Property
Kylie Minogue forced to slash sale price of London flat
Filed under: Property, Entertainment
Despite their fame and enormous wealth, even A-list celebrities are not immune to the effects of the housing market slowdown.
And pop princess Kylie Minogue knows this only too well after having to slash the asking price of her luxury, four-bedroom London flat by more than £500,000.
Smokers forced to lie to find rental accommodation
Filed under: Property, House and Home
A third of smokers lie about their need to light up when seeking a home to rent, according to new research from flatshare website Easyroommate.
And with less than one in 10 landlords allowing tenants to smoke in their properties, it's not hard to see why.
Property prices 'continue to fall'
Filed under: Property, House and Home
Property values fell by 0.9% during August, following a drop of 0.5% in July, the first time house prices have fallen for two consecutive months since February 2009, according to Nationwide.Annual growth was also down, for the fourth month in a row, to 3.9%, the lowest year-on-year rise since November last year.
House prices 'rise £91 a day'
Filed under: Property, House and Home
Homeowners with family properties have seen the value of their houses rise by around £91 a day during the past year, research has indicated.The value of detached homes increased by 13% during the year to the end of June, to stand at an average of £299,295, according to Halifax.
Negative equity hell may last four more years as house prices fall
Filed under: Mortgages, Property
Homeowners who bought houses and flats at the peak of the market may face four more years of negative equity, according to the National Housing Federation (NHF).
Its figures suggest that the average buyer paid £216,800 for a home in 2007 – when the market was at its most overblown. And the signs so far are that it could take until 2014 for those who bought at this point to see the value of their homes exceed the purchase price.
House hunters take sledge hammer approach to create perfect home
Filed under: Property, House and Home
The Bank Holiday provides the perfect opportunity for DIY-ers to get stuck in and give their home a fresh lick of paint or finally build that garden shed, and for househunters to find a new abode.
But how much work are we prepared to take on to achieve the perfect living space? New research from mortgage lender Halifax suggests that the gulf between the type of properties we aspire to and the homes available on the UK market, the answer is often as much as it takes.
Rents rise as demand for rental property hots up
Filed under: Mortgages, Property
Rents are on the up across the country due to rising demand and a shortage of available properties, according to a new report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
It says that more than a quarter of chartered surveyors reported a rise in demand for property in the three months to July, making it the second consecutive quarter of above average growth in letting market demand.
High-speed rail link compensation scheme gears up
Filed under: Property, House and Home
A compensation scheme for people living beside the proposed high speed rail link from London to Birmingham is about to begin. Owners who cannot sell their homes because of the blight will be entitled to cash from the government.A committee is being established to consider applications for the compensation under the Exceptional Hardship Scheme. But some owners say they will miss out because the rules on who is entitled to the money are too strict.
Students boost house prices in university towns
Filed under: Property
The arrival of A-level results marks the scramble to fill university places across the UK.While most first year students get ready to settle into halls, some freshers will join those in the second or third year in renting a room or house off campus, boosting the local market, according to new analysis from Lloyds TSB.
Mortgage bills halve, but still no first time buyers
Filed under: Mortgages, Property, House and Home
Mortgage payments as a percentage of income are now nearly half what they were in 2007. Surely the floodgates must open, as eager buyers spill into the market and give house prices a bit of oomph?But no, the numbers of first-time buyers is half that of that in 2007. The average estate agency still has an average age of 45 on its books. So where did all the first time buyers go?
