TrustMark Blog

I set up Arbour Design & Build 20 years ago to realise my ambition of establishing my own garden design, landscaping and maintenance Company with a strong attention to detail. All these years later, I stand in awe at how far we have come and the reputation I have built for delivering fantastic customer service and inspiring garden renovations.

We all rely on products that help us around the home to be perfectly safe. There is a raft of safety legislation and British and European standards that need to be complied with before products can be sold. Selling unsafe items is a criminal offence that Trading Standards Officers like me can investigate and there is a steady flow of prosecutions through the courts where the rules have been broken.

I have just given my back garden its usual spring clean to get ready for (hopefully) some al fresco dining and relaxation through the summer months. My self installed patio is now 15 years old and the stones get very dirty, but a few hours of attention with a jet washer normally makes them look spick and span.

Condensation dampness is a condition that affects many homes and properties, and often gets worse in the colder winter months, the so-called ‘condensation season’. But putting the necessary precautions in place now could prevent problems from getting worse when the weather cools down.

With the weather finally brightening up it’s also time to brighten up your home. But if you find yourself always reaching for those neutral tones, afraid to venture into the depths of the bolder colour section, ask yourself what you have to lose from introducing a bit of colour. Whether it’s a couple of cushions on the sofa, or a complete room makeover, using this summer as prime opportunity to inject some life inside your home as well as outside will do you more good than you think

Back in September last year, I wrote a blog about the new Consumer Rights Act legislation that came into force on 1 October 2015. I said back then that the new law should be clearer and easier to understand, meaning that consumers can buy goods and services with confidence and businesses, including TrustMark, can sell them with confidence too. So what exactly has happened over the last six months and has the new legislation made any difference?

April showers are almost over and the bank holiday weekend has arrived! Bank holidays are always prime time for homeowners to try out some dab hand DIY, and with the longer weekend, it’s a perfect opportunity to crack on with those jobs you never seem to get round to.

What is it that defines the first impression we give to other people? The way we speak, the car we drive, the job we have or the clothes we wear? Actually, how about our front door? According to Karen Haller who is an applied colour psychologist (which must be an interesting job), the colour of our front door is traditionally the first impression that the outside world gets about us.

You may have noticed that when hiring someone to fix a broken boiler or install some new lighting, more often than not it’s a male tradesperson coming to do work in your home. You might be a bit surprised to find a woman at the door with a tool box or a hard hat! Typically, construction is one of the most male-dominated careers, but it is slowly becoming less gender-specific.

A report released a couple of weeks ago by the Energy and Climate Change Committee has outlined how the Government must do more to reduce consumer gas and electricity bills by improving the energy efficiency of new and existing homes. Looking back, there were lots of resources put into the flagship Green Deal initiative but this has now fallen by the way side for a variety of reasons.