Some top tips and our new branch opening!

We start this month's newsletter by sharing the opening of our brand new office in central West Bridgford! Find out more below with a first look of our new branch.

Next we provide our top tips and insight to help guide you during this time. First we share a step by step guide on how to make your own face mask in line with the new government advice. Elsewhere we consider how financial services have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and what that means for mortgages, and ways that you can increase your kerb appeal if you are thinking of selling.

To end our newsletter we feature our top pick of outdoor spaces in Nottingham. We hope you enjoy this months edition.

Holme Pierrepont Country Park

The car parks at Holme Pierrepont Country Park will reopen to the public from 16 May. Holme Pierrepont has beautiful nature trails and lakes. Social distancing guidelines should be followed when visiting the park.

Click here to read Holme Pierrepont Country Park.

Rufford Abbey Country Park

There is plenty to explore here with walks through the native woodlands, a lake and gardens. The car parks are open to the public from 16 May. Social distancing guidelines should be followed when visiting the park.

Click here to read Rufford Abbey Country Park.

Bestwood Country Park

The 650 acres of Bestwood have a richly varied landscape, wildlife and industrial heritage. The car parks are open to the public from 16 May. Social distancing guidelines should be followed when visiting the park.

Click here to read Bestwood Country Park.

Coronavirus' affect on financial services

What is happening to borrowing rates?

Financial services, like all other business sectors, have had to make changes to respond to the current health pandemic’s effect on the economy. Less people spending money has caused financial services to make adaptations necessary to prevent damage to the financial market. The Bank of England has cut the base rate to a record low of 0.1% to reduce the cost of borrowing for consumers and minimise disruption over the coming months. This is the Bank's lowest ever interest rate in its 325 year history.

What does this mean for mortgages?

Mortgage rates are falling in line with the cheaper cost of borrowing. Although new mortgage applications are mostly on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions, those with existing mortgages should consider switching to a different offer; as they could access some great deals!

What mortgage deals are available?

Mortgage lenders are starting to bring new deals to the market for both fixed rate and tracker mortgages. Experian have launched a user-friendly remortgage calculator to support customers in the search process for the best deals on the market. They have also stated that using this will not impact on credit scores.

The greatest saving can be made for those who already own large amounts of equity on their homes, or those that have put down large deposits. However, that should not stop you from considering a new mortgage deal.

How long does my mortgage offer last?

Usually, a mortgage offer is valid to you for three months. This is from the date that the offer was made to you, up when you take the funds. However, within the current conditions, lenders are offering an additional three-month extension to their offers.

How to increase your kerb appeal

With us all spending more time at home, it is an opportunity to pay closer attention to our homes where we usually don't have the time to. Especially the front of our homes! Making a good first impression is key when presenting your home; and the first thing potential buyers see is the front of your house. The homes that perform the best are the ones that can grab the attention from the off, and thankfully, maximising your kerb appeal doesn’t have to break the bank! So we've included some tips below:

1) Front and centre

The front door is always a good place to start, especially as it’s one of the first things that people see when it comes to your home. UPVC doors can be cleaned easily enough with the right product, and if you’ve a wooden door, why not consider a fresh lick of paint? You can also bring your garage or front gate into the equation for a bit of colourful synchronicity.

Giving your letterboxes and door handles a polish shows good attention to detail, but if they’re looking a little tired, don’t be afraid to replace them.

2) Plot your path to success

The path to your front door or outdoor paving stones can get dirty with ease, so applying some TLC, whether that’s with a pressure washer or a good ol’ bucket of warm water and a scrubbing implement will instantly help your outside space.

If you have paving stones, then keeping your weeds in check is also a shrewd move; pulling out the weed killer for large front porches, paths or driveways will make things look far neater.

3) Plant an impression

A simple touch, but an effective one. Adding some greenery around your front door suggests to the naked eye that you take care of your property and look after your home, so look into some potted plants to go outside your front door. Hanging baskets are another option if ground space is limited.

4) Window dressing

The windows on your front room are another area where little touches can make a big difference. Keep on top on cleaning your curtains and blinds for a tidy appearance, and also the inside of your windows. If your windows aren’t providing you with enough insulation, you could even look at replacing them altogether in the future.

5) Night Lights

Finally, take a look at the area around your front door at night and imagine how much more welcoming it could be with a bit of light. A solar-powered light is easy to install, charges itself during the day and won’t cost you extra in your bills! If you have an outdoor power supply this will help if you’re looking to install something akin to a classic-style lamp, but you needn’t go overboard.

How to make your own face mask at home

As the country enters the next stage of its strategy to ease the lockdown restrictions whilst preventing the spread of Coronavirus, the Government has issued new advice to the public on how to stay safe whilst in public spaces (such as shops and pubic transport). The Government has asked people to wear face masks to cover their nose and mouth where social distancing is not possible. This advice has been detailed in the Government Covid-19 recovery strategy, detailing its plans for lifting the UK out of lockdown; which can be viewed here.

To prevent any additional pressure to the NHS in obtaining crucial PPE supplies, the Government has issued instructions on how to make your own facemask at home, by simply using elastic bands and some cotton fabric or even just an old T-shirt. Your face mask should be worn so that you can breathe comfortably whilst covering your nose and mouth. You should sanitize or wash your hands before putting it on and taking it off, and you should wash your face mask regularly. We share how to make your own face mask at home below*:

Making a face mask using an old T Shirt

You will need:

One old T-shirt that you no longer want
Scissors

Method:

Step 1: Cut a straight line across the width of the T-shirt (front and back) approximately 20cm from the bottom of the T-shirt.

Step 2: From a point 2cm below the top right-hand corner of the fabric, make a 15cm horizontal cut through both sides of the fabric that is parallel to the top of the rectangle.

Step 3: Cut down towards the bottom of the fabric until you reach approximately 2cm above the bottom edge. From here, make another 15cm cut that runs parallel to the bottom of the fabric to make a rectangle that can be discarded.

Step 4: To make the ties, cut open the edge of the 2 long strips of fabric. Unfold the main piece of fabric and place over the mouth and the nose. The 4 strips act as ties to hold the cloth face covering in place and should be tied behind the head and around the neck.

Making a face mask using a piece of cotton fabric

You will need:

two 25cm x 25cm squares of cotton fabric
two 20cm pieces of elastic (or string or cloth strips)
needle and thread
scissors

Step 1: Cut out two 25cm x 25cm squares of cotton fabric. Stack the 2 squares on top of each other.

Step 2: Fold over one side by 0.75cm and hem, then repeat on the opposite side. Make 2 channels by folding the double layer of fabric over 1.5cm along each side and stitching this down.

Step 3: Run a 20cm length of elastic (or string or cloth strip) through the wider hem on each side of the face covering. These will be the ear loops. Use a large needle to thread it through. Tie the ends tightly.

If you only have string, you can make the ties longer and tie the covering behind your head.

Step 4: Gently pull on the elastic so that the knots are tucked inside the hem. Gather the sides of the covering on the elastic and adjust so the covering fits your face. Then securely stitch the elastic in place to keep it from slipping. These elastic loops fit over the ears.

*Our step by step guides have been taken from the Gov.uk website here