Winners, a worthy demolition and advice on selling

IT may come as no surprise that Leeds has been named the best place to live in the North and North East in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.

The judges said: “Leeds has established itself as the true northern powerhouse and is the perfect place to enjoy a good life on a good salary.

They said: “Leeds has the best-paying jobs outside London. Five universities provide youthful energy and it’s the only UK city outside London to have its own opera, ballet and theatre companies."

Also ranked in the top best places to live in the North are Boston Spa, Nether Edge in Sheffield, Saltaire, Skipton, the Yorkshire Wolds, Heaton in Newcastle and Whitley Bay in Tyne and Wear.

Selling a home is a big decision and it involves an awful lot of ‘paperwork’, a term that may be obsolete sooner rather than later given the pace of technology.

As most of us don’t move home often, it’s easy to forget what is involved. There are now lots of documents and details needed, which is why we decided to refresh your memory with a checklist and some advice.

We also asked the veteran estate agent Simon Blyth for some tips on what you need to do before you open the door to potential buyers. One of his best pieces of advice is that only one person from the household should show would-be buyers round and there must be no butting in by other members of the household.

Read the above feature to find out why, though I wish I could also treat you to Simon’s thoughts on audio as I heard them. He does a great husband and wife impression featuring real life house viewing scenarios that had me laughing out loud.

Also this week, we feature a fabulous Yorkshire eco-house for sale. Its birth involved demolishing a rather expensive property and rebuilding – but it was well worth it.