Sunday Mirror

The Best Euro Campsites

PLUS Budget camcorders to the test The week's best holiday deals HOT BUYS from pounds 1.50 5 July 2009 HOMES& Free with your Sunday Mirror holidays24 pagesof bargain hols & great ideas for your home and garden

Lookalikes ; ..Bamboo Bathroom Storage

IT'S easy to accumulate clutter, especially in the bathroom with everybody's bits and pieces fighting for space. But you can keep spare toiletries out of sight in one of these natural bamboo storage units. And as each one has four drawers everyone should be happy.

Outdoor Games Top 10

Have fun times in the garden with these great games Fun Club basketball stand, pounds 7.99 (www.wilkinsonplus. co.uk, 0845 608 0807)

Homes

4&5 Don't panic if your home is in negative equity... there CAN be a way out

Now Our Lives Are On Hold

SEVEN years after buying their three-bedroom terraced home for pounds 100,000, Jonty Roberts and his wife have found themselves trapped by negative equity. "Our original mortgage was for pounds 95,000," says Jonty, 33. "But over the years we have remortgaged three times to help pay for a new bathroom, kitchen, replastering, oak flooring, our wedding and to keep us afloat while my wife trained as a teacher and I was a student nurse. We now have a pounds 180,000 mortgage."

I Can't See Any Way Out.. Except Bankruptcy

JOANNA Dillon bought a two-bedroom house with her boyfriend three years ago - and has been regretting it almost ever since. The pounds 123,000 property is now worth only pounds 100,000. And she is struggling to make the monthly payments after the couple parted and he moved to Australia.

The Red ; What to Do If Your Home Falls Into..

THE house price crash has seen 900,000 families in Britain plunged into negative equity. That's 7.6 per cent of mortgaged homes, and even with the small increases in sale prices currently being predicted, credit referencing agency Fitch say many borrowers will be trapped owing more than their home is worth for a long time to come.

We Will Have to Rent a Room

THE biggest regret James Clark has about the two-bedroom house he bought is the timing. With a friend, he bought the semi in Streatham Hill, South London, in September 2007, just as prices peaked.

Get the Look

Silk fans in assorted colours pounds 1.50 each (www.dotcomgiftshop.com, 020 8746 2473) Faux silk lamp pounds 14.99 (www.dunelmmill.com, 0845 165 6565)

Splash Out On Colour ; Don't Pour Cash Into Expensive Furniture. Go to Junk Shops &..

With its bold patterns and glamorous touches singer Karen Bishko's first home is big on style - and by shopping carefully it didn't cost her a fortune KAREN Bishko knew exactly the look she wanted when she moved into the first home of her own. It had to be flamboyant, full of colour and be very, very feminine.

Box Clever.. Where to Put the Tv in Your Living Room

IT'S hard to imagine Jim Royle as a trendsetter, but a new survey suggests more of us are following TV's most famous couch potato and opting for a night in front of the box rather than one down the pub. Almost half went for the cheaper option in the Sky Movies poll which means the humble living room is increasingly becoming the centre of our social lives.

To the Test ; Tricks of the Trade

Wiki, pounds 59.99 (www.iwantoneofthose.com, 0844 573 7070) A GOOD budget alternative, with a pop-out USB plug. Videos are okay for the price but the Wiki is bulky, the video quality suffers in low light and struggles to cope with changes in brightness. Also, the screen becomes very hard to see in bright sunlight. Camileo S10, pounds 129.99 (www.toshiba.co.uk, 0844 847 8944) GOOD value for a highdefinition camcorder, and it looks the part at just 11mm thick. It's a dream to use too. But play ...

A Blanket Ban On Tartan.. What Else Is There? ; Tricks of the Trade

? FINALLY some great weather for picnics - but my blanket has seen better days. I would love a new one but not the normal plaid tartan. Have you seen any at all? It would also be useful if it is portable or easy to carry. - Mrs Sheldon, Richmond, South-West London ZENA SAYS: I know what you mean. Who wants tacky tartan when you can invest in something more stylish? As for portability, what about a carry strap or a matching bag? I hope one of these catches your eye. Monsoon foldaway blanket, p...

Walk This Way for Washable Runners ; Tricks of the Trade

I'm Attracted to a Magnet for Keeping My Soap Clean ; Tricks of the Trade

I Need Some Blinding Ideas for My Window ; Tricks of the Trade

?THE only position my bed will fit in our bedroom is in front of the window. This makes having curtains awkward and I think blinds are boring. Any suggestions on making more of the window? - Julie Blair, Edinburgh ZENA SAYS: You're right, some blinds can look a little plain but there are ways of adding interest.

Will This Take the Strain Out of Stain? ; Tricks of the Trade

?I WA S really pleased to see a new device being advertised to stain decking as it's a job I do not look forward to. It looks like a flat-head mop. Do you know if it's any good? - Henry Wright, Portsmouth ZENA SAYS: I think you mean Cuprinol's new PowerPad. It is battery powered with a sponge section and a bristle strip to get into the grooves of your decking. On the whole it is a good idea.

Bride of Place ; the Top 10 Wedding Gifts

THE invitations are piling up now that it's peak wedding season. Forget the toasters and check out the clever and practical ideas in our list of the top sellers from these 10 shops... Homes

Tall Blooms to Make Your Garden.. Spiketacular ; Spiky Flowers Are a Great Contrast to 'Round' Blooms in the Garden. Use Them Creatively to Add Height and Impact to Low Borders, and As High Drama for Any Dull Areas.

BE INFORMAL CREATE an impressive informal display in a country garden with a towering mixture of foxgloves, delphinium, mignonette and other resedas. Expert tip Give plants a good start. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot. Tease the roots out so they don't grow in a circle. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot, backfill with enriched soil and tamp down.

Jobs for the Week ; Do It!

Easy Plant colchicums and autumn crocus in small groups in the front of shrub borders where the flowers can be seen in autumn. Go on a hunt by torchlight for night feeders such as slugs, snails and vine weevils. During the day you'll find these pests hiding in cool, shady places.