General news (February 2012)
Latest General news
Redesigning a property 'does not have to cost a fortune'
People thinking of making wholesale changes to their property do not have to spend a fortune when carrying out the alterations, it has been claimed. Alexi Sugden, senior designer of Egerton Designs, said it is a "tricky subject" as many property owners tend to use interior designers as "fixers", though the fact is that a good interior design takes time ...
24th Feb 2012
Homeowners 'must keep on top of home repairs'
UK property owners have been advised to ensure that any necessary home repairs are carried out to avoid their house falling into disrepair and their home values possibly being affected. A new report by the AA shows that nine per cent of Brits have delayed home repairs or maintenance or tried to fix things themselves in the past year to save money. Overall, homeowners faced ...
23rd Feb 2012
General news archive
Property owners 'should not shy away' from DIY
UK property owners should be encouraged to make more home improvements in order to boost the appeal and value of their home, it has been claimed. Jason Orme, editor at Homebuilding & Renovating, acknowledged that there has been an increase in the number of people carrying out their own home improvements in recent times as they realise DIY can be effective as well as ...
22nd Feb 2012
Buy to let mortgage options 'are widening'
The potential options open to people looking for buy to let mortgages are increasing as lenders realise they are more profitable, it has been noted. Lee Grandin, director at Landlord Mortgages, said that more people are currently looking to purchase buy to let property , as predominately rental returns are holding very well due to a general lack of supply of properties. He ...
17th Feb 2012
First half of 2012 'will determine lenders' criteria'
The performance of UK house prices in the first half 2012 will help to determine whether lenders will ease their mortgage criteria, it has been predicted. That is the opinion of Gary Styles, strategy, risk and economics director at Hometrack, who said the real question mark at the moment is that a lot of mortgage decisions will depend very carefully on the outlook for house ...
15th Feb 2012
Location and security 'can lower home insurance premiums'
UK property owners searching for a way to lower their home insurance premiums have been advised to think about the location of their property and its security system. John Portwood, personal lines insurance broker at Portwood & Co, said that there are a few ways that people can avoid paying higher policies, such as increasing the excess on the policy, which means the ...
13th Feb 2012
Offset mortgages 'the way forward'
The future of the property finance market is likely to revolve around offset mortgages, according to one expert on the subject. Paula John, editor-in-chief at Your Mortgage, said she is "staggered" that so few people in this country take advantage of offset mortgages. "They certainly are the way forward and everyone I know in the mortgage industry has got one ...
10th Feb 2012
UK mortgage approvals surge
There has been a significant rise in the number of mortgage approvals in the UK, which have reached their highest level since December 2009. The latest Mortgage Monitor from e.surv chartered surveyors shows that loans for house purchases surged to 58,610 in January, mainly thanks to an increase in lending to borrowers with small deposits. It represents an 11 per cent ...
9th Feb 2012
Improving UK housing stock 'is important'
It is very important that the efficiency of the UK's existing housing stock is improved, but challenges still exist, according to one sector body. Daniel Green, chief executive at HomeSun, noted that well over 20 per cent of the UK's emissions are coming from homes, so it is important that the country delivers on reducing that. "In terms of the country, it is ...
9th Feb 2012
Bank of England 'may cap mortgage ratios'
It is possible that the Bank of England could intervene and cap the maximum mortgages available to borrowers in order to stop another credit crisis, it has been claimed. The potential move was announced by chancellor George Osborne, who said the Financial Services Bill would give a new Bank of England committee powers to alter the maximum loan-to-value ratios in mortgage ...
8th Feb 2012