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By month: April 2007
30-Apr-07
Painting your entire home in a bland, magnolia shade is starting to lose its appeal, experts have claimed.According to Tina Jesson, property marketer and founder of design company Home Stagers, Britain is "on the cusp of a trends change" and pat
Hips to end 'testing the water' sales
30-Apr-07
A significant proportion of sellers, those who do not have a serious urge to sell but place their property on the market just to see what happens, could be put off by the introduction of Home information packs (Hips), experts have claimed.A survey by the
House prices up, but inflation slows
27-Apr-07
House prices in England and Wales are now 6.8 per cent higher than they were this time last year, figures show.According to data from Hometrack, the average property is now worth £174,600, but there are signs that house price inflation is slowing.The
Buy-to-let market set to double
26-Apr-07
The buy-to-let market will double in size by 2010, according to new research just released.Mintel, which undertook the survey, claims there will soon be over two million Brits who own and let a second property.The emerging situation, according to Mintel,
Housing demand 'resilient but starting to wane'
26-Apr-07
House prices rose last month, but the growth was steady rather than spectacular.Statistics released by Nationwide show a national average increase of 0.9 per cent for property prices across the UK.The figures, which are seasonally adjusted, represent a ri
Dining rooms out, home offices in
26-Apr-07
Dining rooms are going out of fashion with younger generations of homebuyers, as many are choosing to use the space as a home office instead.New research from Halo has found that 37 per cent of households with dining rooms have decided to shun the traditi
Co-buying 'increasingly popular with young buyers'
25-Apr-07
Young buyers are increasingly entering into joint mortgages in order to join the property ladder, it has been claimed.Many of them are feeling overwhelmed by the current costs of buying a house alone and are hooking up with strangers in order to split the
Internet is first port of call for homebuyers
25-Apr-07
The majority of buyers would consider the internet their first port of call when looking for property, according to a new study.As many as 91 per cent of the 1,000 Britons taking part in the Surfing for Homes survey named the internet as their potential f
Blokes 'too ashamed' to admit DIY ignorance
25-Apr-07
The average man spends £39 on tools every year, but a third of these would-be DIY-ers never actually use any of them, a new survey has revealed.A massive £318 million is spent on DIY tools each year in Britain, but nearly two thirds of men are t
24-Apr-07
Buying your first ever property, or indeed upgrading to a larger property, is undoubtedly an exciting time, but it's important to remember to calculate the cost of running a home to make sure you aren't caught out.Consumers are generally aware of the need
CML: Lenders can provide limited help to FTBs
24-Apr-07
Lenders understand the problems experienced by first-time buyers who are trying to get their first foothold on the property ladder, but there is a limit to how much they can help, the Council of Mortgage Lenders has said.According to spokesman Bernard Cla
One fifth of Londoners consider extensions
23-Apr-07
New research suggests that homeowners are scrambling to extend their properties with loft conversions and conservatories.The report claims that 21 per cent of all Londoners are considering such expansions.Birmingham Midshires, which commissioned the inves
Price of new-build homes down 3.4%
23-Apr-07
New-build homes have dropped in price by an average of £10,000 since this time last year, according to a newly-published house price index.A new-build property now typically costs £255,695 – a fall of 3.4 per cent against last year's figure of
£3,883 per square metre for London property
23-Apr-07
Property in London was the most expensive per square metre at £3,883 last year, new figures have revealed.According to data from Halifax, the capital city has seen some of the biggest price rises per square metre since 1996 at 254 per cent.However, o
Buy in London and save the planet
20-Apr-07
A leading mortgage provider has announced that it will offset every new borrower's carbon emissions for the entire coming year.London and Country (L&C), known for its fee-free service, has said that it will plant 50 trees for every mortgage it sells i
London property demand likely to grow
20-Apr-07
London is rapidly challenging New York's position as the global financial capital, according to new statistics published today.The figures, which could have implications for property prices in the capital, show that London's share of global hedge fund ass
Fixed-rate mortgages 'still most popular'
19-Apr-07
More than one in ten borrowers now opt for fixed-rate mortgages, it has been revealed.A monthly survey by Spicerhaart Financial Services shows that fixed-rate mortgages increased their market share to 91 per cent of all house loans in March.The new figure
London marathon route sees price rises
19-Apr-07
Houses lining the route of this Sunday's London Marathon have seen their value skyrocket over the past year, according to statistics just released.Figures show that four of the five boroughs through which the race passes have seen an average of at least &
Loft conversions help you sell
19-Apr-07
Adding a third floor to your property can significantly increase its saleability, it has been claimed.A survey of 1,000 customers, commissioned by Redrow, shows that almost three quarters of those owning two storey homes would love to have an extra floor
Government considers support for green home improvements
19-Apr-07
The government is considering new measures to help homeowners to implement the recommendations in energy performance certificates (EPCs), part of the new Home information packs (Hips).Housing minister Yvette Cooper has revealed that she will be hosting a
FTBs call for end to gazumping
18-Apr-07
A high proportion of homeowners have been affected by gazumping, where a seller accepts an offer but then takes a higher one from a different buyer.The problem has become greater in recent times, due in no small part to the fact that the number of propert
Hips scheme 'seriously flawed', says expert
18-Apr-07
The government's controversial Home information pack (Hip) scheme has come under fire again, with one property expert highlighting a "glaring mistake" in the requirements.Although the scheme is intended to make the property buying and selling pr
18-Apr-07
John Charcol has launched an exclusive new mortgage which should appeal to homebuyers who are considering taking in a lodger to help cover the costs of homeownership.Recent research by networking website Gumtree spotted a 38 per cent increase in the numbe
Online mortgages 'yet to take off'
17-Apr-07
The majority of consumers are still choosing to purchase their mortgage offline, despite preferring to conduct their initial research over the internet, one of the UK's leading banks has revealed.According to Alliance & Leicester, many people have rec
17-Apr-07
UK house prices fell by 0.1 per cent in February, official government figures have revealed.The Communities and Local Government (CLG) house price index shows that house prices fell from £205,399 to £205,102 between January and February."Th
First-time buyers experience borrowing doubts
16-Apr-07
Rising interest rates are leading potential first-time buyers to worry about affordability and many are choosing to postpone their entry into the property market, experts have warned.The proportion of home buyers who are purchasing a property for the firs
Rise in rejected mortgage applications
16-Apr-07
Over 460,000 mortgage applications have been turned down during the last six months, new figures suggest.Research by MoneyExpert.com reveals that the three recent interest rate rises are hitting buyers' finances, with more than 77,000 applicants being rej
Foreign investors look to UK property
16-Apr-07
The number of foreigners choosing to invest in the UK property market has risen "dramatically", according to experts.While media reports have tended to focus on millionaire investors from Russia, other nations have also been getting in on the ac
13-Apr-07
House price rises are beginning to 'flatten out', according to researchers.The Financial Times house price index, published today (April 13th), reveals that the price of the average home rose by 0.7 per cent between February and March, down from 0.9 per c
Threat of house price crash remains
13-Apr-07
There is still a possibility that house prices in the UK could plummet, according to a new report by Datamonitor.Although average property prices rose throughout 2006, researchers warn that rising levels of personal debt and the possibility of further int
Top tips on presenting a home for sale
12-Apr-07
The number of homes coming onto the market over the Easter holidays was 13 per cent higher this year than in 2006, according to new figures.Primemove.com believes that many sellers are choosing to market their properties ahead of the introduction of Home
Insurers warn of buy-to-let risk
12-Apr-07
The number of buy-to-let mortgages has increased by 21 per cent since the end of 2005, but landlords could be putting themselves at financial risk unless they obtain appropriate insurance cover, insurers have warned.According to the bank's analysis, there
Indian investors seek prime London property
11-Apr-07
Indian businessmen are clamouring to purchase properties in London, with many happy to spend in excess of £1 million, a report has claimed.The flourishing Indian economy is leading many investors from the subcontinent to buy some of the English capit
Ahipp slams Hip critics' claims
11-Apr-07
Critics of Home information packs (Hips) have been misleading the public by telling "unsubstantiated" lies about the scheme, supporters have claimed.According to the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (Ahipp), the anti-Hips movement
Bow penthouses offer affordable luxury
11-Apr-07
Prospective homebuyers with a penchant for penthouse living will be tempted by the Eastside development in Bow, where two fourth floor homes have just become available.The luxurious E3 development, accommodated in a contemporary building surrounding a gat
Central London prices rise for 27th month in a row
11-Apr-07
London's prime property market experienced the highest recorded monthly rate of growth in March, with average property prices rising by 3.1 per cent, figures have shown.The prime central London index from Knight Frank, published today, reveals that proper
Buy-to-let portfolios increase
10-Apr-07
The average UK property portfolio rose by seven per cent between November and February, according to research just released.The statistics, released by Paragon Mortgages, show that a typical landlord now owns 11.1 properties – up from 10.2 in February.P
Survey reveals what homeowners want
10-Apr-07
A pleasant neighbourhood and environmentally-friendly features are among the top priorities for most homebuyers, according to research released today.The survey, conducted on behalf of the Nationwide Building Society (NBS), found that 97 per cent of respo
