pattern baldness, baldness in women and baldness related to menopause, where the pattern is thinness across the scalp, not a receding hairline as in men.

Do you need treatment?

Some hair loss doesn't need treatment and hair will grow back without intervention. Some hair loss will be a natural process of getting older as well.  If you do need treatment there are several treatments available appropriate to your condition. No treatment, however, is 100 per cent effective. 

Types of treatments available for hair loss

Hair loss solutions are available and are varied but typically include medication and steroid creams and injections. Other solutions include hair transplants and wigs as well as relaxation techniques and psychotherapy to deal with stress.

There are many synthetic and real hair wigs and hairpieces available today that are more natural-looking than in the past and that can cover hair loss. This is a real instant but temporary alternative to hair loss but does have cost implications, with real hair wigs being much more expensive than synthetic wigs. 

Some hair loss can be caused by stress. Alopecia can be triggered by stress so looking at your health and well-being and trying to reduce stress can help with hair loss. Ways to reduce stress include changing your life so the stressful thing that caused it is reduced, exercising to relieve stress and meditation, and counselling and psychotherapy. Support groups for hair loss can help your emotional well-being as well.

Conclusion

There are many reasons for hair loss but there are solutions out there that can help. Hair loss can really affect your self-esteem so be sure to seek out help if this is the case.

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If you live somewhere remote or love travelling then you may have had the odd sticky situation with power now and again. Your laptop may be flat, you need to charge your drone or you need power for your fridge for example. If you are camping, hiking, love the camper van life, road tripping or living off-grid it's always a good idea to have a backup power charger and this is where something like the Maxoak Bluetti EB150 portable power station comes in handy. This is an advertorial in conjunction with Maxoak. 

To charge your items there is a cigarette lighter 12v adapter as well as 4 USB ports too and a USBc port. This means you can charge your USB enabled laptops such as your Macbook Pro, the latest Dell or your Microsoft surface laptop.  It also has 2 AC outlets so that you can charge most of your small appliances up to a max of 1000 watts. Useful when you need to power your hairdryer, camera, drone and so on.

One of the things that can be especially useful is the ability to charge it from solar power. I mean how cool is that? As well as being eco-friendly this is an incredibly useful feature when you have no sockets to charge it. The MC4 solar charging cable is included, although you will have to buy a solar panel.