For sale news - December 2011

Sales of new homes 'set to rise'

The sales of new homes in the UK are set to rise slightly over the coming 12 months, though prices will struggle to follow suit, according to the latest report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics). In its Housing Market Forecast, the organisation notes that prices at a headline level will edge lower by around three per cent across the UK, though the low ...

22nd Dec 2011

FTB access to rural housing 'should be better'

There needs to be more opportunities for first-time buyers to access the UK property ladder, according to one expert who has called for the coalition to take action. Jason Beedell, head of research at Smiths Gore, made the comments after Savills revealed that it expects the average value of farmland in the five years from 2012 to increase by 36 per cent. The capital value ...

21st Dec 2011

New mortgage proposals outlined by FSA

A number of plans to prevent a return of the risky mortgage lending seen in boom times have been outlined by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), designed to ensure that common sense standards continue to apply in future. Some of the changes detailed in the Mortgage Market Review include aims to prevent a recurrence of the irresponsible lending which resulted in some ...

20th Dec 2011

Confidence 'is returning' to UK housing market

Confidence is gradually returning to the UK housing market, according to the Building Societies Association, which has said that people are less concerned that house prices will fall sharply next year. Paul Broadhead, head of mortgage policy at the BSA, made the comments after a new report from his organisation showed that homeowner confidence is very stable, despite the ...

19th Dec 2011

Investor influx 'boosting London property market'

The property market in London is being boosted by the continued influx of investors looking for high quality property for sale , the latest report suggests. Data published by Knight Frank showed that average prime central London properties increased in value by more than £1,200 a day last month, with a one per cent rise throughout the month contributing to annual ...

16th Dec 2011

Mortgage trouble 'not the end' for homeowners

The vast majority of people who are struggling to repay their mortgage at the moment will find a solution to their problems, according to one analyst. Ben Wilkie, editor at What Mortgage, explained that the number of repossessions has not been particularly high either this year or last, and that is mainly due to interest rates being so low. If people get into financial ...

14th Dec 2011

FTBs 'should delay buying property in 2012'

First-time buyers (FTBs) looking at taking their first step onto the UK property ladder in the coming weeks and months should delay purchasing a property , it has been advised. Matt Griffith, a spokesman for PricedOut, the national campaign for affordable house prices , said that the overall outlook for first-time buyers is "pretty grim next year", with real wages ...

13th Dec 2011

'Positive signs' for UK FTB lending

There are positive signs at the moment for the nation's first-time buyers (FTBs), who are set to benefit from an easing in lending restrictions, according to one expert. Andy Pratt, chief operating officer at Alexander Hall, said that the overall outlook is still not great for FTBs, but there are certainly indications that things are about to improve as far as accessing ...

12th Dec 2011

Property for sale 'should be tidy and well maintained'

People can boost their chances of selling property for sale considerably by making some simple changes to the building before putting it on the market, it has been advised. Although it seems obvious that small maintenance issues and a simple tidy up can make a home far more presentable and likely to sell, a significant proportion of sellers fail to do this and are ...

8th Dec 2011

The Olympics 'will bring in new property investors'

The Olympics will expose central London to a new wave of property investors, according to one expert who is predicting that much will happen in the capital in the coming months. London property expert Steven Herd said the central London housing market is "certainly" having a good year, with sales volumes and sales values both higher than prior to the start of the ...

7th Dec 2011

For sale news (December 2011)

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