General news
Latest General news
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
General news archive
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
Property activity increases in private rented sector
Buying and selling activity in the UK's private rented sector increased in 2011, according to the latest industry figures from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). The data reveals that the proportion of landlords that sold a property in the 12 months to Q4 2011 stood at eight per cent, compared to just six per cent selling homes in the 12 months to Q3 ...
2nd Feb 2012
Lowering VAT 'could boost home energy efficiency'
A reduction in the rate of VAT on home improvements could encourage more people to increase the energy efficiency of their property , according to one sector body. Andrew Leech, director at the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC), said he is "sure" this would be the case, as cutting VAT would save the consumer money and also means that they are more likely ...
1st Feb 2012
Accent pieces 'a big interior design trend' in 2011
Property owners planning to revamp their home interiors in 2012 may find that investing in a few key items can help to transform their abode. That is the opinion of a spokeswoman for Egerton Designs, who said that using "accent pieces" to bring interiors up to date without the need for major expensive changes will be very popular among the nation's ...
1st Feb 2012
Home insurance policies 'set to rise' in 2012
Home insurance policies are set to rise across the UK in the months ahead, it has been predicted. That is the opinion of John Portwood, personal lines insurance broker at Portwood & Co, who said that the trend seen in 2011 is set to continue in the months ahead. A recent report by AA showed that home insurance premiums continue their steady upward trend, rising by 3.1 ...
23rd Jan 2012