News

Almost one in three (30.47%) house sales fell through nationally in January, according to data from Quick Move Now, although Maurice Kilbride continue to buck the trend with only a 5% fall though rate.

There still may be a distinct nip in the air, but the emergence of Spring bulbs means a change of season isn’t too far away.

Gross mortgage lending in December was an estimated £11.7billion, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

The 14th quarterly Property Tracker survey from the Building Societies Association shows that consumer confidence in the housing market remains remarkably stable, if far from booming, despite the gloomy outlook for the economy.

The New Year has kicked in and you’ve decided you are ready to move house. The next important step of course is selecting an estate agent – but where do you start? 

Rics report expects the housing market to be flat for the next 12 months, despite a rise in the number of new instructions

The National Association of Estate Agents has revealed its predictions for the UK property market over the next 12 months.

Maurice Kilbride predicts what lies ahead for home buyers and sellers in 2012 after what has been another turbulent year in the house market.

With only three months of the Stamp Duty "tax holiday" remaining, first-time buyers must act quickly to avoid paying Stamp Duty Land Tax on their home purchase, the National Association of Estate Agents has warned.

Confidence in the housing market has taken a knock as the dual effects of the Eurozone debt crisis and high inflation in the UK rein in demand according to the latest Chesterton Humberts/CEBR November 2011 House Price Poll of Polls.

High rental demand, due to the difficulties would-be buyers face in getting financing, coupled with low mortgage rates has made buying property in Britain more attractive today than it has ever been in comparison to renting.

Consumer Focus has published a new consumer checklist for energy customers entitled ‘staying connected’. It is a guide containing the key information that energy consumers need to know about their energy supply.

Rightmove’s latest Consumer Price Forecast reveals that the majority of prospective home-movers do not expect house prices to be lower by the end of 2012, despite the on-going economic gloom at home and abroad.

Due to a fantastic November following on the heels of a record October Maurice Kilbride are offering a superb, cut price feel deal to Sellers who instruct us as their selling agent prior to the 31st December 2011, but do not wish to commence marketing until next year!

Against an uncertain economic and financial backdrop the housing market has – over the last three years - adapted to a low turnover, finance constrained environment according to the latest Hometrack Monthly national house price survey.

House prices increased by 0.4% in November according to the latest Nationwide House Price Index.

The October data from Land Registry's flagship House Price Index shows an annual price decrease of 3.2 per cent which takes the average property value in England and Wales to £159,999.

Sales to first-time buyers have fallen to a three-year low, the NAEA reported this morning. The Association’s market report for October claims that just 16% of overall sales made last month went to FTBs, down from 22% in September.

Over 40% of all UK properties currently on the market for sale have experienced at least one price reduction, as sellers try to entice buyers in a struggling housing market.

The British Property Federation has backed the Government's new housing strategy, but warned there must be no delay or timidity in its execution with both house building and the wider economy at crisis point.

Cold weather and heavy snow can create major problems for tenants and landlords.

Homeowners are being advised to do a quick health check on their properties after hundreds were drenched by burst pipes last winter.

With a large percentage of homeowners looking to cut monthly outgoings, research has shown that they could be missing a trick by not looking for a new mortgage deal

The UK housing sector saw an increase in activity during October, as sales levels rose and demand edged up, according to the latest RICS UK Housing Market survey.

Top tips for buyers and sellers to make sure you complete on a house before ChristmasTop tips for buyers and sellers to make sure you complete on a house before Christmas

Many property owners are spending in order to beat the downturn and make their home work harder

Almost nine out of ten households are paying too much for broadband, researchers warn.

A poll of 2,000 online surfers found that very few people downloaded enough from the internet to justify spending more than £9.60 a month on broadband, or £20 when line rental is included.

Despite the continued downbeat forecast's for the housing market generally, we have just enjoyed our best month this year for sales!

Applicant levels have reached a four-year high after increasing for a second consecutive month in September, the latest NAEA housing report claimed today, but the number of sales has stalled.

Consumers are being encouraged to think about their use of hot water in economic and environmental terms as part of the fifteenth Energy Savings Week.

Average monthly house prices fell 0.3% in September and are down 2.3% on the year according to the latest LSL Property Services/Acadametrics House Price Index for England and Wales.

 Cheaper properties and affordable mortgages are boosting buyer confidence as transactions rose 9.5% last month.

With the onset of autumn and the darker nights just around the corner, don’t be tempted to go into hibernation when it comes to house hunting – or indeed selling your home.

First time buyer numbers in September fell to their lowest since November 2010 thanks to tightening mortgage lending conditions, reversing the positive summer trend of higher LTV lending and increasing numbers of first time buyers.

Fewer vendors put their homes up for sale during September, as fears over the economy continued to impact negatively on the housing market, says RICS UK Housing Market survey for September 2011.

Despite the economy having grown by just 0.1% in the second quarter of the year, the Bank of England has chosen to keep the base rate on hold at 0.5% again. It is now over two-and-a-half years since the base rate dropped to its current level, but the Bank clearly does not feel that now is the time to increase the burden on struggling borrowers - despite the nation's savers suffering. Instead, it intends to try to boost the economy by purchasing bonds worth £75 billion - a policy known as quantitative easing (QE). Click to read more...

Britain is on the brink of an affordability crisis when it comes to household energy, according to research by uSwitch.com.

 Almost a third of consumers (32%) say energy is already unaffordable in the UK while 69% say that the Government has not struck the right balance between "greening" energy supplies and households being able to enjoy affordable energy.

First-time buyers and homeowners with little equity have more choice for mortgages following a relaxation in the market in recent weeks.

Long-term UK weather forecasts predict a cold few months ahead, with heavy snowfalls likely for November and December.

With this in mind, it is vital for homeowners to ensure their properties are properly weatherproofed and ready to take on the elements.

Getting the home of your dreams may seem a tall order – with so many boxes to tick in terms of price, location and a property that meets your needs.

Following the success of last year's Residential Sentiment Survey, Savills has again surveyed over 800 respondees from across the residential property sector throughout August to September 2011 to assess current sentiments.

The average price of terraced homes in the UK has risen by more than any other type of property over the last 10 years, according to new Halifax research

Moving into the catchment area of a good school is becoming an increasingly important issue for concerned homebuyers, according to new research from Santander Mortgages

It’s summer time at last and the living is easy. But don’t relax too much...

 –aspect.co.uk offers its top ten tips on things to watch out for whilst the sun is shining-

 There are few things finer than relaxing in your garden with a glass of something cool whilst the sun is shining down. But this is the ideal time to take stock of what’s going on both in your garden and indoors.

Sellers have been forced to reduce prices by an average of £18,597 (7.13%) over the last year in an effort to attract buyers, according to new data from Zoopla.

First-time buyers have fallen below 20pc of the housing market in more than half of the regions across Britain as cash-strapped consumers struggle to step on to the property ladder.

In the ongoing financial climate, buying a house and arranging a mortgage is as daunting as it has ever been.

With latest figures from the Bank of England suggesting that mortgage approvals recently fell to a record low – home hunters are feeling the pressure, not only to find a mortgage that suits them and which they can afford, but in working their way through the jargon.

No BMV - Just Property Investing That Stacks UpWith rental demand outstripping supply in many areas of the UK and financing becoming more readily available the buy to let sector is becoming increasingly attractive and accessible to new property investors.

However, with many more new investors entering the market there is a major issue with the way property investments are being offered. The hot term used by most "internet based property investment groups" is BMV (below market value). Buyers are offered distressed sale properties with supposed hefty discounts (15-25%) from their "market value" with the promise that they'll deliver a quick flip on their investment.

More than half (55%) of home buyers and sellers in the UK say the length of time it takes to buy a house is the most frustrating part of the process, according to new research.

 Thesurvey by 1st Property Lawyersof 1300 homeowners revealed their biggest irritations with the house buying process and their concerns about buying a property currently.

NHBC offers further tips on reducing energy consumption and saving money as the headlines continue to be dominated by news of increasing energy prices.

Don't leave electrical appliances on standby: televisions, stereos, computers and other items use electricity in standby mode, in some cases nearly half of what is used when actually in use.

Stalemate in the housing market

Published 12 July 2011

 The UK housing market faced a stalemate during June, as demand failed to pick up and supply of new property fell back, says the RICS UK Housing Market survey June 2011.

More people than ever are going online to search for property – despite transactions dragging along the floor.

According to comScore, an independent analyst, an extra 2.2 million property searchers went online last month, compared with the figure for May of last year.

Altogether, there were 13.9 million visitors looking for UK property.

House prices were unchanged in June according to Nationwide.

In its latest House price Index the price of a typical home in June is now 1.1% lower than one year ago.

The data also records that demand remains subdued, but so does supply.