The Leslie & Co blog

When you are about to sell, a lower fee is tempting. It feels like the obvious saving. But the agent's fee is one of the few costs in a house sale that can quietly pay for itself many times over, or cost you far more than you...

Moving into your first home is a huge moment, and it usually starts with one big question. Do you rent, or do you try to buy? In 2026, with deposits, mortgage rates and rents all pulling in different directions, it is a genuinely...

For many landlords, the end of a tenancy is the moment they dread. Will the deposit be returned smoothly, or will it turn into a drawn-out argument? The good news is that disputes are rarer than most people fear, and almost always...

You accept an offer. Everyone is delighted. Then a few weeks later the buyer's lender sends a surveyor round, and the property is valued at less than the price you agreed. That is a down valuation, and it can feel like the ground...

From 10 to 16 August 2026, the country marks National Allotments Week, and this year's theme is a lovely one: 'Grow to Learn'. It is a week that celebrates something easy to overlook, the humble patch of green where people grow...

Of all the paperwork a landlord deals with, the inventory is the one most often rushed, and the one most likely to cost you money if it is. It is also, quietly, your single best protection. If you let a property locally, here is...

Ask any parent house-hunting locally what matters most, and a good school is almost always near the top of the list. It shapes where they look, what they offer, and how quickly they move. For sellers, that demand can be quiet...

Summer 2026 can be one of the best times to move house locally. The evenings are long, the weather is kinder, and with the children off school there is no juggling the school run around a mountain of packing. It can also be a lot,...

Letting out a property for the first time can feel like a big step, and it should. You are taking on a home, a tenant, and a set of legal responsibilities that carry real consequences if they are missed. The good news is that it...

From saving rainwater to growing food among flowers, these are practical ways to make gardens, balconies and window boxes work a little harder. Ealing has every kind of outdoor space. There are long family gardens, paved...