Vivastreet blog

Don't end up with an old banger - do your homework!

According to the latest figures, UK used car prices have started to fall back after 11 months of continuous price rises. It appears that demand in the UK has peaked – so this is a great time to buy a used car if you’re thinking of trading in your old banger for something a little more sleek.

The UK car sector was on its knees 12 months ago, but has been buoyed by the Government’s car scrappage scheme, which incentivised car owners with a £2,000 discount off a new car if they traded-in their old car. This scheme pretty much saved the industry at a time when costs were rising, sales were falling and many car dealerships were struggling to survive. The car scrappage scheme has now been extended beyond 2009.

Evidence suggests that the scheme is slowly running out of steam, and even though the Government has just announced that the scheme will be extended, the positive impact on second hand car prices is expected to be minimal, with experts predicting that prices will continue to fall.

Which is good news for people looking to buy a quality used car. This is the perfect time to take advantage of a buyer’s market and pick yourself up a very nice motor. However, remember with any purchase, and particularly when it comes to second hand cars, it’s important to make sure you know what you’re buying – so do your homework.

Here’s a few tips courtesy of the AA, that you should follow before you commit to a purchase:-

1/ Budget realistically – don’t forget to include the cost of insurance, tax and any work that needs doing, in the price

2/ Do your homework – check out a price guide to make sure the vehicle isn’t overpriced

3/ Never view a car in the rain, in poor light or at night

4/ Ask the owner about the service history and check the service record

5/ Insist on seeing the V5 vehicle registration document

6/ Check the seller has a current MOT certificate and certificate of insurance

7/ Be careful – if a car appears just too cheap then there’s probably a reason why. Try and do a thorough check of the vehicle

8/ Check the handbook – how does the security system work? what keys come with the vehicle

9/ Test drive the vehicle before committing to buying it

10/ and finally HAGGLE… you just never know, with a little effort you could knock a big chunk of cash off the price

There really are some bargains to be found out there – and Vivastreet is the perfectly place to start your search for a second hand car , with more than 4,000 vehicles currently being advertised in our used cars for sale section. Happy hunting and good luck!!!

I don’t know about you but lately here at VivaStreet we just have no idea what clothes to put on in the morning. Hat and scarf, T-shirt and shorts, or a combination of the lot?

This changeable weather is leaving us in a clothing quandary – not that we’re complaining, mind you. This week, Britain is in for a treat, as unseasonably warm weather looks set to hang around until the weekend, with temperatures soaring to a balmy 21C across the country!

One thing’s for sure though, these warm days are unlikely to stick around for long, driving us back to our mittens and scarves before you can say Jack Frost.

Don’t worry – why not pop onto Vivastreet and pick up some bargain winter woollies in our second hand clothes section. Or if you’re looking to sell off those jumpers and shirts you’ve never worn, and free up a little space to hang the Santa Claus outfit, then we have thousands of visitors every day browsing on our buy and sell section. In fact it’s one of our most popular sections on the website!

If you’re in need of a little inspiration for your Halloween costume this year, why not take your look from the millions of Michael Jackson devotees who recently took to the streets to re-enact the superstar’s classic Thriller video? Just in time for Halloween, fans gathered in cities around the globe for a synchronised dance-off complete with fake blood, scars and ghoulish outfits.

Desperate to take the prize for best outfit at this year’s Halloween party? Well Vivastreet is creaking with spooky Halloween fancy dress outfits – you can find everything you need on our website to complete that spine-tingling look. We’ve got plenty of spooky goings-on, with everything from latex devils masks, Beetlejuice face masks, to witches hats and witches broomsticks.

Plus if you feel like showing off your dance moves by putting on your very own version of Thriller, you can always check out what dance classes are happening in your local area to brush up on your moves…

Every week seems to bring more doom and gloom where the economy is concerned and the latest unemployment figures revealed that almost 2.5 million are out of work, with 1.6 million claiming unemployment benefit – the highest since 1997.

It’s tough at the moment for those people out of work but there are jobs out there despite reports suggesting otherwise.  VivaStreet.co.uk has seen a 46% rise in the number of new full-time jobs posted on the site and that’s great news for those of you out there actively looking for work.

We currently have a huge variety of jobs on the site, both full-time and part-time positions, from childcare and nanny jobs to marketing and accountancy jobs.

For those of you specifically looking for part-time positions, in September alone, there were 2,696 new part-time jobs advertised on the website.

Also, don’t forget you can post your CV on the website for free and create alerts so that you’re the first to hear whenever a hot new job is posted on the website.

Good luck!

Over the years, London Underground’s Lost and Found department has returned some pretty unusual items to their relieved owners, including breast implants, stuffed puffer fish, a chimpanzee suit, wedding dresses, several sets of dentures, a lawnmower and even two urns of ashes!

According to London Underground, the most commonly forgotten objects last year, were books (36,852), bags (28,550) and items of clothing (27,174).

On the Vivastreet website,  we have our very own lost and found section, which at the moment seems to be devoted to reuniting  missing cats and lost dogs with their owners.

Take this ad.. the owner is offering a £1000 reward for the safe return of ‘Gizzy’

Have you seen this cat??? ***£1000 REWARD*** Lost White Cat

Still Missing – ‘Gizzy’
Male. 2 years old. Microchipped.
All white with grey marking on top of head only.
Long body / bushy tail.
Needs to be reunited with sister.
Missing from the Elburton area.

They’re the latest must have pet – the Micro pig is winning the hearts of every Brit and it’s easy to see why!!

Families have fallen in love with the Micro pig, which even when fully grown, only measures 14in tall. Even celebrities have melted at the sight of the irresistibly cute piggie… Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint has one and I give it a week before we start seeing pics of Madonna walking in Central Park with a Micro-piggie in tow!

Pigs actually make great pets, particularly for people with allergies, as their skin is similar to ours and they grow hair rather than fur. Also, despite what you may think, they are very clean and love the company of people. They are also easy to toilet train apparently!!

The only problem is, Brits are so keen to own one of these adorable Micro pigs that it’s impossible to get your trotters on one for love or money. But don’t despair…if you’re desperate to trade in your goldfish for a wee piggy, we have plenty of ads for the wrinkly snouted cuties on our Pets for Sale section of the website…. but you may have to make do with a standard sized porker, rather than one of these minature versions!

Now, if you don’t fancy sharing your living space with a pig, because let’s face it, if you live in a one-bed flat on the 12th floor of a high rise, perhaps a pig might not be the best pet to have – I hear they hate lifts…. how about buying a guinea pig instead? They’re just as cute and we have plenty of guinea pigs for sale right now on Vivastreet.

If pigs aren’t your thing, then there are plenty of alternatives to Miss Piggy on the site, and let’s be honest, how silly would your rugby playing boyfriend look walking down the high street with a tiny version of Babe scampering behind him?

Our Pets for Sale section is bulging right now with ads for dogs, cats and rabbits looking for a loving home before Christmas. We currently have 4,100 dogs for sale, 1,248 cats for sale and 362 rabbits for sale on the site, all waiting to find a new owner!