Zoopla property news (April 2012)
Latest property news
Cutting energy bills 'is easy'
People can make some simple amendments to their home in order to cut energy bills and the overall running costs of the property , it has been pointed out. Charles Dowson, founder of Be Energy Smart, said the two main ways of cutting expenditure are by installing insulation and low-energy lighting. He said there is now no excuse to get loft insulation, as it is easy to come ...
16th Apr 2012
Mortgage costs fall in Scotland
The last few years have witnessed a fall in the cost of mortgages in Scotland, according to one sector expert who believes this trend may continue. Dianne Paterson, property partner at Russel + Aitken, said she disagrees with recent figures published by the Bank of Scotland, indicating that the typical annual cost associated with owning and running a home in Scotland stood ...
16th Apr 2012
Property news archive
UK remortgage enquiries rise
The number of people in the UK looking to remortgage has hit an all-time high, according to the latest figures. A report by unbiased.co.uk shows that 37 per cent of all searches on unbiased.co.uk's 'find a mortgage adviser search' were related to remortgaging in March 2012, compared to 33 per cent in February 2012 and 31 per cent in March last year. Commenting ...
13th Apr 2012
Brownfield building projects 'a step forward'
Building on brownfield sites would be a great way of helping to make property construction projects more sustainable, which in turn would boost the perception of the industry, it has been claimed. Dr Mark Cowley, principal partner at Listers Geotechnical Consultants, said that one of the most important factors in making building projects more environmentally sustainable is ...
13th Apr 2012
Energy tariff plans 'a good start'
New plans to simplify the range of energy tariffs available in the UK are welcome, but more still needs to be done to help homeowners it has been claimed. The big six energy companies - British Gas, E.ON, npower, Scottish and Southern Energy, EDF Energy and Scottish Power – have revealed that they are to contact their customers at least once a year letting them know ...
13th Apr 2012
Green home improvement measures 'must be handled carefully'
New government proposals to make householders install green measures when improving their home have been welcomed by one organisation that extols the benefits of sustainable development. The Department for Communities and Local Government has drawn up new rules meaning that householders who want to build a conservatory, replace a broken boiler or install new windows will be ...
13th Apr 2012
Landlords 'must be careful' when increasing rents
Landlords considering increasing their rents should be careful not to put them up too much or they may risk alienating their tenants, it has been noted. Matt Hutchinson, a rental property expert, said that as long as there is a shortage of rental property in the UK, there will always be the potential for rents to rise. He explained: "As we have seen with the rental ...
12th Apr 2012
Olympics boost short-term property lets
The number of properties in London's Olympic boroughs being offered for short-term lets rose 16 percentage points above the wider London average last quarter, the latest figures reveal. On average, the number of short-term lets in Barking and Dagenham, Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest rose 35 per cent over the first three months of 2012, ...
12th Apr 2012
DIY projects 'should not be too adventurous'
People considering embarking on DIY projects in the near future have been advised not to allow them to become too adventurous, as the risk of something going wrong will increase significantly. Instead, home improvement projects should stay within the realms of what people are able to do, particularly first-time DIYers, explained Anna-Marie DeSouza, editor of Build It + Home ...
11th Apr 2012
New homes 'an attractive proposition'
New-build UK property is currently one of the most attractive propositions to potential home buyers and this is likely to remain the case for some time, one expert has explained. Steve Turner, head of communications at the Home Builders Federation (HBF), said that new homes have always been a very attractive proposition, due to the number of benefits they provide. ...
11th Apr 2012