Zoopla property news (September 2011)
Latest property news
Landlords 'need energy performance clarification'
More clarification is need with regards to the energy performance standards that buy to let property owners in the UK need to adhere to, it has been claimed. According to Richard Jones, policy director at the Residential Landlords Association (RLA), the properties most at risk of scrutiny are those at the bottom-end of the scale as far as Energy Performance Certificates are ...
15th Sep 2011
Installing insulation 'can be very beneficial'
Many people are not aware of the major benefits of installing home insulation, according to one organisation which has pointed out that UK property owners can save themselves a lot of money through the energy-efficiency measure. Andrew Leech, director at the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC), said that the process of installing insulation is "not a great ...
14th Sep 2011
Property news archive
Choosing the right area 'crucial' when letting
People looking for property with a view to renting it out need to think carefully when deciding on which area to buy a house in, one expert has noted. According to David Lawrenson, a property letting expert and author of the book Successful Property Lettings - How to Make Money in Buy-to-Let, now is a good time to consider the student lettings market. He explained that the ...
14th Sep 2011
July house purchase lending 'highest for 11 months'
Lending for property purchases rose by both volume and value in July compared to the previous month, according to new data released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), reaching the highest level for 11 months. Overall, the value increased from £6.9 billion to £7.3 billion and the volume from 47,800 to 48,800, both of which were at their highest since last ...
13th Sep 2011
London university accommodation 'is undersupplied'
Accommodation for university students in London is currently very undersupplied, creating a potential gap in the market for people looking to expand their UK property portfolio, one analyst has suggested. According to Liam Bailey, head of residential research at Knight Frank, London is the university city looking like it will be best for property investment in the near ...
12th Sep 2011
Lodgers 'provide landlords with security'
People who own buy to let property may find that lodgers provide them with a better degree of security than other tenants, it has been claimed. Tom Entwistle, director of the advice site LandlordZONE, said there are many things that that landlords, particularly new ones, need to consider before renting out a room on their property. It comes after analysis by First Direct ...
12th Sep 2011
Mortgages 'far cheaper' than when base rate fell
Mortgages in the UK are currently thousands of pounds cheaper than they were when the base rate initially fell to 0.5 per cent, a new report shows. Research carried out by Defaqto shows that, while it remains somewhat difficult for people to secure a mortgage, those able to do so can access significantly better deals now than in March 2009. The company noted that average ...
9th Sep 2011
'Innovation needed' to help FTBs
A degree of innovation is needed to help first-time buyers (FTBs) gain access to the property market in the UK, it has been claimed. According to property market analyst Helen Adams, schemes to help FTBs are likely to become increasingly popular in the coming years. Her comments follow the publication of a report by Halifax which showed that the proportion of disposable ...
8th Sep 2011
London 'a global leader' for property investment
London's position as one of the most popular cities in the world to invest in property is unlikely to change anytime soon, according to one expert. That is the opinion of London property analyst Ed Mead, who said there are three main centres in the world for investing in homes - New York, London and Tokyo – and of these it is London that is least likely to be ...
7th Sep 2011
Insulation 'can save property owners money'
UK property owners can help to save money in the long term by implementing energy-efficiency measures such as the installation of insulation, one home improvement expert has suggested. According to Andrew Leech, director at the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC), those who do not install insulation because of the initial cost are following a 'false economy', ...
7th Sep 2011