Not long ago, air conditioning was considered a luxury item. Nowadays, however, the use of air conditioners has grown and they are seen as a basic necessity by many households - even in the rainy old UK.

Adam Woolf, of Airwoolf, in Mill Hill, North-West London, attributes this change to the number of loft conversions, extensions and conservatories being added to homes. He says that "current building regulations regarding the type of materials used along with insulation is a major factor".

Grafton Court in Temple Fortune consists of two one-bedroom apartments, one two-bedroom apartment and six three-bedroom apartments. Some have balconies and terraces. Two are on the garden level and have access to the garden, as do two of the first floor flats. They have a lift, underground parking and a security system. Prices start from £425,000. "It’s walking distance to everything," says Karen Morris of agent Glentree New Homes.

Dave and Juliana Morford moved to Elstree, Herts, a couple years ago. Earlier this year, they realised they would like a bigger home - but they wanted to stay in the area. Because Elstree’s property prices are traditionally high, though, the couple thought they would have to look further afield. Then they discovered Banner Homes’ Kennedy Place, on Watford Road. It had everything they wanted - and within their price range.

It was 50 years ago today that the firm which was to become Preston Bennett set up shop. Since opening his first office in 1958, Ronald Preston, one of the founders of Stanmore-based property group, has remained as passionate about the business as he was 50 years ago.

Ronald had joined an Edgware-based estate agency in 1952, at the age of 20, after his National Service. The firm was “looking for a lad’”.

“I started on a three-day-a-week basis and immediately fell in love with the business,” he says.

Incentives are the key to selling property, say many developers. But perhaps those incentives should be as much emotional as financial. From the moment you put your house on the market, to the minute you put the key in the lock of your new home — moving house can be a time of terrible anxiety. Statistics published by Channel Four show that up to 44 per cent of people see moving house as the most stressful situation they are likely to experience.

You are keen to move house, but terrified of sales falling through. According to the National Association of Estate Agents, the average time a property takes to sell has risen by 110 per cent over the past year to approximately 13 weeks, as the number of deals falling through before exchange has increased by 70 per cent.

With all the disturbance to walls, floors and ceiling, installing a perfect lighting system should be considered very early on in a decorating project. But we don’t live in an ideal world — so here are ways to give your lighting a lift without too much trouble and expense.

Seen in a bad light?