How To Save For a Mortgage Deposit - Tips To Help You Get A Home

Tired of paying for a house that isn't yours? Want to move out from your parents or council property into something that actually belongs to you and that you can make your own? 

Saving money for your mortgage deposit can be tough for many but these tips may help you towards getting a mortgage and your first home.

How Much Will I Need?

You will need at least 5% of the property value as your deposit with the bank lending you the rest via a mortgage. Use a website like Rightmove to view property prices in the area you are looking to buy and then try a mortgage calculator to see what you should be able to borrow. What you earn will obviously impact the the mortgage you can get and therefore the deposit size required. Make sure you take into consideration fees for valuations, surveys, stamp duty etc too as these can soon add up.

Family Fun at West Lodge Farm Park (WIN Tickets)

Like many families we've been counting down the days to not only pubs and restaurants reopening (hello beer gardens) but farms and zoos too. We are big fans of animals and with it being spring we've been excited to see, pet and feed all of the newborn lambs, kids and calves, so I decided to book tickets to West Lodge Farm Park which is situated in Desborough, Northamptonshire. 

This is quite a small attraction in comparison to many but the price reflects this with tickets costing just £7.50pp for a weekend booking (peak time) and just £2 for toddlers at the moment. It's definitely good value for a nice morning or afternoon out. There is a large adventure playground and barrel rides for little ones but with my teens in tow we were particularly keen to visit the paddocks, signed walks and nature trails on this occasion. 

Upon entry (there are currently staggered entry times currently to minimise social contact) you can purchase animal feed for 50p a bag before walking through a large gift shop and the new delicatessen which is full of different toys, meats and eggs to purchase - the perfect place to pick up a little souvenir from your trip. 

Surviving the Summer with Allergies

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With summer on the way many of us may notice an increase in itchy, watery eyes, congestion and sneezing but determining whether this is due to allergies or illness can be tricky. These tips should help you to identify a seasonal allergy and help you to deal with the symptoms until they begin to naturally subside in Autumn.

If you're suffering from symptoms that indicate an allergy, before taking action and seeking treatment, you need to confirm that what you're experiencing is actually due to an allergic reaction. Weather changes can play havoc with our bodies and sometimes it's hard to identify an allergy from a virus or cold. You could book an appointment with a GP but if you would prefer to take a test in the comfort and privacy of your own home, when it's most convenient for you to do so, it may be worth getting yourself a home allergy test. These easy to use kits just involve a quick allergy blood test (finger prick) which is sent off to a lab for analysis. Hay fever is usually worse between March and September when it's often humid and warm outside so keep this in mind.

5 Top Tips For Updating Your Digital Branding

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With April and May being the perfect time for a little spring clean it's also the ideal time to update your online space, whether that's in the form of a blog or business page, and provide it with a fresh new look. Afterall image, alongside content, is so important when it comes to keeping your audience interested and returning for more.

Making a good first impression is vital. If you had a job interview you would more than likely turn up looking smart and being organised to have the best shot when it comes to getting the role and your digital branding should look professional too. You could fork out a small fortune for someone trained to take the reins, if you have the budget available, but with so many free resources online, including free fonts on this site, it can be fairly straight forward to do yourself. There are plenty of tutorials as well if you want to give it a go, even if you're a complete novice. Just make sure your branding reflects who you are and what you have to offer.

Photography Advice for Your Big Day

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Picking the perfect photographer for your wedding is essential because after the day has come to an end the pictures are one of the few things left to remind you of your special celebration. You want the moments captured to be beautiful, reflect the mood and bring back the rush of emotions felt each and every time you look at them. 

I married just over a year ago and from my own experience I have a few additional tips, relating to wedding photography, which may help any bride or groom to be...

My wedding bouquet

• If everyone sits with their phones and cameras snapping away during your vows, the professional photographer will have trouble capturing pictures of your guests - they are likely to have their faces hidden with whatever device they have to hand. Picture taking can also be noisy and distracting which you really don't want on your big day when nerves are already running high! It might be worth popping up a sign at the entrance to your ceremony to ensure the only photos being taken at this point are by the person you hired. This is something we did and it enabled everyone to be fully focused on the event itself.