General news
Latest General news
Empty homes problem could be improved by Short Life Housing
Short Life Housing, which is widely used in the Netherlands, is one solution currently being discussed to tackle the problem of empty homes in the UK. That is according to Henry Oliver, policy advisor at the Empty Homes Agency, an independent campaigning charity, who explained that Short Life Housing involved making use of empty properties. He said that companies could turn ...
20th Mar 2008
First-time buyers dipping into deposit savings
More and more first-time buyers are squandering their savings towards a new home by dipping into money set aside for a deposit. That is according to new research conducted by Abbey Mortgages, which revealed that four times as many UK consumers were spending money saved towards a deposit compared with a year ago. Abbey estimated that people in Britain had dispensed a ...
19th Mar 2008
General news archive
Energy bills affected by location
The cost of energy bills to householders can very much depend on which region of the country a person is living in. Switch with Which?, the home energy switching service from product tester and campaigner Which?, has warned that the cost of gas and electricity bills can differ from region to region across the UK. Switch has observed that since January this year, npower has ...
17th Mar 2008
People should ensure that gardens are covered by home insurance
With many homeowners spending a large amount of money on their gardens, it is highly important for people to protect their investment by taking out adequate insurance. That is according to Nationwide, which revealed that 35 per cent of property owners in the UK set the value of their garden contents in the region of £250 to £1,000. Nationwide offered some advice ...
14th Mar 2008
Government needs to strengthen construction industry
The government needs to focus on increasing apprenticeships in order to improve the UK's construction industry. That is according to Brian Berry, director of external affairs at the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), who noted that the industry was currently employing a large number of migrant workers. He said that this reliance could prove problematic if these workers ...
14th Mar 2008
Storm warnings mean homeowners should check buildings insurance
With the Met Office warning that gale force winds are set to batter the country again today (Wednesday, March 12th) homeowners need to examine their buildings insurance. That is according to Sainsbury's Home Insurance, which has warned that people need to make sure that they are adequately protected for storm damage to their property. Research from Sainsbury's has indicated ...
12th Mar 2008
Eco-towns could help meet housing demand in south-east
Current concerns about the environment mean that the building of eco-towns in the south-east of England is even more essential. That is according to Gideon Amos, chief executive of the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), who maintained that the need to address climate change was "urgent". She also said that the "unparalleled" demand for housing ...
7th Mar 2008
Home movers advised to protect themselves against identity fraud
It essential for those moving home that they notify all the relevant parties about their change of address. That is according to Peter Beckett, business development director for Iammoving.com, who maintained that people were at heightened risk of identity fraud when moving home. He also said that because it was such a stressful time, homeowners tended to regard notifying ...
6th Mar 2008
Chartered surveyors can help determine extent of earthquake damage to property
Last week's earthquake may have caused millions of pounds worth of damage to UK property. That is according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics), citing estimations made by insurers in the wake of the tremors felt across the country. In light of these predictions, the organisation advised homeowners to take measures to ensure that they did not end up ...
5th Mar 2008
Bank of England urged to cut interest rates
The Bank of England has been urged by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) to make a further quarter point cut to interest rates. The organisation called on the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to reduce the base rate to five per cent this Thursday (March 6th). Peter Bolton King, chief executive at the NAEA, maintained that the cut was needed to ease the ...
5th Mar 2008