Running a Home
Household emergencies and the first ten minutes
Water, gas and electricity failures cause most of their damage in the period before anybody knows where the shut-off is.
Running a Home
Maintenance, service charges, bills and the cost of ownership after completion.
20 articles · updated August 11, 2026 · page 2 of 2
Running a Home
Hiring a builder without losing control of the job
The problems on domestic building work are usually about scope, sequence and payment rather than about craftsmanship.
Running a Home
Extending a house: the costs you cannot see on a drawing
The build cost per square metre is the part everybody quotes. The professional fees, connections and making good are the part that…
Running a Home
The cost of a garden, honestly counted
Outside space is priced into the purchase and then costs money every year. Some of it is discretionary and some of it is not.
Running a Home
Water, meters and the bill you can actually change
Water is the household bill people examine least and can often influence most, because the charging basis itself may be a choice.
Running a Home
When a managing agent underperforms
Leaseholders pay for management and often have rights over how it is done. Using them starts with documents rather than complaints.
Running a Home
Service contracts, warranties and what they really cover
Cover for boilers and appliances is insurance sold as convenience. Whether it is worth buying depends on the exclusions rather than…
Running a Home
Solar panels on a house you might sell
Panels are a long-term investment on a building you may not own for their whole life. How they are owned matters as much as how…