| Product: |
BBC Good Homes |
| Date: |
14/01/06 (115 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Appeals to a broad market
Disadvantages: Lacks depth
Good Homes magazine, published by the BBC states it is Britain’s fastest-growing homes magazine. Given it is only on issue number 87, and therefore around seven years old, and given the huge uprising in home shows on all channels on TV, this is probably a claim which is grounded in fact.
I have bought this magazine in the past, although not on any regular basis – more if I wanted a bit of interior inspiration, or indeed just for something to read and a nosy into the style of others.. However I picked out February 2006 edition along with several others; as my new home needs renovation to a degree which I have not previously attempted – I already know my current budget will not allow me to completely renovate and decorate every room in the medium term, and therefore I need as much inspiration as possible on what to do – and what NOT to do.
The latest edition has a typical living room interior for its front cover, and while it appears a little too modern for my current home (although not necessarily my taste), I believe it was worth a further browse. This edition also features the new program “Pay your mortgage off in 2 years!” Yes You Can!! (I won’t depress you with the numbers, especially if you owe more than £100K!)
Like any magazine, there are always incentives to sign up. Currently you can sign up for 3 issues of Good Homes for £1 providing you sign for a subscription of £12.50 for every six issues. Effectively a subscription gives you nine issues for £15.50 which is equivalent to £1.72 per issue compared to the cover price of £2.95.
But is it worth it?
I think this magazine will appeal to a broad market. I flicked through the first 70+ pages and found that with one exception, there were lots of shorter articles, and price comparisons of various household appliances, furniture and finishing touches. There was also a feature length article on lighting, which is part of an Interior Design series that the magazine runs as a regular feature. Many of the featured ideas will appeal more to a modern home and modern tastes than a traditional home, but many will appeal to both tastes. If I had one disappointment in the early pages of this magazine, it was that they ran a feature comparing Supermarket convenience foods – what place has that in a Homes Magazine? In its defence, this one page article was part of a section focusing on the Kitchen, but I felt it was slightly out of place in Good Homes.
There was a lot of information in this first 50% of the magazine. There were several room settings, complete with name and stockists. While not all would suit what I have in mind in my new home, there are useful cut out and keep guides, providing information on paint, wallpaper, fabrics and flooring for the room styles. The emphasis is very much on interior design rather than renovation however.
As all home owners will be on a budget of some kind, I particularly liked the Price Patrol spread, which showed “budget” and luxury items, for example covering butchers blocks, chairs, rugs, traditional radiators and even taps.
The chunkiest section in the magazine is the imaginatively titled “48-page Property Guide”. This focuses on three very different Reader’s homes and their stories, with February’s issue concentrating on a fabulous detached new home, a 17th Century farmhouse and a 1930’s New England Cottage. There is plenty of inspiration in all three of these homes, and the articles run to around ten pages each.
Given that this is a BBC publication, there are plenty of articles featuring key BBC shows, such as Homes under the Hammer, Trading Up and Living in the Sun as well as the presenter of the Pay your Mortgage off program mentioned earlier. The classified section is smaller than average for a magazine of this type, although there are plenty of adverts to inspire you throughout the magazine.
Overall this magazine concentrates on small scale home improvements. A room here or there; or ideas for small spaces, such as studies, bedrooms and bathrooms. There are the three feature homes, but these represent a fraction of this magazine’s glossy pages.
I think this magazine was a good read, although it doesn’t quite meet my current requirements. It will appeal more to someone who has a minor amount of decoration and improvement work to do, but does not tackle larger projects in any great depth. It did still provide me with plenty of inspiration, and I have noted down a number of products which I do intend to purchase. It is more modern than traditional, and therefore more subject to changing tastes than a traditional magazine might be. Nevertheless I enjoyed flicking through its pages to see how different colours, textures and designs can be brought together in different homes.
Recommended 8/10
Summary: Will appeal to most home owners, but lacking in depth for more serious renovation
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