House prices news (March 2012)
Latest House prices news
Carrying out home improvements 'is cost effective'
People who carry out improvements on a property may find that the process can make them money in the long run, particularly when it comes to selling the house. Martin Lewis, the money saving expert, said that improving a property can help to boost house prices if it is down right, and often the amount that is added to the home value can exceed the price of carrying out the ...
28th Mar 2012
How does the 2012 Budget affect the housing market?
George Osborne has opened up the contents of his 2012 Budget, with many points concerning those with links to the housing industry. As rumoured over the past couple of weeks, a new Stamp Duty Land Tax will be introduced on March 22nd, with a rate of seven per cent being put on residential properties over £2 million. The day before this introduction, the government ...
22nd Mar 2012
House prices news archive
Stamp duty rise 'is a flawed decision'
The decision by the government to raise the stamp duty to seven per cent on properties for sale for £2 million or over has been criticised. Nicholas Leeming, business development director at Zoopla, believes that the strategy "is flawed and misguided" for homeowners caught in the net. He pointed out that the highest property taxes in the world already lie in ...
21st Mar 2012
Subsidised mortgage could be an option for FTBs
First-time buyers (FTBs) could benefit from mortgage subsidies introduced by the government, according to Briffy.com. David Amstell, found of the property website, hypothesised that this would represent one possible solution in helping FTBs access the property market, but remains uncertain what other alternatives there are. "Getting the deposit together is the hardest ...
20th Mar 2012
NHIC: Energy-efficient extensions have long-term benefit
Homeowners have been told that making energy-efficient extensions will benefit them in the foreseeable future. According to the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC), an extension made to an existing property should be developed in such a way that it makes the new development sustainable. "It can add a bit more expense to an extension, but it does pay in the ...
19th Mar 2012
Lending conditions 'improving' for FTBs
Lending conditions for first-time buyers (FTBs) are continuing to improve, which bodes well for people looking to take their first step onto the UK property ladder in 2012, it has been noted. Tim Lambert, head of investment property at Parallel Investment Management, said it "certainly seems to be the case" that lending conditions have improved for FTBs in the UK ...
15th Mar 2012
UK housing market 'is stabilising'
The UK's housing market is continuing to stabilise as house prices level out, according to one analyst who has predicted that this trend may continue for the foreseeable future. Liam Bailey, head of residential research at Knight Frank, observed that UK house prices have dropped quite sharply over the last six months, but are now probably getting closer to being ...
14th Mar 2012
Expectations for UK house prices 'improving'
Expectations for future house prices were more optimistic during February as transaction levels continued to edge upwards, according to the latest UK Housing Market Survey from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Surveyors reported a net balance of zero per cent last month, (compared with -14 in January), which is the first time since May 2010 that ...
13th Mar 2012
London land values increase substantially
There has been a sharp rise in central London residential development land values over the last 12 months, according to the latest report from Knight Frank. The data shows that values are up 20.3 per cent year-on-year while, on a quarterly basis, they rose by more than three per cent in the final quarter of 2011. Outside of the capital the land market is stable, which ...
12th Mar 2012
City house price rises 'outpacing UK average'
House prices in UK cities have risen by an average 382 per cent over the past 25 years, according to the latest report, which is outpacing the average increase across UK property . As part of this year's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, 26 towns have applied for city status, and to commemorate this Halifax published a study looking at how house prices in cities have ...
12th Mar 2012