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By month: September 2007
Tenants more interested in location than energy efficiency
28-Sep-07
The energy efficiency of a rental property is not a key concern among tenants.That is according to the National Landlords' Association (NLA), which said renters are more interested in location.However, the organisation did point out that many landlords ar
Olympics will benefit Central London too
27-Sep-07
Central London is set to benefit from the Olympic Games as much as the East End.Despite the main focus of the Games being on the east of the city, London Central Portfolios (LCP) says that the centre will also see big changes and this will lead to big pro
House prices rise in September
27-Sep-07
House prices continued to rise in September, flying in the face of negative expectations.According to the Nationwide House Price Index, there was a month-on-month increase of 0.7 per cent, up on the 0.6 per cent growth recorded in August.It puts the avera
No need to rush into buy-to-let market
26-Sep-07
Potential buy-to-let investors are being told that there is no need to rush into the market.Ray Boulger, spokesman for John Charcol, says that it is far better for buyers to do their research first and make sure that the area they want to invest in has a
Renovate your home - but not too much
26-Sep-07
People with investment properties in London and throughout the UK can increase the value of their property by carrying out renovation work.However, homeowners are being warned not to do so much work that the property becomes unaffordable.A spokesman for t
25-Sep-07
Britons are feeling positive about the future, according to the latest Consumer Confidence Barometer from Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets.The survey found that more people are feeling secure in their jobs, with confidence reaching levels not seen since July
Brown defends record on housing and debt
25-Sep-07
Gordon Brown says that the UK housing market is not on the brink of collapse and has defended his economic record.The prime minister told BBC One's 'Andrew Marr Show' that rising personal debt levels are down to the fact that more people now own their hom
BBA: 'Mortgage lending rises again'
24-Sep-07
The latest statistics from the British Bankers' Association (BBA) shows that net mortgage lending increased in August.The figures look at lending from banks only and reveal that there was an underlying increase of £6.1 billion.It meant that lending i
24-Sep-07
Leading buy-to-let mortgage lender Paragon has reported good growth figures.The firm expects to see its annual buy-to-let lending growth to increase by 30 per cent in the year ending September.It is a good sign for the buy-to-let sector in the UK and will
Investors confident about buy-to-let
24-Sep-07
People with buy-to-let investment properties in London and throughout the UK remain upbeat about the future of the sector.That is according to a new study by the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (Arla).The organisation found that over half (54 p
Poor market for buyers is good news for landlords
24-Sep-07
The buy-to-let sector in the UK is benefiting from deteriorating conditions for first-time buyers.That is according to residential agent Hamptons International, which said that demand for rented accommodation is soaring as housing affordability plummets.A
Million pound properties on the rise
24-Sep-07
The number of UK homes being sold for one million pounds or more is increasing, according to new data.Figures from Halifax show that there has been almost a threefold increase in sales of this value in the last five years.More than half of these take plac
CML: Credit squeeze has "modest" impact on mortgages
21-Sep-07
The credit squeeze has had only a "modest" impact on the mortgage market, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).Problems in the US sub-prime market have had a knock-on effect, with banks unconfident about lending to each other.This
Borrowers hint at confidence base rate will fall
21-Sep-07
Borrowers in the UK appear to be growing more confident that the base rate of interest is set to fall.Figures from Andrews Financial Services show that fixed-rate mortgage deals fell in popularity in August.It suggests that more consumers are confident th
Call for changes to Hips payment
21-Sep-07
There are growing calls for the Home information pack (Hip) scheme to be shaken up.Despite being launched just over a month ago, many home sellers already want to see changes to the way the packs are paid for.According to Hip Payment Services, 75 per cent
20-Sep-07
Many homebuyers are concerned that they are being ripped off when purchasing a home through an estate agent.New research by the AA shows that seven per cent of buyers do not trust agents, with 29 per cent unsatisfied with the home they have once the sale
Landlords benefit from cooling market
19-Sep-07
People with investment properties in London and elsewhere in the UK may benefit from a drop in house prices.According to the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (Arla), the current cooling of the market is good news for landlords.The organisation s
19-Sep-07
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously in favour of freezing the base rate of interest in September.Minutes from the meeting have been published, showing that all members chose to hold the rate.It is the second consecutive
FTBs realistic about home costs
19-Sep-07
Young buyers in the UK are realistic about the amount of money they need to get onto the property ladder.That is according to GE Money, which says very few people underestimate the costs involved and the firm points out that this sets a good foundation fo
Mayor's plans for affordable homes in London
18-Sep-07
Ken Livingstone has set out his plans for building 50,000 more affordable homes in London.The Mayor of London published his draft housing strategy, in which he promises to oversee the building of the new homes within the next three years.The draft strateg
Things looking up for Northern Rock
18-Sep-07
The crisis at Northern Rock appears to be abating, with shares in the firm recovering today (September 18th).Queues outside the mortgage lender's branches also receded as the government promised to guarantee all deposits held in the bank.Chancellor of the
Landlords unaware of tax deduction entitlement
18-Sep-07
Many people with investment properties in London and throughout the UK are unaware that they are entitled to tax breaks.With buy-to-let growing in popularity a number of new landlords are entering the sector and it is these people in particular who may no
Female investors thrive in buy-to-let sector
17-Sep-07
The buy-to-let sector is proving to be just as popular with female investors as males.Research by Bradford & Bingley shows that 26 per cent of female investors plan to increase their portfolio within the next 12 months.It also revealed that ten per ce
House prices down - Hips blamed
17-Sep-07
Buy-to-let investors may wish to increase their portfolio sooner rather than later, as the latest house price index shows that property values have fallen.Research by Rightmove reveals that prices fell 2.6 per cent between August and September.However, th
14-Sep-07
Mortgage borrowers are being told that the recent trend of maintream mortgage lenders increasing their rates is nothing to worry about.Abbey, Halifax and Standard Life have all announced increases on the rates of some of their tracker products this week.H
14-Sep-07
The governor of the Bank of England has hinted that the base rate of interest may fall.Mervyn King said that if the current financial crisis continues to escalate, the rate may come down.It would be a huge boost for homeowners but Mr King also pointed out
London's new buyers are aware of local concerns
14-Sep-07
East London is set to benefit from an influx of young buyers ahead of the Olympics but that does not mean the region will lose its character.Although the majority of buyers moving to the area will lead a busy lifestyle and will want convenience in transpo
RLA wants fire safety shake-up
13-Sep-07
The Residential Lettings Association (RLA) is calling on the government to change its legislation on fire safety in rented properties.The organisation is pushing for buy-to-let properties to have one fire safety regulator, rather than the current system w
East London prices will soar with Olympics
13-Sep-07
Property prices in East London are set to soar ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games.That is according to Ludlow Thompson, which says that improved infrastructure and plans for regeneration could see prices increase by as much as £100,000.It is great news
Mortgage difficulty stats put into context
13-Sep-07
Claims that a large portion of British homeowners are in serious financial difficulty have been refuted.Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) was responding to figures published by Citizens Advice this week, which showed that enquiries at its bureaux in England an
City homes are good investment
12-Sep-07
People are being encouraged to get themselves investment properties in London and other major cities.It is because one firm believes that city living is still popular among many people who want to rent a property.City Residential points out that most cons
12-Sep-07
The Association of Home Information Pack Providers (Ahipp) says that new figures from the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) prove that Home information packs (Hips) are working.DCLG data shows that a large number of four-bedroom homes
12-Sep-07
Landlords in the UK are receiving the highest rents on record, according to new research.The Association of Residential Lettings Agents (Arla) says that buy-to-let investors are benefiting from increased demand for rented property.Market conditions are su
Economists predict base rate stability
11-Sep-07
The majority of economists in the UK do not expect the Bank of England to increase the base rate again before 2008.A poll by Reuters reveals that just one in five think the Bank will increase the rate again this year.Of the 50 experts questioned, just 11
11-Sep-07
The UK’s rental sector is thriving as many would-be buyers choose to rent instead of making a move onto the property ladder.Figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) show that many young people are adopting a wait and see appro
10-Sep-07
A quarter of British home movers say that they have made improvements to their home in order to increase its value.The most popular changes are redecorating the house, updating the garden and buying new furniture.However, Halifax Valuers says that most ho
10-Sep-07
Home information packs (Hips) are now a mandatory part of the home-selling process for properties with three or more bedrooms.Following their initial rollout for larger properties on August 1st, the government has decided to expand them.It means that anyo
7-Sep-07
House prices in the capital have done extremely well in August, which is a boost for anyone with investment properties in London.The FT House Price Index shows that UK growth reached 0.5 per cent in the month, with annual inflation at 9.3 per cent.Much of
London's "never-ending circle" of price rises
7-Sep-07
People with investment properties in London will continue to see their properties growing in value for the foreseeable future.With demand for rental property so high and most young professionals very keen to get onto the property ladder, Ludlowthompson sa
Base rate stays at 5.75 per cent
6-Sep-07
It has been decided that the base rate of interest will remain at 5.75 per cent in September.The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has made the decision following five increases in 13 months.Homeowners will be delighted by the news but som
Seven years to save for a home
6-Sep-07
New research shows that house prices have risen four times quicker than wages in the last ten years.The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has released statistics that show how affordability has decreased since 1997.A decade ago, it was possible to buy the avera
Buy-to-let market has room for more investors
5-Sep-07
There is still plenty of room for more buy-to-let investors in the UK property market.That is according to a panel of experts who recently met at the Property Investor Show Buy-to-Let Debate.All parties agreed that the market is set to expand in the next
It's harder to buy in the south
5-Sep-07
It is far more difficult for first-time buyers (FTBs) in the south of the UK to buy a home than it is for those in the north.Research by Abbey Mortgages highlights how the gap between the north and south has grown in the last decade, putting southern FTBs
5-Sep-07
House prices increased again in August, according to the latest Halifax House Price Index.Price growth of 0.4 per cent was recorded in the month but Halifax says that long-term figures show that growth is slowing.August is the third month in four to have
Bank will wait on base rate decision
4-Sep-07
The Bank of England has adopted a "wait and see" attitude when it comes to interest rates.That is according to Global Insight's chief UK economist Howard Archer, who says that he expects the base rate to remain at 5.75 per cent.Consumers have ha
Eco homes improve quality of life
4-Sep-07
Britons can make green home improvements to reduce their carbon footprint and also improve their quality of life.That is according to Ecos Homes, which says that making a home more environmentally friendly has a number of benefits.As well as helping the e
UK's most affordable affluent towns
4-Sep-07
A new report has been published which reveals the UK's best regions, offering an affluent lifestyle at an affordable price.The Royal Bank of Scotland's Affordable Affluence Index (AAI) ranks Beverley in York as the top town.It combines good schools, nice
3-Sep-07
Landlords have seen yields rise in the last six months and are as confident in the buy-to-let sector as ever before.Figures from Paragon Mortgages show that the majority of buy-to-let investors feel more confident about getting returns on their properties
Green features increase property value
3-Sep-07
People with investment properties in London and the rest of the UK have been told that they can improve the value of their houses by introducing green features.According to the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC), taking action such as installing ins
