South Wales Echo

Moving On Up

Home Front

To rent or not to rent? Surprisingly, there is no legislation requiring letting agents to belong to a professionally recognised and accredited body that adheres to a code of practice, to ensure you receive a fair and correct service and a redress scheme if problems arise. An increasing number of sincere tenants and landlords are losing out to these cowboy agents in the following ways: 1. Loss of funds through a lack of client money protection.

Spacious Self-Build with Channel Views

Retired tanker driver Tony Francesco and his wife Linda love their home so muchthat they switchbedroomsfrom time to time. The couple, who have renovated houses throughout their life, completed their first new build nearly two years ago.

The Kitchen's the Hub of the Home ; Property Matters with Martin Roberts

Martin's weekly tip: Guidance on effective kitchen design. I bet if I were to guess which part of your house you spend most time in, it would be the kitchen. And that's not because you're a budding Gordon Ramsay or Nigella Lawson. Kitchens nowadays have to serve many purposes - from family gathering places to kids' play areas. It is also one room that can really help sell a property - get it rightandyou'lladdthousands to the value.

Palazzo Pants - the Trouser of the Season ; What's Hot On the High Street

Coco Chanel took a fancy to palazzo pants while cruising around the seaside resort of Deauville in the 1920s, while Hollywood stars of the '30s and '40s would lounge in them on set in between takes. In those years before Yves Saint Laurent made it permissible for women to wear trousers in the city in the 1960s, palazzo pants were the go-to item for relaxed lounge wear and resort dressing. They have come and gone over the years, gaining popularity again in the 1990s, and, of course, they are b...

Company Director Sian Hale-Quant Is [ ... ]

Company director Sian Hale-Quant is often seen wearing black as it's the predominant colour in her wardrobe. The 43-year-old likes to add splashes of colour to it, and has a preferential dressing style of comfortable but smart. SNAPPED ON THE STREET She says: "I have three daughters so I like to keep up with what they're wearing. In my opinion, almost anything can look good if paired with a nice handbag. Generally, however, I buy classic investment pieces that will last - I'd rather have one ...

Be Smart, Live Smart ; Some Dates for Your Diary

Charity do alert Shake Your Boutique, a ladies' evening of shopping, cocktails, and even topless men, takes place on Tuesday February 1 from 8pm at Fat Cat Cafe Bar, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff. It's being held in aid of Cancer Research, and features three local boutiques who will be selling clothing, bags and accessories. A wide range of prizes including free spray tans, rugby and concert tickets, and a Folli Follie clutch bag worth pounds 95 are also up for grabs. Contact Beth on 07716 217 277...

Confessions of a Chocolatier ; Sharon Clifford, 37, From Llandaff, Cardiff Is a Full-Time Production Editor and a Part-Time Chocolatier After Setting Up Her Own Chocolate Business, Called Cocoa Magic.

you always been interested in chocolate? QHave A Yes of course! For as long as I can remember I have been eating chocolate. I have always had a keen interest in all food - the only New Year's resolution I have ever stuck to is to try a new restaurant every month! Q How did you get into setting up a chocolate business? AI had wanted to learn how to make chocolates for some years, but I really hadn't done anything about it until 2008.

Great British Railway Journeys (6.30pm) [ ... ]

Not Going Out (9.30pm) Lee is banished to the sofa when Lucy's father separates from his wife and moves into the flat, so he tries to patch up the marriage in a bid to get his room back. Comedy, guest starring Geoffrey Whitehead, with Lee Mack. Pickoftheday Great British Railway Journeys (6.30pm) Michael Portillo travels from Sandwich to Folkestone, visiting Walmer Castle, which was once home to the first Duke of Wellington. Emmerdale (7.00pm) Cain is furious to see Charity and Jai enjoying a...

Clearing a Blockage ; Property Posers Your Legal Questions Answered by Richard Battrick

Q There's a sewage chamber in our garage which takes three of our neighbours' sewage through pipes under our garden. When it gets flooded it has to be emptied. We seem to be stuck with the problem. A Whoever built the garage over a sewage chamber almost certainly did so in contravention of building regulations. This could present a problem if you want to sell the property.

Tax Fears Over Half a House ; Property Posers Your Legal Questions Answered by Richard Battrick

Kitchen at Heart of a Well-Loved Home

They say the kitchen is the heart of the house and that is certainly true for Sian Foley and her family. It was 20 years ago that Sian and her solicitor husband Neil moved to St John's Crescent in Whitchurch, Cardiff, and it is where they have brought up their four children. As the family expanded the Foleys decided their home also needed extending and added a large kitchen/diner onto the rear that looks out over the garden.

Lettings You Could Live Here [ ... ]

Lettings YOU COULD LIVE HERE Ideal for families Where? Carisbrooke Way, Penylan. Price? pounds 950 pcm. What does it offer? Family home in a great location. Three spacious bedrooms and family living to the ground floor.

The Cool for School ; How the Prom Dress Can Make a Lady of Yourtomboy Teenager

The school prom - a chance for teenagers to get dressed up beyond their years and dance the night away before embarking on amore serious stage in life. It's one of the biggest American imports of the last decade and it's no longer just an event to symbolise the end of secondary school. It's a phenomenon, and one where parents are prepared to pay up to pounds 700 for a dress that their daughter will probably only wear once. After all, you can't put a priceonyour little girlbeing the belle of t...

The Perfect Prom Dress ; for Every Teenage Girl Looking Forward to Her Prom Mthis Year, the All-Important Search for the Perfect Dress has Begun. Emily Woodrow H has Some Advice On How to Find It

17-year-olds. And she believes that not only is the whole prom phenomenon getting bigger and better every year, it's definitely here to stay. Shesays:"Everyschoolseemstobeinvolved,and evensomeprimary schools arenowjumpingonthe bandwagon and throwing prom-style dos for children leaving for secondary school."

Five Favourites From Dress-Stop ; Recommended by Owner Paula Abbandonato

This ultimately sexy, bandeau dress in taffeta features a stunning flamenco-style design. The skirt features densely ruched layers and a contrast print in the lining - a very dramatic addition! The bust is adorned with sequins, beads and diamant for that added sparkle. A bandeau dress in taffeta which is cut above the knee at the front and full length at the back, which trails down to the ground to form a small train - perfect for that ultimate 'swoosh' as you walk! Sequins, beads and gemston...

Preview Mogwai, Cardiff University

MASTERS of sonic reinvention Mogwai have been constantly reshaping their distinctive experimental post rock template over the course of an eventful 16-year career. Just like the cuddly character in Gremlins, who bears his teeth after dark and after which they are named, the Scottish band, pictured left, are similarly predisposed to unpredictability - albeit in sound and style. The Glaswegian outfit, consisting of Dominic Aitchison, Stuart Braithwaite, Martin Bulloch, Barry Burns and John Cumm...

Three Things You Mustn't Miss Tonight

Pupil's Name Is a Winner! ; Georgina Takes Top Prize for School

TAYLOR Wimpey has named its new development in Coity Pentref Newydd, after enlisting the help of pupils from Coety Primary School to help come up with a name that would fit in with the new development and its beautiful surroundings. Ten-year-old Georgina Coombes, who came up with the winning entry,was on hand at the development along with runners-up Rhianna Evans, 11, and Danielle Derek, nine, to receive a pounds 200 donation cheque for Coety Primary School and some Toys R Us vouchers fromTay...