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By month: August 2007
31-Aug-07
Landlords with investment properties in London and the rest of the UK have been given a boost by the latest figures from Halifax.The bank has published statistics which show that the UK has seen the second highest growth in house prices in Europe in the l
Mixed picture for UK house prices
31-Aug-07
Property prices in the UK increased between July and August, according to the latest figures.Nationwide has published its house price index in which it reveals that price growth increased by 0.6 per cent month-on-month.This signals a rise on July's very s
30-Aug-07
People with investment properties in London were given a boost when it was revealed that prices in the capital rose again in July.The Land Registry House Price Index shows that the average property in the city is now worth £342,936.That signals a mon
Landlords stabilise the market
29-Aug-07
Buy-to-let property investors in London and throughout the UK are helping to stabilise the property market.That is according to a new report by Paragon, which highlights the fact that landlords are ably absorbing rising interest rates and increasing house
Mortgage lending remains strong
29-Aug-07
Property investors in London and across the UK will be pleased to discover that mortgage lending remained robust in July.New figures from the British Bankers' Association (BBA) reveal that gross lending hit £2.3 billion in the month.This signals an a
28-Aug-07
Property investors have been told precisely what kind of home most Britons want to live in.According to research by Halifax, most people would like a three bedroom detached property in the countryside.A total of 50 per cent want to live somewhere rural, w
Consumers don't expect rate rise
28-Aug-07
Consumers are becoming more confident that the Bank of England will not raise interest rates in the coming year.The Lloyds TSB Consumer Barometer shows that the number of people who think interest rates will rise hit a six-month low in August.Just 69 per
City bonus drop could lower house prices
24-Aug-07
House prices in London could fall if the predicted drop in city bonuses reduces demand for top-of-the-range properties, it has been claimed.The UK's recent financial downturn means that investment banks are likely to cut costs by slashing their usually ge
Brits spend 17 minutes choosing home
24-Aug-07
Desperate home buyers hoping to get their hands on a UK property are said to be spending just 17 minutes looking around the house before deciding it is the one for them.According to figures from ING Direct, this means they are spending less time choosing
23-Aug-07
People with investment properties in London are being advised that families are tending to leave the capital.There is a growing trend for young couples to live in London before upping sticks when they start a family.According to HTA Architects, the city b
23-Aug-07
First-time buyers (FTBs) are making more sacrifices in order to get onto the property ladder.That is according to research by GE Money and The Future Foundation, which found that rising prices, increasing interest rates and changing lifestyle choices are
22-Aug-07
Many of the UK's landlords are avoiding a new piece of legislation by not taking a deposit from tenants.A new law, which was introduced in April 2007, states that all tenancy deposits for rents up to £25,000 per annum must be put into a specially des
22-Aug-07
Demand for Home information packs (Hips) is already outstripping expectations.That is according to Simply Hip, which says that a large number of people have been requesting the packs despite August traditionally being a quiet month.Hips are compulsory for
21-Aug-07
Now may be a good time to amass some investment properties in London after it was revealed that prices in the capital dropped slightly in August.The Rightmove House Price Index shows that prices fell by 0.1 per cent in the month - the first time London pr
Mortgage lending breaks July record
21-Aug-07
Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) show that gross mortgage lending reached record levels in July.The organisation has published statistics for the month which show that £34.4 billion was lent.This sets a new record for the value of l
20-Aug-07
Home information packs (Hips) are to be expanded so that they cover properties with three or more bedrooms.It comes just weeks after they were initially launched for properties with four or more bedrooms and their introduction has been welcomed by many.Up
HMO licence will improve standards
20-Aug-07
Rental property standards are set to improve as a result of new licensing, according to a government body.The Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (Lacors) says that new laws concerning houses with multiple occupancy (HMO) will improve li
17-Aug-07
The government's housing plans have been slammed by one of its own advisors.Gordon Brown announced earlier this year that he wanted to see three million new homes built by 2020 in a bid to tackle affordability issues in the UK.However, Stephen Nickell, ch
Student buy-to-let does carry risks
17-Aug-07
Student buy-to-let could be a great option for many parents but there are dangers associated.That is according to website Moneyfacts, which says it is important for investors to do their research before buying.The benefits are clear, with free housing bei
17-Aug-07
Property prices are still rising, according to the Assetz House Price Watch.The report incorporates five of the UK's major price indices and has revealed that house prices increased by 10.1 per cent in July.That actually signals a drop in annual inflation
Student buy-to-let a good option for parents
16-Aug-07
The average student leaves university with £14,000 worth of debt but parents can do their bit to help pay this off.Britannia says that if parents invest in a buy-to-let property for their child and their friends to live in, they could easily pay off
Landlords should join an association
16-Aug-07
Buy-to-let investors are being encouraged to sign up to a reputable landlords association.The call comes from the National Landlords' Association (NLA), which says new landlords in particular can benefit from the information and advice provided.The buy-to
Base rate decision was unanimous
15-Aug-07
It appears that the Bank of England was in no doubt whatsoever about maintaining the base rate at 5.75 per cent in August.Minutes from the meeting show that all nine committee members voting in favour of freezing the rate.In addition, the minutes reveal t
15-Aug-07
The buy-to-let sector is thriving, with more and more people snapping up investment properties in London and throughout the rest of the UK.According to figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), 171,800 new buy-to-let mortgages were taken out in
14-Aug-07
Anyone with investment properties in London and the rest of the UK has been given a boost.The Office of National Statistics has revealed that consumer price index (CPI) annual inflation has fallen dramatically between June and July.The figure stood at 2.4
14-Aug-07
The National House-Building Council (NHBC) has released a comprehensive of list of benefits to buying a new property.It comes as the Council of Mortgage Lenders reveals that the number of first-time buyers entering the property market fell in June.Accordi
New landlords told to do their research
14-Aug-07
First-time landlords are being warned to do their research before looking at investment properties in London and the rest of the UK.According to the National Landlords' Association (NLA), many new buy-to-let investors believe that renting out a property w
Average London property price tops £332k
13-Aug-07
House prices in London have risen at the highest rate in the UK, according to new figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government.Official figures showed the inflation rate in London hit 17.5 per cent, running at well over twice the rate
'Too early' to take stock of property market
13-Aug-07
Property industry experts have said it is too early to determine the effect of global stock market jitters after billions of pounds were wiped off thanks to sliding share prices last week.The FTSE 100 suffered one of its worst days in recent years last Fr
House price inflation ages first-time buyers
10-Aug-07
News bought to you by privateHQ.com, specialists for private property sales in London.First-time buyers are on average seven years older than they were 30 years ago, according to new research.Figures from GE Money found that the average age of someone buy
10-Aug-07
British homeowners will pay a premium for properties with a garden, with most willing to pay up to £10,000 more for such a home.That is the conclusion of new research from Halifax Estate Agents, which indicates that almost eight out of ten – or
Flood victims need housing help
9-Aug-07
The aftermath of the recent flooding that affected much of the UK is still being felt.Many people are unable to return to their homes and Citizens Advice is calling for payment breaks to be offered by all involved.The charity wants borrowers, including bu
9-Aug-07
Concerns over the introduction of Home information packs (Hips) have been raised by a government watchdog.The National Audit Office (NAO) has announced that it is to probe the way in which the scheme was implemented, with particular focus on the employmen
8-Aug-07
The next boom in buy-to-let is set to be in properties situated above commercial premises.That is according to Mortgages for Business, which sees growth in that area taking off in the coming months.Traditionally, these kinds of properties were particularl
8-Aug-07
In order for Home information packs (Hips) to speed up the home-selling process, a lawyer will have to be involved early on.That is according to Rob Hailstone, chief executive officer of Hipag Services, who said that a basic Hip will not contain enough in
8-Aug-07
The National Landlords' Association (NLA) has expressed some concern over new licences for landlords.The comments follow a report by the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (Lacors), which looked at the progress made in introducing licen
HMO licensing scheme doing well
7-Aug-07
The Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (Lacors) says that new landlord licensing laws are progressing well.A report from the organisation shows that thousands of the licences have been granted and thousands more applications have been m
Investment opportunities in East London
7-Aug-07
Anyone looking for investment properties in London may want to look east at the Thamesmead region.New research shows that SE28 is a rarity in that its average house price is well below the rest of the capital's and indeed the rest of the country.According
7-Aug-07
Many people are concerned about the effect buy-to-let investors are having on the UK housing market.According to research by Ipsos Mori, 24 per cent of Britons believe that property investors in London and throughout the country are having a negative impa
Average house price to top £300,000
6-Aug-07
News bought to you by privateHQ.com, specialists for private property sales in London.The average house price in Britain could top £300,000 by 2012, according to the National Housing Federation (NHF).Despite concerns about rising interest rates, dema
English Heritage warning over Hips
6-Aug-07
News bought to you by privateHQ.com, specialists for private property sales in London.English Heritage has raised concerns about the new Home Information Packs introduced at the start of this month.The building conservation group has warned that the new p
House prices not expected to fall
3-Aug-07
People with investment properties in London and the rest of the UK have been reassured about the stability of the property market.Savills has published its forecast for the rest of 2007 and 2008, with the firm predicting that prices are not likely to drop
3-Aug-07
Home information packs (Hips) should contain a home condition report (HCR) as standard.That is according to the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (Ahipp) which says few people are likely to take them up voluntarily.Speaking on BBC Radio Five
Landlords take deposit scheme well
2-Aug-07
Landlords have had few problems with the introduction of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme.That is according to a new report from Paragon Mortgages, which found that almost three quarters have experienced no negative effects as a result of the scheme.A large maj
2-Aug-07
Mortgage holders can breathe a sigh of relief after it was announced that the base rate will remain at its current level in August.The majority of industry analysts had predicted that rates would remain at 5.75 per cent and the announcement is likely to b
House prices increase by 0.7 per cent
2-Aug-07
House prices continued to grow in July and the rate of growth also increased.According to the Halifax House Price Index, the average UK property price currently costs £198,915, signalling an increase of 0.7 per cent.This is up on June's rate of growt
1-Aug-07
The London property market is so doing so well that 70 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds cannot afford to get onto the property ladder.Within that figure, 54 per cent of people in the slightly wealthier young professionals' age bracket of 25 to 34 are still
Hips warning for estate agents
1-Aug-07
UK estate agents are being warned that if they do not comply with the new Home information packs (Hips) legislation, they face a ban.The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has issued the warning on the day that Hips have been introduced to the home selling proc
1-Aug-07
Home information packs (Hips) have finally been introduced to the home selling process for properties with four or more bedrooms.From today (August 1st) any property of this size which is put on the market must come with a Hip, which will also include an
