Thatched roofs have a lot of character and look gorgeous. No wonder chocolate box photographers loved them. The pictures would always depict a scene of a tranquil country cottage with a thatched roof and roses around the door. Pure romance.

Most of the thatched roof houses situated in the UK are in the County of Devon in the West of England. And the only thatched roof you’ll see if you visit London is on the Globe Theatre on Bankside. Shakespeare’s theatre has a thatched roof made from Norfolk reed with hazel spars.

Looking to replace your boiler and do you want to know if a Baxi boiler is the right choice for you and your home? As a general rule, you should replace your boiler every 10-15 years. When you have an older boiler, you’ll find that your utility bills go up, you have to call a serviceperson out more often, your radiators aren’t quite as warm as you’d like them to be, and the hot water that comes out of your tap just isn’t as hot anymore.

Below we compare the 8 most popular faraday bags & pouches that can help you block signals from your car keys and mobile phone.

If you’ve ever caught a few minutes of The Chelsea Flower Show on television, or happened upon a Homes & Gardens magazine, then you’ll no doubt have craved one of those gorgeous landscaped gardens.

There’s a growing popularity for indoor outdoor living, and this means we’re taking more care of our gardens than ever before. So if you’ve got a rather weedy lawn and some sad looking flowerbeds, you might be thinking of getting a little help.

What is the cost of new windows? What type of frame should your new windows be made from? And what style would suit your home and provide you with the flexibility, the ease of operation, and the noise & heat insulation properties you need?

Three very big questions for what is, in most cases, the most significant investment you’ll make in your home for the next few years – brand new windows.

In this article, Household Quotes considers:

• what is the cost of new windows for your home?
• should you choose uPVC, aluminium, or wooden frames?

When it comes to renovating the rear of your property, patio doors are going to be a key feature. Not only do they provide convenient access with great security, they open up the room with natural light and a garden view.

The term “patio doors” is often for any kind of door that opens onto a patio, terrace or garden area. Traditionally it referred exclusively to sliding doors, but now it often includes bi-folding and French doors too.

The type of patio door you can use will be dependant on the size of an opening, design preferences and budget.

How much do electricians charge per hour in the UK? Every electrical contracting company has its own electrician prices list for the range of services they offer. Your electrician, once they’ve qualified and they’ve undergone a number of years of on-the-job training offers you and your family a wide range of services which not only make living in your property more comfortable but which also protects them against real risks of fire and electrocution.

But the problem for many of us is that we have no idea how much an electrician will charge us for an individual job – many of us don’t really know what a fair rate would actually be. In this article, HouseholdQuotes looks at:

Damp within the house is not to be taken lightly. For a start it can be tricky to diagnose the exact cause, then you need to tackle the root of the problem.

Simply treating the symptoms is only going to mask the issue at best. Dampness is not a problem that should be neglected; it spreads and slowly deteriorates everything it works through.

If your walls are showing signs of moisture or staining, rising damp is the likely culprit. It occurs if water rises up from the ground and travels up through the wall material.

One in five Brits don’t take out insurance when they go abroad and that’s despite the sizeable number of benefits and safeguards that these policies offer to both travellers and holidaymakers.

One reason behind that might be best summed up in this Financial Times headline – “travel insurance: so complicated, you’ll need a holiday”. So, how do you choose the best travel insurance policy or best holiday insurance to suit your needs and your budget?

Best travel insurance – guide prices

Each travel insurance policy varies in both price and coverage. The current leading companies in the insurance market include:

A traditional or Lean-To conservatory is an amazing way to add a uniquely relaxing space to your home.

Whether you live in a single-storey bungalow or a modest modern home, a conservatory adds not only value but also space, at a moderate price.

With a Lean-To conservatory, you will gain additional space at the fraction of the cost of a house extension.

What is a fair price to pay for a Lean-To conservatory? What other factors affect the overall price you will pay and where can you find the most affordable and reliable tradesmen for lean-to conservatory construction? This article will provide you with the answers to these questions.

If you’re looking for an energy-efficient replacement boiler, the UK manufacturer, Ideal has a solid selection of affordable heating systems.

The best boiler for you will depend on the heating needs of your household, but your options are to choose from a combination boiler, regular heat boiler or a system boiler.

Energy efficiency is crucial in this climate of increased fossil fuel consumption.

The windows contribute about 20% of heat lost from houses with old double glazed windows.

The air gap between the sheets of glass in double glazed windows will fail over time.

Symptoms of failed double glazing include condensation on the inside of the glass layers.

Replacing all your windows is the only solution when double glazing units fail. Replacing your windows with new double glazing is an option, but for a couple of hundred pounds, you can go triple glazing.

Like council tax and the TV licence fee, home insurance is one of those items you have to spend money on—even though you might not want to. Home insurance covers you if something serious happens to your home (such as damage, a fire, or a flood) or to your belongings.

There are so many home insurance providers. It can be tough to figure out what different companies offer, how much they charge, and ultimately, choose a policy that’s right for you.

We break down the costs of home insurance, look at what affects home insurance costs, offer suggestions on how you could save money, and answer some Frequently Asked Questions.

More than half of British homes have a pet – cats are the most popular followed closely behind by dogs. They’re fun-loving, affectionate, and proper members of the family.

We feel worry and anxiety when they are ill and this is closely followed, for pet owners without insurance, with more worry and anxiety about the vet bills we incur to make them well again. In fact, according to a report in the Wall St Journal, a quarter of our cats and dogs have pet insurance taken out for them.

Replacing your existing Vaillant boiler is something you should do every 10-15 years. As time goes by, boilers get less and less efficient meaning that the water is not always as hot as you want it to be, your boiler has trouble supplying the radiator with what it needs, and your utility bills go up. What are Vaillant boiler prices, what choice of Vaillant boilers are available, and how much does a typical Vaillant boiler installation cost?

Orangeries. Even the word sounds glamorous and sophisticated. There’s something rather special to be said about having an orangery installed; it’s a talking point and it’ll certainly add value to your property.

These beautiful features are a true hybrid of an extension and a conservatory, creating a warm, sunny and light room that can be used throughout the year, regardless of the weather outside. While being far more expensive than your average lean-to, orangeries are often worth the cost and might not be as unaffordable as you first imagined. 

So, how much are orangeries? 

External doors are essential for both home security and personal comfort. Whilst they allow us to enter, unwanted guests stay locked out. They also form a vital barrier against the outside elements. This final layer of insulation keeps the warmth in and the cold out, saving on energy bills.

Whilst there are many types of doors available, uPVC doors win hands down when it comes to value for money. These “plastic doors” are the cheapest but still offer reasonable durability.

In the main, new Vaillant boilers are fairly reliable. However, owners of the older ecoTEC range have been known to experience a few problems with the fault code F75.

But what is the Vaillant F75 error code and how do you fix it?

This guide will explain everything you need to know.

Vaillant is a German boiler manufacturer – so you would expect their boilers to have first-rate engineering. However, that has not always proven to be the case.

In Vaillant’s defence, they weren’t actually to blame for the defects. Like most boiler manufacturers, Vaillant source mechanical parts from third-party manufacturers.

It is estimated there are around 4 million homes in the UK that do not have access to gas or electricity. A suitable alternative for people living in rural areas is to install an oil-fired combi- boiler.

Oil-fired boilers are one of the most cost-effective methods of fuelling a central heating system, although the price of fuel can fluctuate. Prices are typically 4.9p per 1KwH compared to 4.2p for gas and 16p for electricity or 6-8p on the Economy 7 tariff.

However, oil fired boilers are more expensive to purchase and install than gas or electric boilers. Estimated costs range between £4000-£5000 for the cost of the boiler and installation.

Double glazing has been the leading choice of replacement windows for years now. These days, however, secondary windows are prompting homeowners to rethink their options – and with good reason.

Secondary glazing is a cost-effective solution for insulating and sound-proofing your home. The windows are lightweight, easy to fit and do not require much maintenance.

Sliding windows may not be able to match double glazing windows in terms of aesthetics, but they do have a certain amount of charm and elegance. They are also unobtrusive and come in a wide variety of styles.

The switch to eco-friendly heating systems for your home has seen the introduction of smart thermostats. These intelligent devices reduce energy wastage and make heating your home more convenient.

Since 2011, the Nest thermostat, which incorporates Google technology, was by far the most impressive. However, the 2nd-generation Hive Active Heating manufactured by British Gas is in contention to be a serious challenger.

In this guide, we review both Hive and Nest to determine what each of the thermostats offer and which is best suited to your lifestyle.