Heating system checks

Summer is drawing to a close and it will soon be time to turn the central heating back on. Before you do, make sure your heating system is checked by a gas safe registered engineer. Pukkajob plumbers in london offer highly skilled services to ensure your family and home stay safe this fall. 

Blaze in Yosemite National Park

The fire in Yosemite National Park, US is still ablaze. It started last week and is continuously getting bigger, currently at 234 square miles in size. The fire started days before a lightening storm. Because its been an extremely dry year, lacking in snow and rainfall smaller fires began and gradually increased. The fire has caused problems to California's hydroelectric generated power,  forcing $600,000 to be spent on buying power. 

A delay to small business loans

Lending plans for small businesses have been set back until 2016 because major lender, Nationwide building society have delayed their plans to help out. Nationwide is meant to act as the buffer against financial crisis. The government feel that lending to small businesses is crucial to speed up the recovery of our economy. Read full article here. 

Could London be back in a property bubble?

It is becoming increasingly harder for Londoners to get on the property ladder. Even with the aid of the help-to-buy scheme, to save up for the mortgage is taking a few years and having a shortage of homes definitely doesn't help. Read a case study about a young couple trying to save up to buy a house in london here. 

Herne Hill under water

Last week a water main burst in Herne Hill, South London affecting homes, businesses and roads. The burst main has affected Herne Hill Road, Dulwich Road and Half Moon Lane. With over 35 properties affected in the area, this has been tragic summer. Thousands of pounds of restorations need to be made to restaurants, estate agents and shops which have had to close. Read more here 

A london plumber voted the best in UK

Mr Richard who runs The Hampstead & Highgate Heating & Plumbing CO has been voted by Which? the best plumber in the UK. Its nice to see a family run business with over 20 years of experience be recognised for their hard work, honesty and professionalism. Full article here

Illegal mountain top penthouse

A doctor in China built a mountainous roof top penthouse worth 24 million dollars on top of a 26 storey block of flats. The authorities have ordered for the place to be demolished within 15 days to prove that it is a safe and stable development. Read more here

Green roof planning

10,800 new homes are being built in Barking along the Thames Gateway. A green infrastructure is being put in place, green roofs are being installed to bring back and support the ecosystem that urbanisation traditionally takes away. 

When undertaking a green roof for your property there are important factors to take in. Make sure you work with professionals and get the best advice possible and factor in the following:
- Understand the ecology of the site and its environs
- Look at the green roofs within this wider context
- Tailor the selection of planting to suit the area and species you wish to encourage

Foreign investors dominating developments in inner london

Property in london is becoming increasingly hard to afford. It appears that most of the inner London developments were bought by foreign investors, a staggering 75%  in 2012. This then leads to 1 bedroom flats being too expensive for the current leaseholders to live in, even with compensation offered to previous tenants, it is not doable. 
Read more here

Registered tradesmen london

Always ensure you hire a registered tradesman. A tradesman was jailed this month for illegally fitting a boiler to a home in Milton Keynes. After investigation it turned out that the tradesman was not gas safe registered. It is illegal to work on a residential or commercial property without being registered and could cause a great deal of damage. 

If a gas appliance hasn't been fitted properly and flues are not connected right they can leak carbon monoxide, cause fires and explosions. You must always check that the engineer is accredited and registered by asking for their ID. Find out more online via GasSafeRegister.co.uk. 

Housing construction boost

House building has increased at a super rate since June 2010. The Help to Buy scheme started earlier this year and has been a key reason in the rise and demand for new homes to be built. More info here. 

Fracking in West Sussex

Exploratory fracking may possibly start today in West Sussex. Protesters have been at the site for nine days now. Concerns are that if the site goes ahead in the search for shale gas there may be potential water contamination and environmental damage, as well as small-scale earthquakes. Read full article here.