Property

Five tips for preventing escape of water disasters

Ensuring that pipes are properly lagged and setting the heating to come on when you are away may not sound like a priority, but at this time of year escaped water can be as much of a threat to your home as fire or theft

When is a shed more than a shed?

Once the garden shed was little more than a cobwebbed dumping ground for garden furniture and abandoned hobbies. But not anymore. Nicola Venning investigates what it takes to be a Shed of the Year.

Why do people extend their homes?

From creating a modern feel to designing an integrated living space, Dominic Lutyens explores the thinking behind four home extensions

What’s it like to live in a penthouse?

Apart from the breathtaking views, stunning detail and luxurious breadth of amenities, what’s the big deal about penthouses? Property expert Nicola Venning takes a look at why these homes are still so sought after

The real story behind a grand design

Dominic Lutyens talks to the judges, architects and homeowners of this year’s Grand Designs: House of the Year to find out how they turned construction compromises into architectural opportunities