Home values news
Latest Home values news
House prices expected to rise
A significant proportion of UK homeowners expect house prices to rise in the UK this year, according to the latest Halifax Housing Market Confidence Tracker. It shows that nearly a third (29 per cent) of Britons think that house prices will rise rather than fall in 2012, compared with 22 per cent who predict a price decline over the same period. As a result, the headline ...
10th Feb 2012
London property prices 'set to rise' in 2012
The reduced amount of central London property expected to be placed up for sale in 2012 could cause upward pressure on prices, according to one source. Naomi Heaton, chief executive at London Central Portfolio, said that many investors who are already holding real estate in prime London central do not see a better place to "park their money". This is because they ...
9th Feb 2012
Home values news archive
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
Prime central London property continues to rise
There has been another rise in the average value of prime central London property as the market continues to exceed expectations. According to the latest data issued by Knight Frank, the price of prime central London residential property rose by 0.9 per cent in January, with the home values of prime property in the City and City Fringe areas rising by an average of 0.8 per ...
6th Feb 2012
UK housing market confidence booms
There has been a boom in the number of people expressing confidence in the UK's property industry and its future prospects, a new poll reveals. A survey carried out by Agency Express shows that all 12 major UK regions saw significant double-digit growth in new 'for sale' listings recorded in January, compared to the previous month. The regional hot spots ...
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
Average UK house price stands at £195k
The average cost of buying a home in the UK currently stands at £195,196, according to the latest analysis of data by leading analysts. The Assetz House Price Watch index, which uses figures from LG, LSL Acadametrics, Halifax and Nationwide, shows that December saw the biggest monthly fall in prices last year, with property values down one per cent. Prices over the ...
30th Jan 2012
Mortgage lending outstrips overall market lending
Annual growth of 1.5 per cent in the banks' net mortgage lending continued to outstrip annual growth of 0.6 per cent across the whole lending market in December, the latest industry figures have revealed. Data issued by the British Bankers' Association showed that December's £9 billion of new mortgages was the strongest month of last year, being 12 per ...
26th Jan 2012
Buy to let 'generating high yields' in 2012
People thinking of investing in buy to let property may find that focusing on the north of England is the best bet, according to one expert. Tanya Powley, of FT Money, said there are some areas and towns where landlords can actually get "a very high yield", with the highest being 7.6 per cent observed Burnley. She noted that a lot of the higher buy-to-let yields ...
24th Jan 2012
Enhancing a property 'yields great returns'
Enhancing a property by extending it or making home improvements can be a wiser investment than simply waiting for the money in their savings accounts to gain value, one specialist has advised. Jaimie Kendry, interior designer and director of Jaimie K Designs, said that many UK property owners have become impatient waiting for the upturn of the country, as their savings are ...
23rd Jan 2012