The BBC’s Panorama programme highlighted the risks of using a will writing service. Many people are under the false impression a ‘will writer’ is a solicitor, but unlike a solicitor, they do not have to undergo any training, have insurance, and are not regulated by any organisation which ensures that they conduct their activities in the interests of the consumer and provide some form of redress if things go wrong. If they go out of business, there is little that can be done – sometimes the Will cannot be found, even where charges have been made for storing it.

Andrew Poole’s wife Suzanne used a will writer, but the Will failed to include any provision for him, leaving the entire estate in trust for his stepdaughters. Caroline Bielanska, Chief Executive of Solicitors for the Elderly, appeared on the programme and expressed concern that a spouse had not been provided for.

“Mistakes can be very costly to undo and can leave your family in disarray ”

The will writers appeared to have failed to advise on his right to bring a claim against the estate for inadequate provision. She said: “A specialist solicitor would have asked why a spouse was left out, kept a detailed record of those reasons, and advised of the high risk that the Will would be challenged. Solicitors are in the business of giving legal advice, taking into account a client’s domestic and financial circumstances – it does not appear that Suzanne Poole received any such advice.”

The lack of regulation has enabled many will writers to adopt high pressure selling techniques, which was illustrated in the programme, often offering Wills for a low or discounted fee, and then recommending themselves to be appointed as executors, selling other services without full advice, such as transferring the home into a trust in an attempt to avoid care fees.

Terms and conditions can be poorly worded and difficult to understand. In secret filming undertaken by the BBC for the programme, an elderly couple was not told the details of charges, which were confusingly set out in writing but then taken away by the will writer.

The programme highlights the potential for getting it wrong without full legal advice. Mistakes can be very costly to undo after you have died and can leave your family in disarray and having to pick up the pieces after your death.

At Healys we have many years’ experience of Will drafting, tax planning and the administration of estates. One of our private client team would be happy to discuss any concerns you may have. Please feel free to email me at Brighton@Healys.com or contact one of our private client team on 01273 685888.
John Healy is a Solicitor and Chairman of Healys LLP of 8/9 Old Steine Brighton BN1 1EJ

Daytime television has gone some way to dispelling the mystery that is the property auction. They have certainly shown that auctions can offer a great opportunity to buy a property at an advantageous price. They have also done much to explain the process involved: the fact that a buyer must have finance in place to complete a deal and that it is very important to view properties in advance as, after winning a lot, there is no going back.

But Richard Payne and Jenni Baker of Parsons Son & Basley’s auction department shed a new light on the whole business and a message they make very clear: “Auctions are not the last resort.”
“We would like to dispel the idea that auctions are simply full of lots that are either repossessions, development properties or unmortgageable properties,” says Richard.

“Auctions are an effective method of selling a property. We are allowed to put a reserve on a property and that reserve price has to be within the guide price that has been listed and advertised. But a property can certainly exceed expectations at auction. It is important that the guide price is set at a realistic level to promote interest and encourage competitive bidding in the room. The result of this action is that most property will sell at over the guide price, providing the reserve is set at a sensible level. This is determined by the amount of interest received in the weeks prior to the auction.

“We should also dispel another myth that a reserve price is the figure the auctioneer will stop at when reached. The fact is, when two bidders are competing against each other, a reserve price can be left way behind, getting the vendor the very best possible result.”

So, have the TV property auction programmes changed people’s attitudes? “Almost certainly on one level, but it does seem to be aimed at people who intend to buy for development purposes or to add to a letting portfolio. We would like people to see that an auction can also be a very attractive way to sell your home if you are a vendor or to buy a home that you intend to live in. The public do need to take a closer look at the auction market to discover there are some real gems.”

So, is buying a property at auction a simple matter? “There are some fundamental differences like having finance in place, having the deposit ready and being aware that if you are successful in the bidding then you have a month in which to complete the payment otherwise you will lose your deposit,” Jenni explains. “We do our very best to guide people in the implications of buying at auction.

“The auction will attract buyers who are there for the purpose of buying property, so from a vendor’s point of view, marketing your home through an auction can be a very attractive way of finding the right buyer. At Parsons Son & Basley we hold between five and six auctions every year; the lots are varied and cover a far wider area than just central Brighton and Hove. We sell everything from garages to whole blocks of flats, and, for many people, property is still seen as being a great investment with a good return.”

Once a property is advertised as an auction lot, it doesn’t mean that there is no flexibility within the sales process. “We can sell a property before an auction if we have an offer from a buyer that meets with the vendors’ approval,” Richard explains.

And can buyers view auction lots in the same way as properties being sold in the normal way? “Yes, of course. Almost all auction lots can be viewed prior to the sale, and this is something we strongly advise. We very much see it as our responsibility to hold the hands of both buyers and vendors in the auction process. We always offer an advice service.

“Most people come along to an auction to bid on only one property. We can arrange what is called a proxy bid. This is an arrangement between the buyer and the auctioneer where the auctioneer is allowed to bid on the buyer’s behalf to a preset upper limit. This also allows people a level of discretion or anonymity. And we certainly never allow a property to be sold for less than it should. If we see there is a lot of interest in a property prior to the auction, we will adjust the guide price appropriately before the sale.”

Auctions are also an excellent way to market idiosyncratic properties like The White Tower (featured below).
Parsons Son & Basley are currently updating their auction website, which will be launched by early September. “We want to make sure we have things absolutely right before we show it to the public,” Richard says. “We have already re-thought and redesigned our auction catalogues, and we are confident that we have in place ways of showing to the public that property auctions are an exciting and viable way of realising the very best potential from their home.”

Parsons Son & Basley’s next auction date is 22 September at Hove Town Hall. For more information call 01273 274010 or visit www.psandb.co.uk

Supermarket iPhone apps
Sainsbury’s has moved into mobile e-commerce with the announcement of two new iPhone apps. One application is for the supermarket and the other is for the loyalty scheme Nectar, which gives customers access to exclusive bonus point offers. The Sainsbury’s app is free and includes a store locator, a list of deals in store, news and personalised offers. The Nectar app is intended for people who shop in Sainsbury’s and Homebase and provides access to offers for more loyalty points. Both apps are available on iTunes.

ISP threat help
Virgin Media is aiming to tackle the spread of malware by educating its customers about how to defend against the latest threats. The company’s Internet Security team is writing to customers whose computers show signs of infection, offering advice on ways to scan the system and remove any malicious content. Customers who need additional help are being urged to contact Virgin Media’s Digital Home Support which offers a remote virus removal service.

TalkTalk has also been busy on malware protection software, but has faced criticism from privacy groups after it was alleged that sites viewed by its customers were being tracked to help build an effective malicious site blocker. The ISP was subsequently dubbed ‘StalkStalk’. Malware reached its highest ever levels in the first half of this year, according to stats from McAfee, which urged the industry to go on the offensive in the fight against cyber criminals. If you think you have a virus or spyware issue why not try Geeks-on-Wheels, we are very local and user friendly.

Bigger hard drives
Toshiba have developed a break through in data storage that it says paves the way for hard drives with vastly higher capacity than today. Toshiba’s prototype media has been built at a density equivalent to 2.5 terabits per square inch. Toshiba’s current highest capacity drive has a density of 541 gigabits per square inch. Toshiba expects the first drives based on the new, bit-patterned media technology, to hit the market around 2013.

Broadband sewage
Bournemouth’s sewers were to be used to lay a fibre optic network providing fast broadband throughout the city however now one of the partners has pulled out of the deal. The utility company Wessex Water, who control access to the sewers, have pulled out of the deal with the 3i Group saying there were contractual and methodology problems.

On the other hand the i3 Group have responded angrily accusing the water company of greed and dismissing its concerns over the technical challenges in laying fibre pipes through the sewer system as without merit. Known as the Fibrecity project, the plan is to provide fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband to selected cities providing the potential of 100Mbps connections.

Bournemouth was chosen to be the first UK Fibrecity, while a separate project is also underway in Dundee in Scotland. The i3 Group has confirmed that plans to develop Fibrecity Bournemouth will continue despite Wessex Water’s withdrawal, with the company now aiming to deliver the service via cables laid just below street level.

New iPad?
Rumour control has it that Apple is working on a smaller 7inch version of the iPad and that it will be released for Christmas 2010 sales.

After performing a stand-up comedy gig the other night, someone approached me and asked: “Are you really a single mum?” Ha ha. Like I’d thought it was such a hilarious subject matter that I’d don a pair of gold-hooped earrings and take the mickey out of them for five minutes on stage.

Yes, of course I really am a single mum! Who would lie about that? It’s not that funny a topic! (Ask anyone who’s seen my set… self-deprecating humour, gettit?) I was taking the mickey out of myself, not a minority group! (Hmm, let me check that as I’m a bit concerned that single parents may not actually be a minority group anymore.)

OK, according to God Google, yes, we single parents are (just about) still a minority group. In Britain, nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of  households with dependent children are single parent families, making it 1.9 million single parents. Phew. I’d hate to think it was the norm.

“I don’t drink lattes, I love pound shops, and I get the Number 1 bus. A lot”

But a study reveals that ‘Britain is just behind the USA in numbers of children living in single parent families’.
Comedy to me is funny when it’s real. It got me thinking, what are the untruths in my comedy set? Do I make anything up just to be funny? And I realise that I have: I’ve made up that I drink coffee, which is actually a massive lie. Coffee is yuck. In the context of the joke it is funny… honest.

I also give my father a welsh accent, when in fact he was Irish. My Irish accent was funny for all the wrong reasons. My joke was something about how I knew I was middle class because I had to drink a latte when choosing furniture in the Argos catalogue. But I’m wondering maybe I’m not middle class after all. I don’t drink lattes, I love pound shops, and I get the Number 1 bus. A lot.

Then I found myself having a cry about the fact that the maintenance man hadn’t jet-washed the patio in time for my child’s birthday. Then I thought, I’ve made it! I am middle class. Either that or I’m experiencing some misplaced grief. It’s confusing for us ‘modern middle class’. We’re born into working class families, growing up with working class values but drinking lattes and eating paninis (I don’t eat paninis either).

Anyway, to answer his question, I’m the kind of person who pretends to be a coffee drinker, not about whether I am raising a child on my own! I wouldn’t lie about that? It’s not ‘kool’. It was a young handsome man who asked me, so rather than believing that he thought I looked like the type of woman who would go to any lengths to make people laugh, I would like to believe it was because he couldn’t believe I was single, never mind a mum.

I’ve spent a lot of parenthood swaying. No, not because of wine, well, not always, more that movement in all its forms is often used to settle a child. Static you don’t stand a chance. The fact there’s a nursery rhyme called ‘Rock-A-Bye, Baby’ is also a clue. (Let’s leave aside the edgy nervousness wondering whether the bough will break.)

Swaying is the simplest; the pretence that you’re on the deck of a ferry. A to-and-fro motion in a pram or car seat is next up. The list of transport goes on. Not just planes, trains and automobiles, but buses and boats too. No doubt hovercrafts and cable cars are equally excellent.

Movement is used when nothing else has worked. Milk’s been offered, nappies have been changed. Movement is the last refuge of the parent. I’ve definitely pushed a pram round the block for no other reason than peace and quiet.

I remember taking The Boy out in the car, late at night, in a desperate attempt to get him off to sleep. (This happens less with Youngest™. I’m not sure whether I’m more aware of my carbon footprint or simply that we’ve got The Boy back at home to look after.)

“I’m more of a ‘someone has swiped my glass before it’s finished’ sort of guy ”

I think movement’s supposed to settle because it reminds them of being in the womb. This might make sense when they’re very young and have limited memories, but does it make sense as they get older? You’d think it would remind them of going to the supermarket. That’s almost always the most recent journey, and surely that’s not a soothing experience?

I have a different theory. I reckon movement is a ‘cheque in the post‘ kind of promise. They’re moaning about the situation they’re in, and movement buys you time. Hostilities cease while they discover their destination. (They don’t know it’s exactly the same as the starting point, as you‘re taking them for a trip round the block). While they defer judgement, they fall asleep.

This trait can work against a parent – you’ve got to remember in my column, there’s always a downside. I’m not a ‘glass half-full’ sort of guy; more a ‘someone has swiped my glass before it’s finished, and called time’ sort of a guy.

Sometimes, the soothing nature is the last thing you want, mainly because if they sleep now, they won‘t sleep later. So, as you drive, you desperately try and keep them awake, singing songs or pointing out interesting sights. Then, you hear the dreaded sound of childish snoring on a roundabout near Crawley.

Sometimes, a journey to a destination specifically for them takes longer than expected and they fall into such a deep sleep you can’t rouse them. As parents, a Monkey Plex (or Funny Business) makes no sense without conscious children.

Traditional or modern, classic furniture design achieves iconic status for good reasons. It might be down to simple good looks, durability, clever form and function or simply the magic of style that stands the test of time. With an increasing number of specialist stores and a healthy collectors’ market, there’s never been a better time to invest in a design classic. This week, Latest Interiors reviews some of our favourite sofas and chairs…

Iconic chairs
If your style veers towards the traditional, you could do far worse than to invest in a lovely old wingback armchair in heavy velvet or aged leather. An original Victorian nursing chair is also ideal; built for feeding babies, they needed to be comfortable. From early in the 20th century, Lloyd Loom manufactured lovely, simple metal-framed rattan chairs that have spawned a thousand imitations. The originals are hard-wearing and stylish in an understated way – perfect for conservatories, bedrooms and nurseries.

If you prefer a contemporary look, then the revival of modernist style has bought some iconic chairs back into the spotlight. Anything by Le Corbusier, Eames, the fabulous ‘Egg’, ‘Swan’ and ‘series 7’ chairs by Fritz Hansen, and the eponymous ‘Barcelona’ by Mies Van Der Rohe are all very collectible indeed.

Stylish Sofas
Traditional sofas like Chesterfields and other period styles clearly fall into the ‘design classic’ category. Whether they’re covered in beaten-up leather, chintz, velvet, or a quaint Liberty print, these lovable old sofas add character to an eclectic room and give a cosy, vintage feel.

Knole sofas are another old-time classic.First constructed in the 17th century, this style of sofa is more compact and structured than a Chesterfield with (usually adjustable) arms and back at the same level, and often features some exposed wood in legs, arms or at the back. Again, Knole sofas look great in a range of coverings. We’ve always rather fancied one in faded gold velvet…

Contemporary classics include sofa versions of the well-known Swan and Barcelona chairs, Kofod-Larsen G-Plan sofas (from the ‘60s), and many of the Danish Modern designs from the mid 20th century. Both traditional and modern sofa styles will stand the test of time and look fabulous in any setting.

Strong Statements
Whatever the economic climate, design classics are a good investment. They should give at least a lifetime of service, and the next generation can renovate, recover and show off Mum and Dad’s good taste.

Set high in the exclusive Clifton Hill area is this jewel of a house. Built around the 1840s, when Victoria was a very young Queen, this eclectic and unusual period house is charmingly arranged over three floors, with a beautifully planted romantic garden and with sea views from the master bedroom. This home will delight anyone who is looking for something a little bit different.

“This is a lovely house” says Jason Brand of Brand Vaughan estate agents. “It’s a rare privilege to be offering such an original and charming Victorian property.”

The feeling is of a country cottage in the city; tucked away in its delightful garden it is both secluded and private – yet only a few minutes’ walk from the city centre and less than half a mile from Brighton Station.
The interior reflects the taste of current owner, Aideen FitzGerald, who has clearly injected her personal style and joie de vivre into the decoration of this charming home.

Gleaming, polished parquet floors stretch invitingly throughout the ground floor and set off the country-style kitchen with its Rangemaster cooker, immaculate granite worktops and traditional ceramic butler sink. In the elegant reception room there is light, space, and the cosy luxury of a woodburner for those winter evenings.

The ground floor also features a utility room plus a cloakroom/wet room/shower area for which there is planning permission to further extend the house and create an additional dining/reception room. As Aideen Fitzgerald says: “It just needs someone with vision who can see the potential of this space.”

On the first floor is a luxurious, newly fitted bathroom with a freestanding claw-foot bath, bamboo flooring and all polished chrome fittings, which emphasise the traditional Victorian style that flows through this lovely house. Next door to the bathroom is a pretty double bedroom, which looks over a stone terrace – a perfect eating area that faces west over the garden and looks across the rooftops of the city.

On the top floor is the airy master bedroom, with lovely townscape views to the sea. And next door, another spacious double bedroom, which could easily be converted to make a further luxury en-suite bathroom, looks out over the garden.

The three levels of garden and terrace offer wonderfully versatile family party and entertaining spaces with lovely views over the city. There are doors opening up all the different areas of the house and garden – and a feeling that the house flows into the garden and vice versa.

Altogether, this is a charming, unusual and luxurious house; beautifully put together with great style. It is, without doubt, a house for the connoisseur.

To view this exceptional property, please contact either Jason Brand or David Vaughan at Brand Vaughan estate agents on 01273 683111.

Brighton University’s Faculty of Art began as the Brighton School of Art in the Royal Pavilion in 1859, just over 150 years ago. To confuse maters somewhat, names along the way have included the ‘School of Art and Science’, the ‘Municipal School of Art’, the ‘College of Arts and Crafts’, the ‘Faculty of Art and Design’, and the ‘Faculty of Arts and Architecture’!

The Faculty’s Grand Parade Campus is surprisingly spacious and very central. It was built in a contrasting style to the art school which previously occupied the site – with concrete and glass as opposed to brick and Bath stone – and was opened in 1967 by Sir Walter Thomas Monnington, President of the Royal Academy.

The principal architect was Borough Surveyor Percy Billington, and his contribution turned out to be one of just a handful of decent local buildings from that period. Dr Anthony Seldon places it within his top ten 20th century buildings of Brighton and Hove in his book Brave New City. My own (very short) list of favourite buildings from the 1960s and ‘70s includes Eaton Manor, Park Gate and, of course, the University of Sussex – but that’s about it. Incidentally, Billington was also responsible for the police station on John Street just around the corner.

“Inspiration came from Raphael’s ‘School of Athens’ painting”

I recently met with architect Ian McKay from BBM, the Lewes-based sustainable design specialists, to look at a series of additions to the building completed by his firm in 2007. Inspiration came from Raphael’s ‘School of Athens’, a painting that brought together Aristotle, Plato, and other great philosophers.

One of the new areas was a single storey extension, which was constructed over a section of the popular courtyard. Quite rightly, no space was lost as it features a large roof terrace that overlooks the valuable green space below. Another of the additions was a café with an acoustic ceiling behind the Sallis Benny Theatre. The theatre, incidentally, takes its name from Mr E. A. Sallis Benny, Principal from 1934-58. From there, students can relax and enjoy pleasing views of the park-like courtyard through the new colonnade.

A remarkably sustainable material, coppiced sweet chestnut, was the material used for the colonnade’s pillars. New bricks to match the existing were quarried locally (near Crawley). Lime was used in the mortar instead of cement. Brighton’s great art school has been modified many times since the 1960s – but never with such emphasis on environmental responsibility.

Get in touch: robert@buildingopinions.com or www.buildingopinions.com

The Hastings flat is already looking a million times better than when our bad tenant vacated. Katy and I managed to persuade her long-suffering husband Stuie to come down and hang new kitchen cupboard doors a fortnight ago, a task during which he grumbled and complained the entire time.

I know this because I was there in the position of ‘glamorous assistant’, which basically meant that I had the task of feeding him meat pies and Cornish pasties all day long, which unfortunately only stopped him moaning during the process of actually eating them.

Previously, the area in Hastings where our flat is situated had been devoid of any establishment selling meat pies, so it is fortuitous that a number of new, fairly up-market establishments have sprung up in recent months. I do not know if this means that Hastings is on the up, as it’s had a few false starts in this respect. I fear that it’ll take more than a posh bakery and a twee handbag shop to regenerate the area.

“Our tenant appeared to have a fear of electricity and had taken all the electrical sockets from the walls”

Last week, I went back to the flat and spent an entire day attempting to finish off clearing up the damage that our tenant had caused.

Apart from scrawling many Biblical references on the walls – none of which seem to coincide with anything written in either testament – our tenant also appeared to have a fear of electricity and had taken all the electrical sockets from the walls, just leaving naked wires hanging out. How he managed to survive for so long without either frying himself or inhaling carbon monoxide from the disconnected boiler-flue, I have no idea. He must have the constitution of an ox.

I reconnected all the sockets, then tried out the vacuum cleaner in all of them to make sure they worked. I then had the even more irritating task of removing all the silver paper the tenant had glued to the doors and windows – no doubt for the purpose of creating an even greater risk of death by electric shock. This required a trip to one of the more down-market pound-shop type establishments of which there are many, in order to buy lighter fluid to remove the glue.

In the first shop I tried, the serving assistant seated behind the counter was as wide as she was tall and clearly had no interest in serving me. Without so much as turning her head to regard the shelf behind her, she claimed “It’ll be in tomorrow,” a line that was clearly her stock in trade. At the next shop, in my raggedy work-clothes, I was regarded with suspicion by the assistant who clearly thought I was going to sit on a bench and get high, which I have to say, was a more inviting prospect than spending the afternoon scraping glue off a window…

The days of Dunroamin and Chez Nous are over, as new homebuyers settle into more creatively named houses. Names such as “Gener8”, “Reflections” and “Vibe” might sound like they belong to nightclubs, but are actually the names being given to new developments.

That’s according to UK website newhomesforsale.co.uk. It has identified a growing trend for giving new developments quirky names. At present, Birmingham leads the way for inspired names, with developments including ‘Deer’s Leap’, ‘The Keep’, and ‘Abode.’

The website has identified the most inspired name for a UK house to be none other than ‘Granny’s House.’ Ingenious. We’re not sure how many of those have been cropping up around Sussex, but developments such as The Vibe, One Brighton, and Grand Ocean definitely suggest the city of Brighton and Hove has its finger firmly on the pulse and is still the place to be when it comes to hotly named new developments.