Property Market
Average price paid by a first time buyer now above £150,000
The average house price paid by a first time buyer (FTB) pushed through the £150,000 barrier for the first time in 2006, according to the Halifax.
New Year, New Home
Next year, 16% of UK householders are planning to move, according to the results of a UK Housing Market Survey recently carried out by Savills Research. Well over half (65%) are looking to move within the next 10 years.
Prime country house prices rise 11.2%
The London bonus fuelled country house market has risen strongly all year.
UK house prices rise 1.2% in December
House prices increased by 1.2% in December, taking the annual rate to 10.5%, according to the Nationwide Building Society.
Local housebuilder scouts new designers!
Budding artists at Ty Sign Primary School in Risca, Caerphilly have been encouraged to test their imaginations and creativity by designing their dream homes.
Year of massive growth for Ombudsman for Estate Agents scheme
More than two thirds of the estate agency branches in England and Wales are now covered by the independent redress scheme run by the Ombudsman for Estate Agents.
Legal & General Surveying Services moves to new premises to support growth
Legal & General Surveying Services has recently relocated to larger offices in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, following significant growth over the past few years.
New grade A office scheme
Shepherd Developments and its development partner Durngate Property Group, advised by Savills, has acquired a 3.8 acre (1.5 hectare) site at Crossways Business Park, Dartford from Legal and General for £4.5 million.
Aberdeen tops the table in Scotland
The annual Bank of Scotland house price survey of Scottish towns and cities has found that Aberdeen recorded the biggest percentage increase in house prices across the country in 2006 – an average rise of 27% to £171,767. It was also the only place in Scotland to feature in the top 20 best performing towns and cities across the UK.
Towns in Northern Ireland record biggest price rises
Newry in Northern Ireland recorded the biggest increase in house prices across the UK in 2006 with an average rise of 54%, according to the fourth Halifax Estate Agent (HEA) annual survey of UK towns. All of the 10 towns delivering the biggest price increases are in Northern Ireland, making 2006 'Northern Ireland's Year'.
DEFRA continues investment in flood and coastal erosion risk
Significant funding will continue to be spent by Government next year in reducing the risks from flooding and coastal erosion, Climate Change and Environment Minister Ian Pearson announced.
Buy-to-let market 2007 preview
The buy to let market remained strong throughout 2006 and looking forward to the New Year it is likely to remain strong, according to independent buy to let brokers Mortgages for Business review of the year to come.
Another buoyant year for buy-to-let
Residential property investors remained active throughout 2006, benefiting from an uplift in capital values, stable rental yields and a consistently positive economic backdrop.
New auction advice for aspiring property investors
A 60% year on year growth in property purchases at auctions signals another strong year for auctioneers but Property Secrets CEO Neil Lewis believes that getting the right property at auction is beset by obstacles that for the uninitiated, which will hit them where it hurts most, their back pocket.
AHIPP membership grows as early roll out of HIPs kicks in
The Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) has experienced a further surge in membership as the June 2007 deadline for Home Information Pack’s (HIPs) implementation draws closer.