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This Saturday just gone saw the Telegraph release the second Bargain Britain supplement. Produced in association with our very own favourite bargain hunter and ProblemSolved founder, Alison Cork, it was absolutely jammed packed with offers and discounts letting readers in on how to get the best that money can buy for the home and garden, for not much money at all.

And as promised, if you missed this 16 page gem of information and deals, don’t worry. On the Telegraph website you can now peruse at your leisure the same amazing deals and offers which featured in the supplement. Click here to see for yourself exactly what Bargain Britain had, and still has to offer for your home.

If you fancy getting yourself in the spirit for you know what, check out Homes and Bargains new competition where you could win one of 8 pairs of tickets to this year’s Country Living Christmas Fair. Taking place from 14-18th November at the Business Design Centre in London, there will be exclusive gifts, decorations, scrummy food and much more on show, plus loads of special deals to take advantage of on the day. To read more information about the event and be in with a chance of experiencing it all for free, click here for the Homes and Bargains Country Living Christmas Fair competition.

On the 23rd and 24th of this month, Manchester United FC is housing the PHEX 2007 domestic plumbing & heating exhibition. Supported by many leading manufactures and trade associations, it is targeted primarily for local heating and plumber installers working in the Manchester area and will be show casing all the latest products and allied services associated with domestic plumbing and heating industry. 

To find out more information about the show and to register, click here for the PHEXshow.co.uk.

It seems some of the simplest household tasks are costing Brits up to £26* billion a year according to a recent survey compiled by Yahoo! Answers. Conducted amongst 1,000 men and women in the UK, not being able to iron a shirt, unblock a sink or change a car tyre are a few of the main factors prompting Brits to hire in help. The actual figure was over half but more reassuringly, and perfect for a little shameless self promotion, 2/3 of these people would turn to the internet to learn more before trying their hand at something new.

So if you need a little advice on caring for leather, unblocking a sink, fixing a pipe, space saving solutions …………… (the list goes on), take a peek at our hints and tips section. There you will find easy to follow guides on all of the above and more to help you start a new DIY venture, and hopefully save you a few pounds along the way.

Click here to see our Hints and Tips blogs.

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If bargain hunting is your thing and you fancy getting your hands on some stylish quality homeware at rock bottom prices, make sure on the 27 October a copy of the Saturday Telegraph is sitting on your coffee table.

Why i hear you say?

Accompanying the Telegraph on that Saturday will be the second much anticipated Bargain Britain supplement, a free 16 page pull out paper crammed full of the best home and garden bargains up for grabs at the moment. Produced in association with our favourite bargain hunter and ProblemSolved founder, Alison Cork will be letting you in on the secrets of how to achieve a bit of luxury for less from your bathroom and bedroom, dinning room and kitchen, to your flooring, windows and much much more.

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If you have come across a great tradesperson and you want to spread the word to others, write a review for them here at ProblemSolved, the home to reliable local tradespeople.

And to say thank you for helping, we'll put your name into our free prize draw where you will be in with the chance to win a bathroom makeover worth £3,500, courtesy of BoundaryBathrooms.co.uk

Click here to write a review and be in with the chance of winning a bathroom makeover worth £3,500.

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Wouldn't it be great if our shortcode spelt out TRADE (87233)? We think so. In fact, we've thought so for the past 4 months, which is how long it's taken Vodafone to complete a 6 week job so that we can use it. For anyone who's interested (which probably doesn't extend far beyond the walls of PSHQ), all UK mobile phone networks have to set it up as a valid number so that their customers can use it.

 We've been told "it shouldn't be long" so all things being well, we'll be up and running in time for the London Olympics. Now there are some people who could do with a few decent tradesmen before 2012...

 Click here for more info on our texting service... (opens new browser window)

I know this is old news to electricians, but to anyone else planning to do odd DIY electrical jobs in the home, you should be aware of the electrical regulations put in place by the Building Regulations for England & Wales Jan 2005.

In the simplest format, the regulations states there are certain basic electrics you can do in your home, and more often than not, ones you can’t. The latter requires a qualified electrician. It can be a little confusing for those not in the know therefore to find out exactly what lies in which category, I advise people to get in contact with their local authority’s Building Control Department.

Not one to leave people hanging on such an unsure note, I’ve done some searching myself and found the following handy links which explain this new regulation in more detail:

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I am very happy to announce we have a great new blogger on our books; Debbie Davies of Todhunter Davies, the specialist furniture makers.
Here to give us her pearls of wisdom on how to get the best out of your furniture, Debbie will be revealing hints and tips to make any nooks or crannies in your home work for you.
 
From everyone here at ProblemSolved, welcome to the site Debbie. And to all the users, keep your eyes peeled for what Debbie has to say next on all things furniture. Enjoy.

Click here to read Debbie’s first blog.

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Getting on the bottom rung of the property ladder is a dream come true for the majority of us non-home owners, though jumping in feet first with a 100% mortgage should not be taken lightly. Too much research into this matter is never a bad thing, so if you are considering this route, take a look at the recent 100% Mortgage Rise article on Homes and Bargains. Talking all things 100% mortgages and mentioning a unique free service where customers can search the whole market for the best products ranked on true cost and apply to lenders directly, click here to read the article in full on Homes and Bargains.

If you have 2 minutes to spare, make sure you enter the Homes and Bargains competition this week as up for grabs is a bathroom makeover worth £2,500 courtesy of Shades Furniture. Click here to be in with a chance of winning.

Now here is a survey I can relate to …… the age old debate between hot and cold. I myself firmly believe in the former, and frequently voice my discomfort (those around me tend to suffer more!) when it drops below 20 degrees. No surprise to me then that a recent survey* conducted by Glow-Worm has found that I’m not the only one!

• 40% of women argue with their partners or family members over the temperature of a home.
• 2 out 3 of these women say it is always too cold while men tend to feel too hot.
• Just under half of us are in most evenings, and a third of us are at home all the time.
• Two thirds of us would actually leave or be put off a house if the temperature wasn’t right.
• Both the men and the women questioned claimed to be the ones who usually set the temperature in the house!
• Aside from a warm smile both men and women find that relaxing at home is the thing that gives them the warmest glow - Ahh

* TPoll/Dig Research omnibus survey (May 2007) of 2,366 people commissioned by Glow-worm, the UK’s leading manufacturer of heating appliances.

If you feel you're owed money by 118Trades (now trading as I Find a Business), you'll want to know that they've now gone into administration. It won't affect your entry as the site will stay live for a minimum of 18 months. You can send an email to creditorifinda@vantisplc.com with details of your claim.