Zoopla.co.uk is a new property valuation website that empowers users with free information and tools, to help them make better-informed property decisions.

The key aim of Zoopla is to use the Internet to transform the property market, from simple listings to a social network - to create a totally transparent property market, where people come to buy or sell a home.

The website combines all of the freely available property details (like Land Registry, previous sale prices, local crime and school info, etc) with a social network element that allows homeowners to input individual details of their home, to find the most accurate valuation price possible.

Whether buying, selling or simply curious, Zoopla has done all the hard work, combining invaluable information for every home in the UK (over 26 million of them), with useful tools and community features, to provide a one stop resource for anyone interested in the UK property market.

Other features include:

• TemptMe - Where people can set a price for which they might consider selling (even if their house is not for sale), to find out how much interest there is in their home.
• Free instant current value estimates on any UK home - yours, your neighbours, friends and family.
• Free historic sales data on over 8 million homes since 2000.
• Free local information and statistics in any area for school results, crime and tax bands etc.
• AskMe - Ask owners, agents and locals, the questions that really matter.
• Make offers on any home, or list your home for sale free.

Web:  http://www.zoopla.co.uk

Award-winning couture wedding dress designer Monique Lhuillier, has teamed up with world-renowned ceramics company Royal Doulton, to create a stunning collection of gift and tableware.

Inspired by the pattern and texture of the designer’s bridal gowns, the collection includes a wide range of fine bone china tableware, gorgeous stemware and desirable gifts such as photo frames and vases - perfect for birthdays or anniversaries, not to mention memorable wedding presents.

 In fact, some of the tableware is so beautiful, it may be tempting to use it on the special day itself!

Five beautiful ranges of tableware, four delicate stemware designs and an array of pretty giftware, offer something for everyone, whether opting for understated sophistication, or ultimate glamour.

Subtle decorative patterns on the tableware, including contemporary lizard skin, stitches and dots, are details that can be traced back to the designer’s bridal wear collection.

Femme Fatale pictured here, features the lizard design in a pearlescent taupe, offering a chic option.

The beautiful ranges of formal crystal (Atelier) and crystal glass (Etoile, Ruban and Joie), complement the tableware:
Choose from the stemmed crystal in the Atelier range, stitches-and-dots from Etoile, striking stripes of the Ruban collection, or simple clear glass from Joie perfect for minimalist dining.

Prices range from £20.00 to £40.00 for the stemware and £30.00 to £250.00 for the giftware.

The Monique Lhuillier for Royal Doulton collection is now available  in Harrods.

Web: http://www.royaldoulton.com

The Dotcomgiftshop online, offers a wide range of gifts for her and for him, exclusively designed or sourced by their in-house team.

They are a little bit quirky, some are quite kitsch but surprisingly stylish; you’ll find vintage style kitchenware alongside glamorous baroque chandeliers.

This easy to navigate website is divided into sections:

• Interiors - Kitchen, garden, bathroom etc.
• Gifts for Her, Him and the Kids.
• Toys and jewellery, plus seasonal items.

Their appeal lies in the huge range of products on offer, all at remarkably affordable prices, plus their pledge to customer service and speedy delivery.

Check out the Gifts for Kids section, where you’ll find children’s jewellery and pleasant smelly stuff for the girls, games and gadgets for the boys and many more popular items, such as cuddly toys and mobile phone charms, plus the trendy Charlie and Lola range of merchandise.

Special occasion coming up? Then why not visit the Dotcomgiftshop for a marvellous selection of gifts and accessories for the home; chances are you will find what you’re looking for!

Should you find you can’t decide what to buy, you can opt for a gift-voucher from the online gift shop, to send to a friend and allow them to choose their own special present.

Web: http://www.dotcomgiftshop.com

Jez and Hiromi Willard husband and wife team, launched The Japanese Shop 10 years ago, to cater for the rapidly growing interest in Japan and the Japanese lifestyle. They source the authentic products direct from Japan.

Whether you are interested in the Japanese culture, beliefs and traditions, adore traditional oriental prints and designs, or are simply looking for a unique gift for a friend or loved one; the Japanese Shop has something to suit all.

The comprehensive range includes contemporary and traditional tableware, kimono style house robes, health jewellery, pictures, water features and ornaments to name but a few.
For example:

• Happiness Lucky Cat – Featured here, is a delightful ceramic lucky cat, which features charms and Japanese kanji characters, which invite good luck and happiness; the cat comes with a padded and tasselled fabric mat in it’s own presentation box. Priced at £49.99.
• Natural Shoji Screen - A beautiful hand-made solid ash shoji screen, designed by Japanese furniture designer Yuko Torii. Priced at £299.00.
• Mt Fuji Paper Clock - Definitely something different! This quartz movement wall clock, has a stiff washi paper face and simple, clear hands; comes complete with a battery. Priced at £29.99.

The company has a chain of fascinating stores in Chester, Harrogate and York; their Japanese product range can also be purchased online at:

Web: http://www.thejapaneseshop.co.uk

The National Self Build & Renovation Centre will host its second Self Build & Renovation Show of the year in Swindon, from Thursday 2nd October 2008; offering lots of advice and inspiration, for anyone looking to climb up the property ladder through self build or renovation.

Whilst the wider housing market is suffering a major downturn, due to the credit crunch, building your dream home, through self-build, renovation, or conversion, is becoming a more appealing and realistic option.

At a time when house-builders have ‘downed tools’ and the Government’s new homes targets are under threat, self builders and renovators are taking advantage of the increased availability of land, labour and specialist advance payment mortgages.

BuildStore, the self build and renovation experts behind the National Self Build & Renovation Centre, are the leading providers of self build and renovation advance payment finance, and also own land-finding database, Plot Search.

BuildStore recently revealed that the number of self build land and renovation opportunities had grown significantly in 2008, up 20% between January and June, and over half of available self build plots are priced £150,000 or less; a third of them £100,000 or less, making it possible to self-build a detached family home for less than £200,000.

The Self Build & Renovation Show will run between Thursday 2nd and Sunday 5th October, at the National Self Build & Renovation Centre in Swindon, off Junction 16, M4.

Entry on the day is £10 per adult, or £15 per couple. Tickets are free, if you book in advance via the website.

For daily schedules, and ticket booking, log on to:
Web: http://www.mykindofhome.co.uk/show

ESpares, is an online retailer, specialising in supplying spare parts for household appliances and may be of interest to consumers in the current financial climate, enabling them to save money by repairing their broken appliances, rather than replacing them.

• The company aims:
  To help you find the UK’s widest selection of spare parts, consumables and accessories online; for all the electrical appliances that make your house a home; they source direct from the major manufacturers and are continually adding to their extensive library of genuine spare parts.
• To offer customers savings of up to 30% off typical high street prices.

To offer levels of customer services that set the pace, for the rest of the online shopping community.

Savings example: Taking eSpares most popular washing machine replacement part the ‘drum lifter’, which agitates your clothes in the wash and lifts the dirt - this retails at £8.99.

Should you choose to buy a replacement washing machine, rather than just the part, the cheapest washing machine listed on the Argos website for example, is the Beko WM5100W retailing at £169.99, plus the cost of an engineer to install it could cost over £100.

By purchasing the drum lifter replacement part from eSpares and fixing the machine yourself, you could potentially save over £250.

Ordering online at eSpares is simple and items can be delivered to any address in the UK.

Web: http://www.espares.co.uk
Tel: 0845 230 6 230

Mono has launched a range of glass and hand made stainless steel vases called Rondo, designed by Mikaela Dörfel and a vase designed by Franz Maurer called Mono Convase.

The Rondo range has a unique design, which enables the opening at the top of the vase to be adjusted to suit the type of flowers displayed. It is made from glass and stainless steel and available in three colours, clear, black and white and in two sizes: 15 cm and 19 cm tall.

Retail prices are as follows:
15 cm Clear £91.80.
15 cm Black or White £110.60.

19 cm Clear £101.20.
19 cm Black or White £119.90.

The Mono Convase is a low glass and stainless steel vase, ideal for displaying heads of flowers. It retails at £83.40.

Both are available from:

Web: http://www.tabletopdesign.co.uk
Tel: (01189) 349424

1001, the magic number for carpet and upholstery cleaning, has joined forces with Katherine Dewhurst, ex-Buckingham Palace housekeeper, to provide top tips on how to keep your carpets and soft furnishings fit for a Queen.

Follow Katherine’s hints and tips below, to make sure your home remains your castle, regardless of whether it’s a baronial pile or a suburban semi:

A technique employed in some of the most regal of residences is to use a stiff, clean outdoor brush and sweep the carpet in the opposite direction of the grain so the pile stands up straight, making it look as good as new and ready to welcome the grandest of guests.

Never rub or brush spot stains as this can push the stain deeper into the fabric and make it harder to remove; soak the stain with a remover, such as 1001 Troubleshooter Ultra then, using a paper towel or cloth blot the remover, working from the outside of the stained area into the centre.

Don’t despair if the mark or stain is an old one, you can still tackle it using a stain remover; it may not totally disappear, but it’s often possible to shift the worst of it.

Hot drinks are amongst the most common stains and can be hard to remove; the key is to act quickly as coffee is a natural dye and may stain permanently; tackle it by first removing any excess liquid with a paper towel and then apply 1001 Troubleshooter Ultra over the area and gently wipe the stain, from the outside to the centre without rubbing hard.

On finding an unknown stain, use a stain remover that contains a low amount of water, such as 1001 Mousse; unless you know what you are dealing with, it’s best not to add excess liquid, which might make it soak deeper into the fabric making it harder to shift.

When entertaining, it is crucial to make sure all your sofas and soft furnishings remain clean, fresh and fit to welcome your VIPs; prepare for their arrival by revitalising your upholstery with 1001 Shampoo - a wide area carpet and upholstery cleaner.

By working its magic deep into the fibres, 1001 Shampoo will not only leave treated areas clean, fresh and revitalised, its unique Fibreshield Polymer ingredient, will also defend against future stains, leaving you free to relax and enjoy yourself.

For more dedicated advice, tips and solutions for carpet care visit:

Web: http://www.1001carpetcare.co.uk.

Find a present for a special person or occasion, with a striking piece of pottery from Emma Bridgewater, for friends or relations to treasure.

There are lots of really attractive pieces on offer at Emma Bridgewater stockists or online, for birthdays, baby showers, anniversaries, house warming and weddings.

Pictured here is Men at Work, a fine hand painted clock from Emma Bridgewater; also available is Dancing Mice to add an element of fun to a child’s bedroom; or in a classic Black Toast design and pretty Polka Dots.

All clocks are priced at £39.95.

Web: http://www.emmabridgewater.co.uk
Tel: (020) 7371 5489

The rich artistic tradition of the Islamic world, is the design inspiration behind the launch collection of Moresque, a new on-line retailer specialising in contemporary home decorating accessories, tabletop, bed linen and soft furnishings.

Tas Rahman, founder of Moresque, has combined traditional Moorish designs from Turkey, Egypt, Morocco and beyond, with a modern-day approach to decorating the home; the collection offers unique, hand-crafted decorative products, with broad appeal and can be purchased on-line.

The eye catching Ever-Lasting Candles featured here, are hand-made in Morocco, from wax with inset arabesque motifs, in copper or thuya wood, and are inspired by traditional Islamic art and architecture.

The translucent wax doesn’t melt, whilst the replaceable tea light creates a subtle, flickering glow.

Variations: Cube or Tower from 12 to 29 cms in height and six colours- red, mauve, black, orange, blue, ivory and four motifs.
Retail prices range from £15.00 to £45.00.

The celebrated Egyptian designer Karim Rashid, designed the stylish Bud Vase, inspired by Arabic calligraphy.

The three stem vase is made from porcelain, in a choice of white, metallic silver and satin gold and measures 33 x 23 x 4.5 cms. Priced at £110.00.

The three Kilim cushion cover designs, feature hand-made, authentic Persian and Turkoman kilims, inset into richly coloured silk/cotton borders.

The covers measure 45 x 45 cms, have zip fastening opening and plain reverse and come in three designs/colour-ways:
Turkoman (maroon), Persian Awal (rust brown) and Persian Sani (mauve).

View the complete Moresque Collection at:

Web: http:// www.moresque.co.uk
Tel: (020) 8274 2403