Property

By Bea Patel, Director of Shop for an Agent The estate agent comparison site Following last week’s article on Tips for moving in to private rented property, this week is about things you need to consider while living in your privately rented property. It’s fair to assume that anything can go wrong in the property, and you should be clear on who is responsible for what. Keep in mind the following tips: Make sure the property meets the minimum standards The...

By Bea Patel, Director of Shop for an Agent In the first of this four part series, I’ll be sharing some key points for moving into a privately rented property. Before looking, set a realistic budget and factor in extra costs such as Council Tax, electric and/or gas bills, water bills, TV licence, digital TV and broadband. If your house sharing, discuss how you’ll be splitting the bills and how to pay them. When ready, consider these five tips: Don’t...

 By Steve Taggart 35–44 year olds are the forgotten generation of the UK housing crisis, with 39 years and 7 months officially the worst age to try and move up the UK property ladder in 2015. This is according to figures released by QualitySolicitors in partnership with the University of York, showing that this generation is the most disenfranchised by current UK housing policy. The research, which polled 1,000 UK voters and analysed the housing policies of all five major...

By Bea Patel, Director of Shop for an Agent As a first time buyer, you’ll be excited about getting on the property ladder. But there are many factors to consider other than the type of house you want, and the area you want to live in. Your financial situation, budget and deposit amount are important factors you need to iron out before you can look for a mortgage. You’ll need to make sure you can afford to pay your mortgage,...

Quintain Keystone Developments Limited and Network Housing Group have agreed a new deal to provide affordable housing in Wembley Park. The sale of one of its new Emerald Gardens residential blocks to Network Housing Group means 307 affordable units, including 285 in the completed Forum and Quadrant Houses, will be added to the Wembley Park site by August 2016. Construction of Emerald Gardens commenced in April 2014 and the scheme will comprise of seven blocks surrounding an elevated, landscaped garden of almost...

 By Bea Patel, Director of Shop for an Agent – The Estate Agent Comparison Site Buy-to-let, for many, looks like an appealing investment option. And while it may not be as 'hot' as it once used to be, it’s re-emerging as a lucrative income investment if you can put down a big deposit. Investors are, yet again, tempted by better mortgage deals, low interest rates, rental price increases, lower house prices and a surge of tenants. But many investors who bought...

By Jared Sneath of Green Square Many rural homeowners across the UK are already off grid so their decision to switch from oil or LPG to a green, and significantly cheaper alternative, is often a complete no-brainer. What’s more, many of these households have large outside spaces and greater living areas to house different options of renewable energy technology, but what about urban households where space is limited inside and out? With renewable energy it’s usually not a ‘one size...

By Peter Vinden, managing director of The Vinden Partnership More funding is announced for the North West: but how much hope should we have for the long-term vision? The latest investment to be ploughed into the North West has been announced, with cultural funding added to the Government’s ongoing ‘Northern Powerhouse’ initiative. With £78bn pledged to Manchester for The Factory, a multimedia arts and culture space located at St John’s, Cameron and co hope to solidify their position as investors...

By Bea Patel, Director of Shop for an agent – The Estate Agent Comparison Site “We believe that whether you are buying or selling a property, the process should be exciting, simple and certain. Auctions are a way to achieve this,” says the CEO of Bamboo Auctions. In Australia, 40-50 per cent of properties are sold through auction compared to 3-4 per cent in England and Wales. With over 110,000 new homes built last year, Robin Rathore, CEO of Bamboo Auctions...