Vivastreet blog

The new year is a good time to consider relocating

With the new year comes an opportunity for fresh starts and new beginnings, and in our previous post we showed you lots of ways you can dust off those cobwebs and kick start a brand new you.

However some of us may be considering a bigger life change than simply losing a few pounds or getting a new hairstyle. Maybe you’re thinking about a complete change of scene, and upping sticks and moving homes. Well, the new year is the perfect time to think about relocating as more people put their homes on the market once the chaos of Christmas is out of the way.

Here at VivaStreet we have a wealth of properties for sale and for rent, from tiny pied-a-terres and studios to this luxury five-bedroom house. Perhaps you have had enough of city life and have always dreamt of living near the sea. We’re happy to report that you could go and make that dream a reality with this lovely 1930’s property in Devon, complete with panoramic sea views. Or for those who prefer a more tranquil water location, then take a look at this gorgeous house which has its own canalside private mooring. Heaven!

For the more ambitious, we also have a section specially dedicated to land for sale for those looking to build their own home. If you are in the fortunate position of having a sum of spare cash you’re looking to invest wisely, you could do much worse than considering purchasing land. Take a look at our investment land section where you will see an array of different types of land for sale from building plots on the Scottish borders to cheap land in Bulgaria.

Which leads us smoothly on to the option of relocating abroad. Our overseas property selection is extensive, with properties for sale in Europe and beyond. We list a huge number of homes on the market, from farmhouses in Italy and France, to ski chalets in Austria and villas in Cyprus. This farmhouse in Brittany kills two birds with one stone, as it comes complete with an established cattery business – ideal for those wishing to relocate asap!

So what are you waiting for? You may be saying au revoir to cold Blighty before you know it!

Let VivaStreet help you write this year's New Year's Resolutions

It’s that time of year again when it’s out with the old, in with the new. The start of a new year is the perfect excuse for a spring clean in all areas of our lives. For most of us it’s time to make some changes as we resolve to get healthy, tone up that ever expanding waistline, and sort our lives out. So whatever your New Year’s resolutions are – and even if you haven’t decided what they are yet – VivaStreet is here to help you firm up your very own realistic and achievable goals for 2010.

One of the first things we all think about doing after making a pig of ourselves over the festive season, is to shed those extra pounds. Here at VivaStreet we have all manner of ideas of how you can get in shape. Perhaps you’re thinking about getting your diet in check by joining WeightWatchers. You can find your local group which meets in your area right here on VivaStreet. But the food is of course only one aspect. We need to get our backsides off the sofa too! Whether you’re into circuit training, boxing, or maybe getting yourself your own personal trainer, you’ll be tightening up that belt buckle or dropping a dress size in no time. And how about (perhaps for the more uninhibited among us!) belly dancing, or even pole-dancing! There are all sorts of ways you can get yourself looking trim.

Another thing many of us want to do with the coming of a new year is to ditch the cigarettes. Well instead of going down the tried (and often failed) route of nicotine patches, why not try hypnotherapy? It has worked for many people wishing to kick the habit once and for all. While you’re at it, you can use these electronic cigarettes to get you through the tough moments en route to quitting.

If you feel like you could do with taking a look at your whole life, then have you ever thought about enlisting a life coach? By having a few sessions with one could really help you identify and unlock any issues you have been having, and give you some tips as to how to improve your life.  But if all that’s a bit much, then you could begin with some self-help books to get you started.  This self-help e-book is a great way to begin exploring for yourself whatever stresses have been getting you down.

And finally, the new year provides the perfect reason to give yourself a kick-start and learn a new skill. How about brushing up on your IT know-how by taking  a computer skills course? Or how about French or Spanish classes? Check out which courses are being run in your local area and you’ll be Parlez-vous-ing francais before you know it, and speaking like a native in time for 2010’s summer holiday!

So however you want to improve your life, just remember that there’s no time like the present, and that you will always miss 100% of the opportunities you don’t take!

Grab yourself a hat and scarf to stay warm this winter

We’re all feeling the cold here at VivaStreet as the weather has suddenly plummeted and a seriously chilly spell has taken over the country. It even looks like we may be in for a white Christmas!

While we’re all trying to keep warm and avoid coming down with the sniffles, we still want to look stylish in the big freeze. So instead of digging out your holey old winter woollens from the back of the wardrobe, why not take a look at our large selection of winter wear to help get you through this cold snap.

We’ve got everything to help you feel cosy, from cashmere scarves for your extremities to this gorgeous thermal vest for what’s underneath.

You can’t help but feel toasty in one of these gorgeous fleeces, but how about a sheepskin coat? No longer the reserve of dodgy car salesmen from the 1970’s, they can’t fail to keep you warm and they guarantee to make you look stylish at the same time.

Ski gear is the perfect way to make sure you don’t catch cold when the temperature drops, and despite its name it doesn’t have to be reserved for the slopes. Check out this ski jacket, for example, which promises to keep you warm without looking out of place while you’re wandering along the high street.

Meanwhile, let’s not forget our feet! You can’t go wrong with Ugg boots to ensure your tootsies don’t freeze. Even though they’ve been around a few years, they’re still all the rage and look so stylish with jeans, leggings or a skirt. But this year why not check out the latest line in Uggs….. cardy Uggs. A cardigan for your feet = perfect!

But this cold weather isn’t just affecting our own bodies. Don’t forget poor little Fido, who wants to keep warm this winter too! Have a look at these cute little dog coats and make the pooch in your life happy.

Hopefully this cold weather will be gone as quickly as it has arrived. In the meantime, wrap up and stay warm!

This Christmas hamper would make the perfect festive gift

Christmas is about many things; giving and receiving gifts, singing Christmas carols, spending time with the relatives and watching yet another James Bond film being just some of them. Well, there’s one thing the festive season most certainly is about, and that’s eating! Yes, it’s that time of year when most of us have to resort to loosening the belt buckle by a notch or two after some serious over-indulgence.

If you’re the unlucky one lumbered with the task of having to cook for the extended family on Christmas day and you’re dreading the thought, then don’t despair. VivaStreet is Santa’s very own little helper, and can advise on everything from where to buy turkeys, to how to cheat and buy a ready-made Christmas cake! It’s your veritable one-stop Christmas food shop!

We have some gorgeous luxury hampers on offer, which would make the perfect gift and guarantee to keep the family quiet for several days. They contain all the Christmas essentials, from cranberry sauce to Christmas pudding, and come as a fantastic reusable woven wicker basket.

If you need a little bit of guidance on how to rustle up the perfect festive feast, then why not pick up this Gary Rhodes cookbook, which is full of tips on how to impress your guests. Of course you can use it long after the Christmas season has passed.

Admittedly, even with the help of dear old Gary Rhodes, some of us just aren’t as au fait in the kitchen as we would like to be. We don’t know about you, but here at VivaStreet the mere words ‘dinner party’ are enough to get us into a tizz! But yet again, there’s no need to panic. VivaStreet has just the thing. Have you ever thought about what it’s like to hire a chef? This could be the answer to your prayers – let them sweat over the Christmas spread while you sit back and relax with your glass of mulled wine. We love this idea too – cookery class gift vouchers. They make the perfect Christmas present for a loved one who has always dreamed of being able to cook like a pro.

But let’s not forget one of the most important things…the grog! Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without some mulled wine, and Santa will never forgive you if he doesn’t get his annual glass of port or sherry. VivaStreet’s food and wine section has endless ideas for what booze to fill up the cupboards with. This case of wine, for example, will keep the family happy until the supermarkets re-open.

So make the most of the opportunity to over-indulge before you make your New Year’s resolution to lose those extra pounds. Bon appetit!

You don't need to build a huge wind turbine to save energy in your home

The Climate Change Conference is going on in Copenhagen as we speak, where world leaders are gathering together to discuss setting targets for cutting carbon emissions in order for us to clean up our act and save the planet.

There is much that should be done on a national and international level, but there is also a lot that can be done on a smaller scale, and that starts with each and every one of us making changes in our own homes.

As well as small things like turning off lights in empty rooms, using energy saving light bulbs and taking showers instead of baths, did you know that there are ways we can actually CREATE our own energy in order to help the planet?

Probably the most well-known methods of creating energy are wind and solar power. But don’t worry, you don’t need to set up huge wind turbines in your back garden to get started (the neighbours probably wouldn’t be too impressed anyway!) First of all, making your own solar panels is surprisingly easy. You can easily start generating energy in your home by placing some simple solar panels on your roof. Get your hands on this step by step guide to see what we mean.  And did you ever think you would be able to build your own electricity generator? Well, it’s not as difficult as you might think. You can choose between solar or wind power, or both, and can work towards one day ‘unplugging’ your house from your electricity supplier, and generating all of your own energy. And we’re talking renewable energy here, as it’s straight from mother nature herself. Imagine being able to save money AND save the planet at the same time!

But it’s not all about solar or wind power. Did you know that you can also create electricity to power your home by using magnets? We have guides on the site on just how to make your own magnetic power generator, which create free energy and don’t require a resource like wind or solar energy to function.

So if you feel like you’d like to give renewable energy a go, but just want to test it out on a small scale first, then take a look at these solar powered garden lights. They recharge by sunlight during the day and then contain enough energy to switch on at dusk. Impressive stuff!

Clearly there’s no time like the present for each of us to do our bit to fight global warming, and that means starting by saving, and even creating, energy in our own homes. There’s plenty that we can all be doing to cut our fuel consumption, which is not only good news for the planet but also great for our wallets too!

Property tenants choose ‘temping’ over renting

We’re witnessing a new trend within the property market which is impacting on landlords and tenants alike.

The so-called weekday renters, or ‘tempers,’ are those for whom the daily commute to work has become a bit too much of a drag. Perhaps the journey is a little too long or expensive, public transport is too unpredictable, or even long working hours are making the journey home at the end of the day almost pointless. Whatever the reason, property owners across the country are seeing a surge in demand from professionals looking to rent a room from Monday to Friday. Landlords are cottoning on to the idea, and have started to make available weekday rooms for those looking for a place to crash after a long day in the office.

As people choose to hang on to their jobs, at least until the recession is thoroughly behind us, property ‘temping’ is becoming a great option for those who, faced with a significant daily commute, want to spend a little less time staring out of the train window. It’s worth bearing in mind that flatshares have come a long way from the outdated notion of having to pay over the odds for a thin-walled dingy bedsit, and in fact they are increasingly becoming the smart choice for professionals. Luckily here at VivaStreet we have a number of flatshares to suit every budget and location.

As well, why not explore whether your budget stretches to renting a property on a more full-time basis, in case long working hours on a Friday (or even after work drinking!) make the idea of sleeping over close to work a little more appealing, and a lot less tiring.

And finally, for those for whom even a weekly or fortnightly commute is still too much, then don’t forget we have a huge amount of properties for sale if you’re considering upping sticks completely.  It’s clear that whatever your budget, location or working situation, VivaStreet has a range of options to suit your needs, so there’s no need to put up with an exhausting daily commute any longer!

VivaStreet helps you find the perfect affordable Christmas gifts this year

This year we’re all feeling the pinch a little more than normal, and the majority of us are not looking to be uber-extravagant with the Christmas gifts. This is especially the case as we still have to buy presents for the whole family, including brother Ben, sister Emily, Mum and Dad, old Auntie Maude and Spot the dog… So why not let VivaStreet do the hard work for you in suggesting the top ten affordable Christmas presents to get your hands on this year.

1. First of all, we’ve got loads of cheap Nintendo on offer, and it’s the perfect gift to bring the whole family together and have fun. Get your hands on the Wii Fit so all the family can start to work off those one-too-many mince pies!
2. Brother Ben will just love this Canon EOS 35mm camera, complete with accessories including flash, zoom lens and carrying case.
3. This cool go-kart will be perfect for little Harry to show off to his friends, and will provide many years of fun, lasting him until he’s about 12 years old.
4. Why is is that all boys dream of being rock stars? Let cousin Jack indulge his musical fantasies with this fantastic second-hand drum kit…although the neighbours may not be so pleased!
5. How about treating your sister to a piano lesson gift voucher? You know how she has always dreamed of playing along to her favourite tunes. Choose from a range of instrumental and singing teachers and give the gift of a lesson for Christmas.
6. After working hard to cook Christmas lunch for the whole family, Mum definitely deserves some pampering. You’ll be forever in her good books with this cheap spa break.
7. Auntie Maude will just adore this antique tea set, in fine bone china.
8. Dad will love this! Take a look at these personalised gifts, ranging from personalised magazine and newspaper covers, to fantasy images, where, by simply emailing in a photo of your Dad, you can have him transformed into a Medieval knight, a footballing legend, or a Star Trek captain!
9. Perfect for uncle Pete, this “Really Stupid joke book” is  only £3!  If it’s all getting a bit tense being stuck in the same small living room as the entire family, then let Pete break the tension with this collection of silly jokes.
10. And finally not forgetting the pet pooch, Spot, because it’s his Christmas too. He wants to look cool among his doggie chums in the park, so why not treat him to some professional grooming from this mobile dog pampering service.

Happy Christmas shopping!