By John Healy of Healy Insurances

As of August 2021, a green card (or international motor insurance card) is no longer required for travel in the European Economic Area.

This area includes all the European Union countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. You also don’t need a green card for Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Switzerland.

If you are travelling with your vehicle to the named counties you will still need to bring:

Your certificate of motor insurance
Your vehicle licencing certificate
Your driving licence
Your passport

If you are taking a company owned, hired or borrowed vehicle, you will need a letter of authorisation from the registered owner along with the vehicle licencing certificate.

It is important to check the legal requirements for the country you are driving in. Some EU countries including France will require you to carry the following items:

Reflective jackets for each occupant of the vehicle
Warning triangle
Headlamp beam deflectors
Breathalyser test
Spare bulb kit
First Aid Kit (compulsory in Austria, France and Germany)

It is advisable to have your travel insurance details, European breakdown cover details, health insurance details and your European Health Insurance card in your possession. Travel safe.

By Ted Healy of DNG TED HEALY

Over the past few weeks we have looked at ways of spring cleaning our homes in preparation for going to the market. The final step and one of the most important is the kerb appeal of your home.

The exterior of your property is going to attract would-be buyers, it is a simple fact.

So let’s get it looking as well as we possibly can.

Our aim should be to make your property look as appealing as possible, to as many people as possible, ultimately leading to a higher selling price in a quicker timeframe.

Remember that first impressions last. After a long winter, things may not be looking their best in the garden but with the onset of spring and the warm sunny (hopefully) summer evenings, comes the opportunity in presenting our outdoor spaces in the best possible light.

Cut the lawns, brush the driveway, weed the flower beds, get those flower baskets and window boxes out. Lay out the patio furniture.

Do your footpaths/patio areas need a power hose?
How are the rainwater gutters – remove any debris/growth from them.

How’s the paintwork, are there any areas of peeling paint that need touching up?
Perhaps give the front door a lift with a new coat of paint.

Improving how your property looks from the outside is as important as how it feels once you’re inside, yet it often gets overlooked.

Remember our home is our most valuable asset so why not get it looking its very best. We get one chance to make that first impression so make it last, it will pay off.

For anyone considering selling their property or looking for advice on how best to prepare it for sale, contact DNG Ted Healy on 064 6639000 or killarney@dng.ie.