I’ll remind you too that it is, essentially, a VW Golf underneath, so they should last well enough as well. Yes, I’d definitely buy one of those.But should you buy a Toledo? Well, all of the above plaudits still apply, which is hardly a surprise as it is, as I said, the same car from the C-pillar forwards. It was distinctive, good value and, with a pleasantly precise gear change and a zesty engine, unexpectedly good fun to drive. As with the Altea, its styling is an improbable blend of 1930s roadster, Renault Megane Scenic and, front on, an angry teddy bear, to which the Toledo now adds a soup? of ziggurat to the rear: most peculiar I tried the Altea a while ago and really liked it. Timid conventionalists will cower in fear like the Stone Age tribes of the Amazon when first shown matches. It’s a cheap and rather cynical way of broadening the appeal of the range, assuming that by “broadening” one means “bastardising in order to appeal to timid conventionalists who still think all cars should look a bit like Ford Cortinas”, that is.In fact, the Toledo couldn’t look less like a Cortina if it tried, despite Seat still insisting on calling it a saloon.

Of course, the car industry has a fairly ignoble history of slapping boots on otherwise harmoniously styled cars – the Wolseley Hornet was a kind of push-me/pull-me Mini, for instance, while the Ford Orion was an Escort with a boot (which was some feat as the Escort actually already had a boot). SPECIFICATIONS Price on the road £15,550 Maximum speed 114mph (0-62mph in 12.4 seconds) Combined fuel consumption 51.4mpg For more information 0500 222 222

SPECIFICATIONS Price on the road £15,550 Maximum speed 114mph (0-62mph in 12.4 seconds) Combined fuel consumption 51.4mpg For more information 0500 222 222
Bustle bottoms and sit-up-and-beg styling are more Renault trademarks these days but that hasn’t stopped Seat tweaking the look for its Altea MPV and, now, the new Toledo (which is essentially an Altea with a boot). You may fall in love with your chosen property but try not to get carried away, Mr Parsons warns.”It may be that you like the house so much that you don’t care about the lack of certain amenities,” he says “But remember, a future buyer may think differently.”. This will give you details of new and planned developments that could affect the value of your property.”Local newspapers will also give you an insight into issues [affecting] the local community,” he adds.When on viewing trips, try talking to Neighbourhood Watch groups to find out if the area is a quiet, safe one.Throughout the buying process, think constantly about how location factors will affect the price you might get when you come to sell. Only the wealthy can afford more expensive homes in such catchment areas.Good local facilities aren’t everything, though. Making sure you’re happy in your choice of location is just as much about avoiding the downsides.Potential environmental hazards such as industrial pollution and flooding can have a huge impact on property prices. House-hunters should check out the risk from flooding, in particular, by using the Environment Agency’s website (environment-agency gov.uk).

Alternatively, insurers such as More Th>n have flood maps pinpointing homes at risk within individual areas.When buying a property, remember that knowledge is power; the more you know about the area you’re looking in, the better idea you will have of what you should be getting for your money. You can then adjust your budget and bargain accordingly.UpMyStreet is one of several websites that let you type in any postcode to gain access to all sorts of local information on property prices, schooling, policing and crime levels.Look at the local council website, too, says Michael Parsons from information site Mortgage & Loans Online. We see it as an investment.”Of course, you need to get up-to-date information on any school you might target. Schools can rise as well as fall in the league tables that measure their performance.”If you make the big decision to pay extra to buy a house in your dream neighbourhood, you don’t want to wake up to find the schools that serve it are tumbling down the tables,” says Professor Paul Cheshire of the London School of Economics, co-author of a recent study, the Price of Access to Better Neighbourhoods.He found that access to better education – even when provided free in a state school – is still dependent on parental income. Prices in 16 coastal towns have doubled in the past three years, the estate agency arm of the Halifax has found. “We had to pay around £40,000 more for our new home [than for a comparable property], but were happy to do so because we know it will pay off when we come to sell.

Time was – and it was way back when – that you bought a house simply to make a home. Today, due to a surge in property prices and concern over a lack of pension savings, a home of their own is increasingly seen by borrowers as an investment first and a roof over their heads second.
As part of the investment equation, location has become critical, having as big an impact on house prices as the physical condition of the properties.A house close – but not too close – to a station, shops and other local amenities is always likely to cost more than a comparable property some distance from these services. In Padstow, a picturesque village on the coast of north Cornwall, they have shot up by 144 per cent since 2002. The rapid rise is thanks in part to the influence of the celebrity chef Rick Stein, who owns several restaurants in the area.A home in the catchment area of a top-performing school can have a great impact on house prices, too. Now, however, it is possible to work out in some cases how much location can add to property values.Being situated next to a park can lift a home’s value by as much as 7 per cent, according to new research from the Commission for Architecture & the Built Environment (Cabe).A seaside location will make a property even hotter.

“We simply do not agree that all illegal immigrants with HIV should receive free treatment without question,” he said.”The NHS has always had the power to charge non-residents for these services; we have simply strengthened the existing rules to give NHS staff more clarity over who is eligible for free treatment and who isn’t.”. Government measures to tackle so-called health tourism have left Britain dangerously at risk from HIV infection, an influential group of MPs warns today. It warns the restrictions pose “a serious and escalating threat to public health” and accuses ministers of failing to understand the gravity of the threat.The new health measures were aimed at preventing non-EU residents from travelling to the UK for free care. Look for its logo (a white tick on a blue background) on fish in supermarkets, and visit – a treasure trove of information about the fish it approves.* The RSPCA Freedom Foods scheme was set up in 1994.