Back in 2003 Devon was voted as the best place to live in England.  Whilst this is great news for Devon there are a couple of down sides. Firstly, there is a shortage of properties available for sale and secondly, house prices in Devon have soared with the increases being among the highest in the country.

To make matters worse there is a lot of anger amongst local residents of Devon because high demand and high prices of those properties that are available to buy are pricing them out of the market. In parts of North Devon, more than four in every ten properties is a second home, with many being owned by people living in other parts of the country, particularly London and the South East.

For those interested in buying either second homes in Devon, or Devon Holiday homes, but are struggling to find available properties within their budget, then an alternative would be to consider luxury lodge. There are a lot of advantages to choosing Devon lodges including the affordable price tag, the high quality finish and luxury furnishings.

These days holiday lodges come with better specifications than a lot of houses with broadband, sky TV, spacious plots, large decked areas, paved courtyards and all year round holiday use. Better still on some of the top Devon resorts you will also be able to make use of the onsite facilities such as heated indoor swimming pools, golf courses and equestrian centres.

You will also have peace of mind about the security of your home as the resort will provide a range of security and maintenance services including a private access controlled entrance to ensure your investment is protected all year round. In keeping with such a luxury investment, you will not be responsible for chores such as grass cutting and ground care around your lodge. These tasks will all be taken care of for you so that you are free to relax and make the best of your holiday time.

All indoor and outdoor pools eventually need updating and renovating to return them to their former glory. The key is to find a pool refurbishment company that has the expertise to embrace new developments in the industry and the latest state of the art technology to deliver a renovation that will last for many years to come.

Swimming pool refurbishment is often a more involved and complex procedure than building the same swimming pool from scratch due to the nature of the original construction process and the type of filtration system that is currently installed. You should always choose a refurbishment company with many years experience.

There are many aspects of pool renovation ranging from basic cleaning to replacing  mosaic glass or ceramic tiles and grout through to a total redesign of the shape of the pool and steps. Beyond the pool itself you may like to alter or build other facilities such as changing rooms, spas, steam rooms, wet rooms and shower rooms.

There are really five main steps to successful pool refurbishment, as follows:

1. Initial Consultation – You can either do this over the telephone or ask a representative to come and meet you at your site. A follow up site visit is essential for measurements and photographs ready for the preliminary proposal of your renovation.
2. Clean – Having chosen your preferred renovation specialist the next step is to empty the water out of the pool and remove the old coping stones, tiles and loose plaster before preparing the area ready to tile.
3. Screed / Render – The area should be fully waterproofed using epoxy resin and chemical resistant paints.
4. Tiling – This is when the whole process really starts to take shape. Once all the tiles are in place the whole area should be acid washed and grouted.
5. Water – Now you can add the water and it is ready for use.

Using professional house or office clearance companies to conduct clearances has many benefits.

Why should I use a professional home or office clearance service?
You should use one if you want a highly professional, reliable, and swift service that is very competitive on price whilst most importantly, being fully licensed, insured and compliant with EU and UK legislation. You may also appreciate a professional’s commitment to delivering the most environmentally friendly clearance service available.

How is the price worked out for a clearance?
There are three factors that influence the cost. 1. The labour required. ?2. The cost of disposal and recycling of the items cleared. ?3. The resale value of the items to be cleared. Once the house clearance company have assessed the job they then calculate the price. There should be no hidden extra costs.

Why can’t I get an exact price over the phone?
Until the house or office clearance company can asses exactly how long the job will take, what if any residual value there is, and what our recycling / disposal costs are going to be a precise quote cannot be given.

What sort of furniture and effects have a value?
Antiques, art, collectables and high quality designer furniture are the items that have enough resale value to offset against the costs of clearance. The office or house clearance company should make sure good quality second hand furniture finds a home, but it usually doesn’t have much value. The service provider should however be happy to give advice on how to sell second hand furniture in cases where they think someone else may pay more than they will. They also help you get it reused by recommending local free-cycle initiatives.

What happens if there is more or less stuff in the house than we estimated?
For a variety of reasons the size of the clearance can change right up to the last minute. This is always understand this and simply adjust the price accordingly.

What happens to the contents once removed?
Every effort is made to ensure everything that can be reused and recycled is reused and recycled. Most clearance companies say this and should carry it through.

Does a clearance company clear rubbish as well as furniture?
They should do including all general domestic and office waste, including rubbish, fridges, tyres, biomass, etc.

Is there anything they can’t clear?
Most house and office clearance companies cannot clear hazardous materials such as paint, noxious chemicals, solvents, asbestos and medical waste. The  local authority should be contacted to get a list of recommended local hazardous waste carriers.

Would I have to be at the property whilst the work is done?
No. So long as the clearance company have access to the property, in normal cases they can go ahead. It is often the case that keys are collected from a local estate agent or neighbour, for example. When not present, it is extremely important to know in writing if anything is not to be removed, and it has to be clearly identifiable (preferably clearly labelled).

Should the clearance company be licensed and insured?
Absolutely. They should fully insured to carry out all the aspects of house and office clearance services and should be licensed by the Environment Agency as waste carriers.

Can they take stuff to a charity shop?
They should offer this service and also should a requirement for furniture etc to be delivered to friends, family or into storage, they should off a man and van service for this which would be factored into the overall cost.

Would they clean the property once it has been cleared?
Standard practice is to sweep through the property. However if the property has been requested to be more thoroughly cleaned, the house or office clearance company should provide options such as hovering and wiping down to a full spring clean service.