Halloween is creeping up on the December holiday in popularity and consumer spending, according to recent retail surveys. Americans will spend almost $5 billion on Halloween this year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), a jump of more than a billion dollars over last year.

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Visitdevonandcornwall.com is now able to offer free property marketing. We have added to our popular accommodation rental web, site a facility to market your home at no cost, on the internet.

With the rising cost of estate agents fees self-promotion of residential property is becoming the norm. The average house price in the UK is around 190,000, and a common estate agent fee is 2% of sale price which equates to £3,600 plus VAT at 17.5%  totalling £4,230. By using our free service and other similar advertising on the web, as well as investing in some advertising in your local papers, you can sell your own home and save thousands.

Valuation

Search your local papers, and the internet to find similar homes to your own. Consider the location, condition, and other desirable factors of the comparable properties, and use this to value your own home. If you are honest with yourself, you probably have a better idea of the market value than anybody else. An estate agent will go through this same process and generally, when they visit they will talk about the possible value of your home, and judge your reactions to their comments, and use this feedback to find a price you are happy with without you knowing about it.

Details

Create, using your PC, a set of bright, clean, property details. Keep the information accurate and factual. Explain enough to get somebody interested. Use your camera to take bright colourful images of your home (a picture paints a thousand words), and lay the information out in a way that’s easy on the eye, a nice amount of white space on the page, so things are not crammed. Don’t forget to add your contact details.

Free Marketing

You then need to consider the likely purchaser, a family, a single professional?. Use this information to target your marketing; let’s consider a family. Visit local day care nurseries and ask to see if you can put a set of details on the notice board. The local shop that sells milk and nappies, you often have to make a small donation to add things to the for sale board but it’s usually a nominal amount. Find out if the local school produces a magazine, and see if you can add your property for a small charge, schools are often grateful for contributions towards the production cost. Use your imagination, there are lots of outlets for your property. Golf clubs, sailing clubs, village halls, the list is endless.

Papers

The free papers in your area are another source. Small lineage ads with images are very affordable and generally cost effective. Include brief accurate bullet points about your home, and clear contact details. Again don’t cram the advert, use the space available to you.

The Web

The internet has a whole range of solutions for you. We offer a free service for you to add your property. There are fantastic sites that charge a small set fee like thelittlehousecompany.co.uk who market your home online for a flat fee. Add the basics of your property to your email signature, you would be amazed of the results this can deliver. Surf the internet for blogs about house sales, and add something worthy but include your property, or a link a page where your property is being marketed.

Cost effective

Following this basic guide, and doing some research on the internet, you can create a very cost effective marketing package for your home, which will get results fast. Most importantly it will save you thousands.

Start today

You can start today by going to www.visitdevonandcornwall.com clicking on advertise, and following the simple online instructions. All it will cost is your own time but it’s a valuable investment.

For anyone who ever wanted a second chance….

You can rely on a cracking good laugh when Miracle Theatre comes into town. This winter, they explore the world both past and future with the aid of an extraordinary and somewhat unpredictable Time Machine. The show opens in Cornwall on December 7 and plays at Falmouth’s Princess Pavilion over Christmas. Touring the UK throughout January and February, this is Miracle Theatre’s renowned and popular blend of family entertainment at its best!

Where would you travel? To the past or to the future? You can expect to ponder some of the eternal questions of life while your children are enthralled, delighted and intrigued by the jokes, songs, and the unexpected ‘things’ that invariably happen in a Miracle show. This comic and colourful treat will delight and entertain families, children and adults of all ages, and will keep you smiling for days afterwards.

Cornwall’s Miracle Theatre Company has been touring South West England for over 25 years and is one of the region’s most popular theatre companies. Now touring widely across the UK, Miracle’s reputation for ‘Seriously funny theatre’ just grows and grows.

“They just go on getting better and better.”
Western Morning News

For full tour dates and more about Miracle Theatre Company visit: www.miracletheatre.co.uk

Penrose Bed and Breakfast located in Lostwithiel has range of family/double/twin ensuite rooms. All the bedrooms have TV, DVD/CD player, hairdryer, extensive beverage tray and toiletries. The Eden Project is close to Lostwithiel.

>> Close to Eden Project
>> A Range of family/double/twin ensuite rooms
>> Warm, friendly and relaxed atmosphere
>> Plenty of places to eat within 5/10 minute walk
>> No better place to stay in Cornwall

Click here to view full rental details

The best way to enjoy Halloween is to attend one of the many pre organised events around Devon and Cornwall.

Please respect others on the night, especially the old and vunerable. Remember people in scary costumes at you door can be very intimidating and cause distress.

Have a great night and enjoy yourselves.

regards

Visitdevonandcornwall.com

A Halloween work shop in Saltash. Enjoy stories, mask making and lots of spooky fun on this night of wizards and witches.

Booking essential

Child £2.50

Contact: tel 01579 351346.

Meet up for Halloween fun at Godolphin house 1830 – 1900 hrs. Dress up in fancy dress and walk the woods of Godolphin House in search of ghosts.

Booking is essential for this Halloween event.

• Adults £3.00
• Children £2.00

Contact: tel 01736 762479

Come along to the Pendennis castle in Falmouth for Halloween, be prepared to be scared!!

Ghost tours are available this haloween 23rd - 29th October 2006. Booking is advisable

£4.80 for adults

£3.60 concessionary

£2.40 for children

Contact Pendennis Castle on falmouth (01326) 316594

A guided foray around the grounds of Lanhydrock, near Bodmin in search of FUNGI.

Learn how identify species. Meet at the Respryn car park.

Booking essential. £5 adult £2.50 Child

01209 265950

During the period of Falmouths Oyster Festival, children can go free to the National Maritime Museum as long as they are with a paying adult.

The Museum is also offering free of charge Crabbing - they provide you with crab line, bait and a bucket as well as a venue where you can catch marine crabs!!

There is also story telling - Be whisked away to sea by mysterious tales of our Cornish coast during this dramatic storytelling session.

and much more here