House Prices in UK

December 2010 Property Analysis

End of year analysis from all the property price indices and agents for 2010 in December agree that despite some rises in the first half of the year, the falls in the second half of the year, meant the average house was worth pretty much the same at the end of the year as at the start.

READ MORE to find out the past, current and future property market indicators.

What should buyers and sellers do in 2011?

Help for First Time Buyers

First Time Buyer House

If you are first time buyer it can be confusing trying to understand what is the best house for a first time purchase. For example, should you buy a flat for the first time or a house with a garden? Where should you buy? Close to town or out in the sticks? Is an old house that needs a lot of work a good idea for first time buyers?

Where should first time buyers live?

House Property Prices - What Should Buyers and Sellers do in 2011?

November property prices and volumes continue to show a 'depressed' picture from a 'national' perspective. The number of properties available for sale has started to slide slightly as potential sellers worry more about getting through Christmas rather than putting their properties on the market.

For the past, current and future house price indicators READ MORE

What Should Buyers and Sellers do in 2011?

READ MORE for regional property data.

Estate Agent Awards 2010

Most people enjoy taking the mick out of estate agents and they are often the butt of many jokes. It's a shame though, because if all those people who berate agents could have attended the Estate Agent Awards on Friday, 3rd December they would have seen how professional, forward looking and what an incredibly charitable industry estate agents are.

The awards were presented by James Cracknell, an amazing man who has won two Olympic Gold Medals, six World Champtionship Titles, rowed across the Atlantic and raced to the South Pole.

So who are the winning agents? READ ON to find out who the key winners are.

Estate Agent Awards 2010

Cap on Local Housing Allowance rates could cause problems if implemented

The Coalition Government have started to realise that their cap on the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) could cause major problems within areas such as London if implemented.

Due to private landlords having potentially to turf out LHA tenants to make ends meet, the government have agreed to delay the implementation of the cap until January 2012 for people that are already claiming the benefit.

Caps for new housing benefit claimants will be brought forward though and all be introduced in April 2011 (instead of April 2011 and October 2011).

For more information and full details of the new caps - READ MORE.

What’s happening in the Construction Industry?

According to the latest Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Market survey “The impact of government spending cuts and continued concerns over access to finance saw sentiment in the construction industry turn increasingly negative during the third quarter of 2010”.

Importantly for the residential market, one of the worst areas affected was public housing where the government announced a 50% cut in spending on affordable homes.

READ ON to find out more about what's hapening in the construction and property industry.

To Rent or Buy?

To Rent or Buy?

With the cost of maintaining our ageing housing stock on the rise, is now a good time to buy – or should you stay renting?

According to Zoopla, 80% of British cities/towns are now cheaper to buy in than rent a two bedroom flat in 50 locations throughout the UK. In some locations – not necessarily the ones you would expect – renting is more costly than buying.

Read on to find out whether To Rent or Buy?