LONDON landlords looking for their next tenant would do well to put ads in papers such as the Gazeta Polska. According to a report from Ludlowthompson.com, there has been a “dramatic increase in demand for London lets from the new EU 10” since they joined two years ago. Tenants from Poland and Slovakia now represent 11.7 per cent of overseas demand for rental properties. France came second, accounting for 9.7 per cent of overseas inquiries. Australia is third with 9.3 per cent.

SO YOU’VE added a boutique hotel-style bathroom and laid granite on every available kitchen surface. What can you do next to increase the value of your home? If research from MasterCard is to be believed, the answer could lie at the bottom of your garden. The report said that an attractive, feature-filled garden could add up to £8,600 to the average home. However, be warned: the report found that the gratuitous use of garden gnomes upsets 5 per cent ot homeowners. Check the company’s online calculator to see how much you could profit: www.gardenmultiplier.co.uk

TOILET humour need no longer be frowned upon. Bricks and Mortar’s Tony Husband has been made the first cartoonist in residence at The Lowry galleries in Salford, with his work placed on all the lavatory doors. He was recently given the Pont Award by the Cartoon Arts Trust for drawing the British way of life. Catch him drawing cartoons for the public at The Lowry on Monday, May 29.

LUCIA ADAMS lucia.adams@thetimes.co.uk

Explore Property

• Buying & Selling

• New Homes

• Overseas

• Interiors

• Investment

• Gardens

• Cool In Your Code

• Specials

• First-time buyer

Times recommends

• Second homes: credit crunch casualty or money-spinner?
• How I built my own sliding house
• Top 10 incentives for house buyers