Blog
You may have seen our Cheshire & Wirral Property Listing local press advertising over the last few weeks with the strapline of ‘Live Local, Love Local, Buy local’.
So what happens when you are looking to move home. Whenever you are looking to buy or rent a property one of your considerations is usually what local amenities there are close by. This, for example, could be local shops, bars or restaurants. To be honest it’s been the same for me. In fact it comes quite high on my own house moving checklist when I’ve been looking for somewhere to live.
Depending on where you choose to live you may have a number of options available to you in terms of where to buy your goods and services. From a personal point of view I try to support local businesses where I can which includes getting my hair cut, buying cards, takeaways or even getting my car fixed! Local businesses are very much part of the package as well when you are trying to find a place to live in Cheshire or Wirral.
Alongside your local small businesses you may also have a choice of supermarkets or out-of-town centres and not to forget the online offering to do your shopping. The credit crunch and recession gives even more significance in trying to support your local businesses where possible. That’s not to say that you won’t continue to do online shopping, go to supermarkets or visit the out-of-town retail outlets. On the contrary the shops and businesses just up the road from where you live can actually complement this offering. I’ve even found that some of these local merchants have exactly what I’m after without me having to travel too far!
It’s nice to have a balance. So what do you think? Is it important to have the balance of local businesses with the national and multi-national chains where you live?
Journalist, Kathryn Sharman talks florals, chintz and a little bit on what makes a ‘home a home.’
Laura Ashley’s new spring/summer range should be hitting your local branch any time now. Okay, I know we’re right in the middle of a cold snap so it’s hard to even imagine but looking at fresh, pretty, summery things is a good antidote to any winter fog. Of course, we might have to wait a while until it’s warm enough to sit outside, sipping homemade lemonade, using a Laura Ashley vintage style picnic set but that’s the thought that will be sustaining me through the rest of February.
Thankfully there are some lovely interior products in the new Home range, which you can enjoy right now. Here’s my pick of the collection (is it too early to say roll on Spring?).
One of my favourite ranges was the Darling Buds, which has a lovely floral, almost chintzy feel to it, with colourful, feminine bedding that you could easily mix and match with older vintage pieces to make a gorgeous girlie boudoir.
Meanwhile, if you like more graphic prints (Orla Kiely stylee) then you’ll probably love the Off the Wall range
I also liked the Glasshouse range, with its muted colour palette and THESE gorgeous notebooks
Like I said, roll on picnic weather so I could use this beautiful pitcher and glasses with an etched floral design (which I think could almost pass for real vintage).
How kitsch are these tulip candles? Love them!
And finally, please, please, please can I have this fabulous lamp. It has a feel of real old-school glamour from a by-gone era. 
Happy shopping!
Visit your nearest Laura Ashley in the Cheshire Area here: http://www.lauraashley.com/page/storelocator
Missed Moving Soon founder, Paul Malone on the radio today? Grab yourself a brew and listen in to some interesting tips and insights with business Coach, Paula Cohen and Louise Barson (Silver Concierge) If you want to know more about Moving Soon or how to list your property for free, in the Cheshire area stay on this website.
30/01/12 Good Connections with Paula Cohen, sponsored by Virgin Trains Training – RedShift Radio by Goodconnections on
Category : Blog &Experts &Interviews &News
So following up from my festive post about planning your property checklist for the year ahead, how far have you got? We are now coming towards the end of January which is a good time to take stock of any early progress you have made and the review your short-term goals for the first quarter of 2012.
So if you are selling your Cheshire or Wirral home you may have heard that house sales last year for the UK as a whole were just under a total of 870,000; a fall of 1%. There are a number of factors to attribute to this including a shortage of mortgages and uncertainty surrounding the economy. However, the positive here is that homes are still selling! So how do you make yours stand out from the rest in the Cheshire and Wirral housing market? A bit of TLC (Tender Loving Care!) and an understanding what prospective buyers are looking for. It could be a new Cheshire or Wirral home or may even be a speculative investment property that someone will be looking to rent out.
To be honest, even if you are not looking to move house in 2012 it is worth adding those jobs that need doing to your property to do list for the year. It could be as little as a fresh lick of paint or some new carpet through to bigger jobs like landscape gardening or even a conversion. Getting them completed will not only be a sense of achievement come the end of the year, but should make you feel better about your home. It also means that should you be thinking of moving in the future there are fewer jobs to add to your list ensuring you are ready to move quick should you find your next dream home.
So overall it’s not only important to plan in the jobs for the year ahead, but also to follow them through to completion where possible. It not only adds to a sense of contentment, but it also ensures you are well prepared should you decide to move in the future.
Well I hope that you all had an enjoyable Christmas and are keeping to those 2012 New Year Resolutions! Please remember that the Moving Soon website has been designed for you so we welcome any feedback you may have.
Building on what we launched towards the end of last year we now would like to extend this concept a little further. As such we are really keen to hear about where you live. So, for example, it could be Knutsford in Cheshire or even West Kirby on the Wirral. So what do you like about where you live? How long have you lived there for? We want to know first hand what you think about living in Cheshire and Wirral. What attracted you to living there or is it the place you grew up in? There are a whole host of questions you can answer.
Most of all it is really useful information for prospective buyers or renters looking at locations around the Cheshire and Wirral. So please do let us know.
Category : Blog
Over the Holidays I interviewed an amazing illustrator called Emma Sharples from Ems Orginal, her work is inspirational. If you ever want to capture a moment in your life like a birth, wedding or special event, Emma is the artist for you! Here is what she had to say about where she lives and works in the Cheshire area.
Where are you based?
I live in a little hamlet called Cranage, it is about 6 miles outside of Knutsford. But consider myself a Knutsfordian as spend most of my days there and currently feel i live in the Cherry Tree Shop on King Street!
What do you love about living there?
Cheshire is a fantastic place to be. There are some lovely towns full of boutique shops and amazing places to eat and drink! We also have the balance of beautiful places to head to get away from the world.
Living in Cranage really gives you the best of being in the middle of some of these lovely villages and towns, handy to Knutsford, Wilmslow and Alderley to heading further south to little towns like Nantwich! We also have some fantastic shows and festivals that really show Cheshire of to the best!
Have long have you lived there?
I have always lived in Cheshire and was born in Ashton-on-Mersey but I moved to Cranage with my family in 1998, so approx 13 years. Since that time I have lived in Manchester during my university days and then headed to London when I worked at the BBC in 2007.
I returned to finish my degree and soon after began setting up my business and now I am happily settled back in this lovely county!
What is your Company called?
What do you do?
In January 2011 I set up my own company called emsOriginal. I work as and artist, illustrator and design to create commissioned ‘affordable’ art. Anything from commissioned pictures of a family home to wedding stationary design! My work has often been linked with an architectural style, but also has elements of humorous, fashion and comic design.
Where is your company based?
I have a open studio at the Cherry Tree, 73 King Street, Knutsford
What is your favourite piece of work?
Its hard to decide, being an illustrator you tend to put your heart and soul into each piece to be able to create a unique illustration each time so each one becomes a favourite. A memorable piece from the year was a large A1 artwork for a bespoke wedding table plan. The couple had a theme of all the places they had travelled and this made a “round the world” table plan design! It really allowed me to be inventive and get back to painting a large scale picture! It really inspired me to get back to my own artwork and generated some really great original art pieces after this design!
Have you ever done a commission on a cheshire landmark?
I have featured in my work some of the lovely old halls and buildings we have in Cheshire, including Mottram, Arley and the Belle Epoque!
What is your favourite place to go and eat?
This is a very hard decision as eating is one of my favourite thing to do and I like so many different types of food! We have a fantastic selection of restaurants in Knutsford and surrounding areas and depending on your mood each of these is a favourite with me! Sat outside Gusto’s in Alderley on a sunny Sunday afternoon or a great Thai at Mae Graew in Knutsford. However if I had to choose I would say the Knutsford Wine Bar, it reminds me of birthdays, celebrations and good times with friends, large tables full of lots of food, and plenty of dancing afterwards to some of the great bands they have play on the live music nights!
What do you do on your day off?
I always like to try get far from crowds on days off! I like to find quirky coffee shops and sit and drink tea with friends! I like a mooch in art and craft centres. I also have a bit of a hobby collecting vintage greeting cards so a rummage around antique shops is always nice!
What are you looking forward to the most in 2012?
Seeing my business grow and the opportunities that will come with that for me to design and illustrate!
To find out more about Ems Original see below.
mail: ems@emsoriginal.com
tel: 07834 273257
web: emsoriginal.com
emsOriginals is a innovative design company to create brand new, original designs for you and now a recommended supplier to Warner Bros. Entertainment UK.
Everything created is hand made with Tender Love and Care, we recycle materials and work with recycled papers to help protect the environment around us.
Category : Blog &Interviews
Concept Handtufting is a bespoke carpet and rug company that specialise in offering your home, the best in floor comfort. Having supplied a lot of Cheshire and celebrity homes, it is important your living space has the best!
Dynamic team Amy and Charles Lawton from Concept Handtufting has worked with some amazing companies such as Tiffany’s, Harrods and Mulberry
Concept Handtufting’s Bamboo range is one of top products that is incredibly luxurious in appearance and feel. This product is a great alternative for those who want silk but don’t have the budget for it. Bamboo is also fantastic for the environment!
- Is Sustainable – one of the fastest growing plants on the planet
- Cleans the air – dense bamboo forests return 30% more oxygen to the air than trees
- Is Grown without pesticides – has its own anti-bacterial agent
- Is 100% biodegradable
This truly is a product that has it all!
Create a bespoke rug perfect for your living space?
All you need is One designer? = Amy Lawton
Team of experts? = Concept Handtufting
Result = one beautiful rug (see below)
If you would like your own bespoke carpet or rug please contact the sales team at studio@concepthandtufting.co.uk from Concept Handtufting
New Year, New Wirral Home! We will be marketing and promoting your Wirral Property Listing once it’s been approved and goes on our site. However, you should also take the opportunity to spread the word yourself. It’s relatively easy to do and can take a few seconds.
The image above shows the options you get to promote your property listing. Once accepted onto our site you can click any of these at the top of your listing to:
- Send your Wirral property listing details via email to your family, friends or colleagues
- Share it on your own social network pages including Facebook and Twitter
- Print your property listing to give to potential interested parties or even display on notice boards
However, promoting your own Wirral property For Sale or To Let doesn’t stop here. You can also copy the website link where your property is listed and publish it yourself on any other networking sites you may use. Not to mention you call tell all your friends about your listing and if they want any further information they can visit the website. It’s that simple.
You can currently list your property if you live in our around the following Wirral areas:
Bebington, Birkenhead, Bromborough, Caldy, Greasby, Heswall, Hoylake, Irby, Moreton, Neston, Parkgate, Rock Ferry, Upton, Wallasey and West Kirby.
New Year, New Cheshire Home! We will be marketing and promoting your Cheshire Property Listing once it’s been approved and goes on our site. However, you should also take the opportunity to spread the word yourself. It’s relatively easy to do and can take a few seconds.
The image above shows the options you get to promote your property listing. Once accepted onto our site you can click any of these at the top of your listing to:
- Send your Cheshire property listing details via email to your family, friends or colleagues
- Share it on your own social network pages including Facebook and Twitter
- Print your property listing to give to potential interested parties or even display on notice boards
However, promoting your own Cheshire property For Sale or To Let doesn’t stop here. You can also copy the website link where your property is listed and publish it yourself on any other networking sites you may use. Not to mention you call tell all your friends about your listing and if they want any further information they can visit the website. It’s that simple.
You can currently list your property if you live in our around the following Cheshire areas:
Alderley Edge, Aldford, Alsager, Arley, Aston, Altrincham, Audlem, Barton, Bollington, Bridgemere, Broxton, Bunbury, Cheadle, Chelford, Chester, Childer Thornton, Chorlton, Church Minshull, Comberbach, Congleton, Cranage, Crewe, Culcheth, Disley, Dunkinfield, Eastham, Ellesmere Port, Farndon, Frodsham, Glazebrook, Handforth, Hampton Heath, Helsby, Huxley, Hyde, Kelsall, Knutsford, Little Budworth, Little Sutton, Lower Peover, Lower Withington, Lymm, Macclesfield, Malpas, Manley, Marple, Marthall, Mickle Trafford, Middlewich, Moore, Nantwich, Nether Alderley, Newton-le-Willows, North Rode, Northwich, Oakmere, Penketh, Pickmere, Poynton, Prestbury, Pulford, Rostherne, Runcorn, Sandbach, Sandiway, Saughall, Stockport, Stockton Heath, Styal,Tabley, Tarporley, Tarvin, Thornton-le-Moors, Threapwood, Tilston, Warmingham, Warrington, Weaverham, Weston, Wettenhall, Widnes, Wilmslow and Winsford.