Zoopla property news (May 2012)
Latest property news
UK house prices 'on the rise'
The average cost of buying property for sale in the UK rose slightly in the three months to April, the new Halifax House Price Index suggests. It reveals that house prices in the three months to April were 0.3 per cent higher than in the preceding three months, which contrasts with the recent Nationwide House Price Index, suggesting a 0.2 per cent fall over the same period. ...
8th May 2012
Mortgage lending and approvals on the rise
Gross mortgage lending by building societies and other mutual lenders is on the rise in the UK, according to the latest report from the Building Societies Association (BSA). According to the report, lending rose by 58 per cent in March 2012 compared to the same month last year, and by 40 per cent over the first quarter of 2012, in comparison to the same period in 2011. ...
4th May 2012
Property news archive
Brits 'would pay £15k extra' to have good neighbours
British people would be willing to pay significantly more for a property if they could guarantee that their neighbours would be pleasant, a new survey has found. On average, 40 per cent of those surveyed said that they would be willing to pay more for a home if they knew the person living next door would be a good neighbour. The average amount that people would be willing ...
4th May 2012
UK house prices fall 0.2% in April
There was a 0.2 per cent fall in UK house prices in 2011, according to the latest House Price Index from Nationwide. According to the data, the average price of a UK property stands at £164,134, which is down by a fifth of a per cent compared with March and is 0.9 per cent lower than a year ago. This is the fourth time in five months that prices have declined, and is ...
3rd May 2012
Mortgage lender rate rises 'coming to an end'
The upwards rise in mortgage lender rates seen in recent months will gradually come to an end in the near future, it has been predicted. Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at John Charcol, said there was "quite strong demand" in the first two months of the year, driven primarily by the ending of the first-time buyer stamp duty relief. This not only meant that ...
3rd May 2012
Bank holiday weekends 'a great time for home improvement'
The Bank Holiday weekend presents people with the perfect opportunity to breathe new life into their property with some DIY in advance of summer, and possibly improve its value in the process, one expert has noted. Ellie Tenant, interiors journalist, explained that the Bank Holiday means people have an extra day off work, they can get all of the boring chores like laundry ...
3rd May 2012
Happy tenants 'equal to a successful investment'
Landlords whose tenants have high satisfaction levels and appear to be generally happy can class their investment as a success, one expert been noted, though there are many other reactors that buy to let property owners must bear in mind. According to Malcolm Harrison, a spokesman for the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, it is not "rocket science" being a private landlord, ...
2nd May 2012
Correct insurance 'very important' for landlords
It is very important that the nation's landlords have the correct type and amount of insurance cover, according to one expert on the rental sector who has advised people against settling for a regular residential policy. David Lawrenson, private rented sector expert at LettingFocus.com, said that some people who get into letting properties out may think they can get ...
2nd May 2012
Olympic effect on rents 'will be minimal'
The effect that the upcoming London Olympic Games will have on rental prices in the capital is likely to be minimal, if felt at all, one analyst has predicted. London property expert Michael Banks said he does not foresee the Games having an affect on the market, though there may be some landlords focused on short-term corporate lets who will "do okay" out of it. ...
2nd May 2012
UK rental prices 'levelling out'
The cost of renting property in the UK appears to be levelling out, according to the latest report from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). The data reveals that, in the first quarter of this year, 50 per cent of ARLA members reported increased achievable rent levels, in line with news of rising rents across the UK. However, the percentage of members ...
1st May 2012