Kirstie's Homemade Home

One of my favourite programmes on British TV is Location, Location, Location and a big part of the show's appeal is its presenters, Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsopp, who are always so knowledgeable and charming. I'm sure their friendly, light-hearted banter helps to make the property show a hit. So, when I heard about a new series presented by Kirstie Allsopp, I had high hopes that it would be another show not to miss.

Unfortunately, the series called Kirstie's Homemade Home, got off to a very disappointing start. The premise of the series is that Kirstie is going to show how she transformed an old dilapidated house in Devon (that's been unoccupied for nearly 40 years) into a home (her holiday home). And not just that but Kirstie explained that everything in the house would be either produced locally, found or created by her personally.

Well, I thought I was going to see things like painting and wall-papering and practical advice but there was none of that. Instead, we watched Kirstie as she learned how to throw a pot and blow glass so she could put her very own hand-made items on her dresser in her kitchen. Yeah, right. What about the cost of the lessons and the materials and the time to take the lessons? This is not something everyone is going to do and certainly not the first thing I think of when I'm decorating a house.

Kirstie also showed how we can drive around (in all our spare time!) and look for a skip (the British word for a dumpster) that might contain something useful for our home. Oh, and don't forget to bring along a pair of heavy duty rubber gloves like Kirstie made a point of mentioning she forgot because then she had to gingerly dig around in the skips until she found a big mirror that she was obviously delighted to find because she went to ask the owner (another bit of advice she offered) permission before loading it into the back of her car which conveniently for Kirstie, is a Range Rover so she has plenty of space for all her treasures she finds in her skip raids. I mean, really?

This is meant to be useful advice and teach us how to make a "homemade" home? Personally, if I'm looking for a bargain and something a bit different, I go to charity shops and/or jumble (rummage) sales. It's still like going on a bit of a treasure hunt but doesn't involve driving all over the place and then digging through bits of who-knows-what in a skip. Perhaps, if I just happened to see something I really liked that was in a skip, while I was out and about anyway, I might approach the owner and ask about it but I wouldn't make a special trip to look in skips. Would you?

She also visited Cath Kidston (yes, the Cath Kidston, the owner of the business selling vintage styled fabrics and dishes) and showed us her own parent's house which is a huge, gorgeous mansion but then it would be because Kirstie casually admitted that her mother is an interior designer.

I have to say that I found the whole show very irritating and ridiculous. I thought we would be watching Kirstie renovate an old house, not watching her make pottery and blow glass! And was she serious about the huge letters spelling WOW on her kitchen wall or was that a joke?

I really do like Kirstie and I love the idea behind this show but I can only hope that the next part of this five-part series is not as impractical as I thought the first part was.

Kirstie's Homemade Home is on channel 4, Thursdays at 8:00 pm. It's worth noting that the website offers more practical advice (lots of useful how to guides) than the show does. You can also find out how to rent Kirstie's home (the house featured on Channel 4's Kirstie's Homemade Home) - Meadow Gate - for a holiday. If you missed the show, you can watch it via Channel 4 Catch-Up. Did you watch the show? Did you enjoy it or did you think it was silly (as I did)?

English village up for sale - for just £22.5 million!

Last year an island was up for sale and this year an entire village in England is up for sale! An entire village, complete with two blacksmiths, a shop and a cricket club, has been put up for sale for a cool £22.5 million. Nestling in the rolling countryside of the North Wessex Downs, Linkenholt is the archetypal English village. Now, for a cool £22.5 million, it could all be yours, as the entire village – including every house in it – goes up for sale. The historic village of 22 houses and cottages is part of a 2,000 acre estate which will go on the market later this month. (link via telegraph.co.uk) Here's a selection of various photos of Linkenholt (via geograph.org): Linkenholt - Post Office & Village Shop Linkenholt - St Peters Church Cottages in Linkenholt Farmland near Linkenholt It looks very picturesque. I would love to buy the village... although there's the small matter of drumming up £22.5. Oh well. I'm sure there are still some very wealthy people around, even in these tough times so it will probably be snapped up quickly. Edited to add: A link to a map showing Hampshire which is on the south coast of England, south west of London. (Linkenholt is a tiny, remote village near Andover): Map of Hampshire

Tories launch plan to use empty homes

I've always wondered why the government doesn't make use of all the empty homes in the UK as a logical solution to the housing shortage. Well, the good news is that the Tories (the Conservative Party) have proposed plans to use the empty homes: David Cameron reveals plan to bring empty homes back to use David Cameron today unveiled details of an empty property "rescue scheme" he claimed could bring some of the almost 1 million empty homes in the UK back to use. The Conservative leader said he would change the rules governing the way housing associations spent their money to make it easier for them to buy or rent properties that were lying empty. (link via guardian.co.uk) Gordon Brown and the Labour Government should be embarrassed and ashamed about ignoring the potential of Britain's empty homes. It seems to me that not only is the Empty Property Rescue Scheme (EPR), the perfect solution to the housing shortage but it would also help prevent the increasing practice of squatters*. *when someone is occupying an empty or abandoned property which they don’t own or rent, and without the owner's permission. Related Internet Links: The Empty Homes Agency Report Empty Homes Unlocking the Potential of Empty Homes - Empty Homes Agency Blog

Most expensive property markets: London third most expensive city in world

I don't think the results of this study will surprise anyone: London is the third most expensive place in the world in which to buy property, a study claimed today. (link via independent.co.uk) Most expensive real estate markets in 2009 No surprise - Monte Carlo is No 1 in the Global Property Guide's list of World's Most Expensive Residential Real Estate Markets 2009, more than twice as expensive, at US$45,000 per square metre, as the runner up. Battling for the number 2 position are prime central Moscow and London. Prime central Moscow's US$20,853 per square metre price tag slightly outpaces core Prime London's US$20,756 per square metre, though it is fairer to say the two cities are neck-and-neck. (link via globalpropertyguide.com) Click here for the complete list

UK's new homes are 'smallest in Europe'

'Rabbit-hutch' Britain: UK's new homes are 'smallest in Europe' New homes in Britain are the most cramped in Europe with almost every other country in western Europe providing its citizens with more living space. In Denmark, newly-built homes have almost twice as much floor space as those built here in the UK. The main reason for the UK's cramped living conditions is the lack of building regulations regarding living space, according to experts. England and Wales are the only parts of Europe where house-building is unregulated by legally binding minimum space standards. (link via dailymail.co.uk) With no regulations, it's no wonder new homes are so small. And I do mean small - in most new houses, the bedrooms barely have room for a bed and little or no room for a wardrobe (closets aren't featured in British houses) and houses don't have basements so unless there is a utility room (laundry room), the washing machine is in the (tiny) kitchen. And it's not just the houses that are being built smaller, the garages are smaller too - and not big enough for a car! It's shocking that England and Wales don't have regulations for miniumum space! It means that the developers can (and do!) build very tiny houses.

Channel Island Herm is for sale

Do you fancy owning your own island? Now's your chance. Herm in the Channel Islands is for sale. It's a bit pricey, mind (£15m!) but it does have a lot to offer: The island has a manor house, a main residential property, private hotel, self catering cottages and apartments, staff accommodation, restaurants, bars, shops, campsites, a famously beautiful harbour with moorings, a pheasant shoot, school, monastery keep, celtic chapel, power station and a fire brigade. (link via countrylife.co.uk) Read more about Herm Island : "There are no cars, no crowds and definitely no stress." I bet it will sell quickly. Actually, I'd be happy visiting the island and staying in one of the lovely self-catering cottages. I'd love to hear from anyone who has visited Herm and your recommendations.