Merry Christmas from Cosy Homes Online

It's been a long road to get to where we are and I was delighted when we secured our planning permission. The people of Selsey attended an open meeting and the support continues but the planning conditions have been onerous to say the least. Until very recently we were at a silly point where we couldn't do anything on site until the conditions were signed off but we couldn't do what the conditions required without being on site! In the interim, a more permanent scaffold covering is going up as I type as we continue to try and protect the little that is left from the weather. However, we ARE (finally) making progress and it's looking like we will be allowed to start the groundwork in the New Year.

The other challenge has been to secure finance - all of which was in place when I started this journey so very long ago. It's a different world now and a lack of banking support has meant equity finance but all is in place once again. So fingers crossed, you should be seeing the video updates soon!

This wouldn't be complete without a big thanks to Mariners Building Contractors of Selsey who will be doing this restoration and Blow & Co for their technical skills....and endless drawings!



We all like a bargain! If you have a project on the go or want to kit out your investment properties, quality is what separates the everyday house from a luxurious home. This is equally important when we restyle our own home but all to often the 'must haves' prove unaffordable.

Well, I've been researching and testing this out and am pleased to report you can practically halve your costs so listen up!

The world has become a much smaller place thanks to the internet so we can pick the best of what the entire world has to offer. This means we can be very different in our approach as well as being very cost effective. Spanish slate, Italian marble, Indian rugs, African and Asian artefacts and much more are within easy reach. The downside is currency and you can wipe out your saving by the often obscene exchange rates and hidden costs levied on credit cards and the like. The good news is that you can be currency savvy with little effort and hang on to those savings you've made by using either a prepaid currency card or money transfer services.

Currency specialists, FairFX, provide Euro, Dollar and Sterling Prepaid MasterCard Currency Cards. These cards are great value, convenient and Chip and PIN protected for your security. They are similar to a debit card, but because they are prepaid they allow the user to pre-load the cards with funds in advance when the rates are favourable, ultimately letting YOU pick the exchange rate not your bank. These can be used to pay in shops, withdraw cash from an ATM or pay for goods online.

If you need to make a larger payment (£600+) then take a look at FairFX's International Money Transfers service, FairPay. This bank to bank service will give you a better fx rate than your bank and for orders over £600 there is no transfer fee. Don¹t lose up to 10% by using your bank, use a specialist and save money on exchanging your currency and transaction fees.



Last but not least, a big thank you to all our loyal Members who are the reason we exist. If you fancy starting the new year with a fab Italian designed bag for your laptop, simply update your profile during December and you could be a lucky winner. So as we speed towards Christmas, I'd like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year!