New research has found that buyers in smarter suburbs want more space than the typical four bedroom detached house provides, and are now more likely to buy a house, knock it down and rebuild something grander on the plot. * Search for prime property for sale in Oxshott This is leading to an extensive redevelopment of the more expensive suburbs of London, according to Savills, who published the report. It found that London s richest suburb, Oxshott and Stoke D Abernon had 49 planning applications submitted within twelve months for these new suburban mansions which are larger and more opulent than the average suburban home. Richard Winter, head of Savills Esher Office said: These suburbs are increasingly becoming the domain of the high-ranking executives who are often cashing in on a central London sale. Lucian Cook from Savills research added: On average successful applications allowed for a house 2.5 times the size of the donor property. Typically this would involve demolishing an already fairly large four-bedroom detached house of around 3,300 sq ft and replacing it with a 8,500 sq ft six or seven bedroom mansion. The trend for this supersizing also shows no sign of letting up in the future: planning applications for not just rebuilds but extensions in Oxshott and Stoke d Abernon make up nearly half of all applications submitted. This is leading to a new emerging market for the £7-£8m super mansion, which could fulfil some as yet untapped demand, local agents predict. * Search for prime property for sale in Oxshott
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Small engines, big batteries: The quiet revolution of car designMore and more cars on the road are electric, and some unusual shapes and sizes glide past silently. But what does it all mean for design?
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14 ways to keep your dogs cool in the heat, by A-list dog trainer Ben RandallDogs can't regulate their body temperatures as well as humans can, so at this time of year they need your help keeping cool, whether you're on the road, out and about or leaving them with someone else while you go away.
