The plight of first time buyers is back in the news as the Government has launched yet another new initiative aimed at helping them get onto the ladder. The Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a scheme that is aimed at helping around 100,000 first...
A new regulation which requires septic tanks to be registered will come into force from January 1st 2012. This new law will means that under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010, householders with existing or new septic tanks...
There was a glimmer of good news for the property market this month with the Bank of England releasing its latest figures that show there were 2,000 more mortgage approvals in June than in the previous month. There were 48,421 approvals for...
Another property report from accountants PWC has painted an even more depressing picture of the future of the property market referring to a ‘mini ice age’ until 2020. The report suggests that, taking into account inflation, prices...
A recent report by Knight Frank provides a stark illustration of the dramatic differences in the residential property market between London and the South East and the rest of the country. Whilst central London has seen regular monthly prices rises and...
A revival in the numbers of buy to let properties being snapped up could be good news for the property market. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has said recently that they expect to see buy to let figures increasing over the course of the...
As homeowners brace themselves for higher interest rates, remortgaging in the UK is at its highest level in almost 26-months, new figures have revealed. According to the Bank of England, in February, 35,725 loans were approved for people...
First time buyers across the UK believe they could be as old as 40 by the time they make their first steps on the property ladder. Research by property website Globrix.com found that as many as 40% of aspiring first time buyers think they will...
The tide of good news being pushed homeowners’ way in 2011 was boosted this week, as Nationwide revealed that house prices edged ahead by 0.3% in February The increase, which was only the second gain recorded since May last year, left the...
The BBC2 series ‘Can’t take it with you’ has raised significant awareness of the need to plan properly for the future by making a Will. The series as a whole deals with the dilemmas people face when writing a Will and helps...
Some light is on the horizon for first time buyers struggling to get their first foot on the property ladder. Mortgage affordability for those looking to take their first steps onto the property ladder is at its ‘most...
Research by RICS – the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors – recently caught my eye because they uncovered that a quarter of all home buyers who did not have a sufficient survey conducted on the property they purchased, then had to pay...
You’ve found the property you want, arranged a mortgage you can afford… now comes the task of finding a solicitor who can deal with the legal aspects of your transaction. It can be confusing to know which solicitor to choose....
The Council of Mortgage Lenders most recent figures suggest that there will be 39,000 repossessions of homes by the end of 2010, a big drop from the 53,000 they previously expected. Whilst any fall in such a worrying figure is to be welcomed,...
A recent report that suggests the number of first time buyers is falling concerned me. The research by Rightmove said that 22% of potential buyers are looking to buy their first home in the next year, compared to 31% at the same point last...
Our ‘topsy-turvy’ housing market seems to be continuing after a new survey from RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) showed that house prices are beginning to fall amidst a stalling economy. According to RICS, since July...
For the second time this year, the Budget delivered surprises and extra tax implications for home owners. For private landlords with buy-to-let properties, the Government’s announcement on Capital Gains Tax meant they could breathe a...
When Communities Secretary Eric Pickles gave Home Information Packs (HIPs) the red-card last month, most people involved in the property industry – buyers and sellers included – gave a huge sigh of relief. HIPs were...
The lack of funding available for home buyers at the moment means that first time buyers have to be ever more creative in their quest to get on the property ladder. Some may be able to tap into the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ to get...
The dust may have settled on this year’s Budget but the effects on families and home owners could be felt for a lifetime after major changes were announced to Stamp Duty and the Inheritance Tax threshold. We all know that the rise and...
