Useful Links

Previous Posts

Archives

Quick Move RSS Link Feed It!

Quick Move Blog

Friday, 29 January 2010

House Prices Rise in January

House prices rose by 1.2% in January according to figures from Nationwide. This increases the annual rate of increase to 8.6%.

The Nationwide has suggested that annual house price inflation could soon hit 10% as prices have been rising now for 9 months in a row and the current rate of increase is the highest since October 2007.

Again the lack of supply of available property appears to continue to be the main driver in rising prices.

posted by Quick Move at 16:28 0 comments links to this post

Share It!

Click here to return to blog home
Tuesday, 26 January 2010

Mortgage Arrears and House Repossessions - New Rules Proposed

The Financial Service Authroity has proposed new rules to make the repossession of houses the last resort employed by banks when dealing with mortgage arrears. The FSA wants to ensure borrowers are treated 'more fairly' by banks and to ensure that those who fall behind in their mortgage payments are not landed with an unfair level of charges.

In September 2009, there were 164,000 mortgages in arrears by 2.5% of more of their outstanding balance.

The FSA is also looking to tighten rules on mortgage brokers and their staff and also wants to ban self-certified mortgages, with all borrowers needing to prove that their could afford the mortgages they are applying for.

posted by Quick Move at 16:33 0 comments links to this post

Share It!

Click here to return to blog home
Friday, 22 January 2010

Property Sales at 2 Year High

HMRC has released figures today showing that completed sales hit a 2 year high in December. Over 104,000 deals were completed in December 2009, the first time the figure has been above 100,000 since December 2007, adding to evidence of a recovery in the housing market.

Sales reached their lowest point in January 2009, with only 41,000 properties sold the lowest level since 1977 when records began.

Overall in 2009, the number of transactions was broadly similar to 2008, with a total of 848,000 propeties sold. Constrast this figure though with the boom years - in 2006, 1.67 million homes were sold and 1.62 million in 2007.

posted by Quick Move at 15:23 0 comments links to this post

Share It!

Click here to return to blog home
Thursday, 21 January 2010

Mortgage Lending Rises in December

Mortgage lending was up in December, by 14% on the previous month, a move described as 'surprisingly strong' by some commentators. This was up 3% on December 2008.

There was a large rise in completions in the month, perhaps as people tried to beat the end of the stamp duty 'holiday'

posted by Quick Move at 15:28 0 comments links to this post

Share It!

Click here to return to blog home
Wednesday, 20 January 2010

10 Things To Look For When Buying a House

For most people buying a house is a big decision, being the biggest purchase someone will make in their life. Below are ten things to consider when purchasing a property:

1. How far is the property from work? For most people the maximum commuting time they would tolerate is about an hour. Is the property within an hour's drive of your or your partner's workplace? If not, consider moving closer, or, if you are set on moving to the area or house, changing job.

2. What about parking? Some properties have parking, some dont. Make sure if you need to drive that you have access to at least on street parking nearby. It may be that you don't have or need a car (for example if you live in London), in which case, take note of the third point in this list.

3. Does the property have good transport links? Is the property near to the train or tube station, motorway, and airport? If commuting and business travel is a big part of your life then the transport considerations will be of vital importance.

4. Does the area have good schools in the area? If you are a parent, then the schools in the area will likely be of great interest to you. Since schools tend to be better in rural rather than urban areas, then if your kids education is important to you and you can choose where to live, then a move to the country could well be a wise move.

5. How far is it from town? If you're a young person looking for good nightlife, then a move to the inner city could be what you are looking for. However, if you are looking to have a more quiet life then the quieter suburbs could be for you.

6. Which way does the garden face? For sun worshippers this is a key factor. A south facing home will get more sun than a north facing one. Hence if you are one for spending time in the garden during the summer having barbeques etc.. than a south facing garden is what you need.

7. Talk to the neighbours - Sometimes the best way to find out about a neighbourhood is to ask people that live there. Start with homes adjoining your prospective home; you might find out that there is a noisy neighbour two doors down that the vendor didn't happen to mention.

8. See the property more than once - On first viewing, the lounge may seem spacious, but on second viewing, it may seem less so. Buying a property after viewing it just once may be a risky venture.

9. Quiz the sellers - Find out what problems they have had with the house, even if they have been fixed. They might tell you about potential flooding in the area, or they might not. However, if they don't tell you about something to do with the house than turns out to be a problem, then you have grounds for legal action.

10. Consider the potential of the house - many buyers these days are looking for potential for improvement to a property when purchasing property. Whether it is adding a conservatory, an extra bathroom or an extra bedroom, buyers are on the lookout for adding value to their property. Keep home improvements in mind when buying a property.

posted by Quick Move at 11:45 0 comments links to this post

Share It!

Click here to return to blog home

The Most Expensive Streets In The UK

The Halifax recently released data of the most expensive streets in the UK, based on Land Registry data, and Royal Mail postcodes.

The report reveals that the top 10 most expensive streets in the UK are all in London. Of those, seven streets were situated in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, with Wycombe Square hitting the top spot with an average property price of £5,401,447.

Below are the top ranking streets in term of property value for all regions in the UK:

North - Lindasfarne Road, Jesmond, Newcastle, Postcode NE22; Average property price: £1,003,822

North West - Withinlee Road, Macclesfield, Postcode SK10; Average property price: £1,205,833

Yorkshire and the Humber - Royal Gardens, Harrogate, Postcode HG2; Average property price: £720,800

West Midlands - Alderbrook Road, Solihull, Postcode B91; Average property price: £908,750

East Midlands - Valley Road, Nottingham, Postcode NG2; Average property price: £851,000

East Anglia - Sedley Taylor Road, Cambridge, Postcode CB2; Average property price: £958,440

South West - Brudenell Avenue, Poole, Postcode BH13; Average property price: £1,927,491

South East - Moles Hill, Leatherhead, Postcode KT22: Average property price: £2,645,000

Greater London - Wycombe Square, Kensington and Chelsea, Postcode W8; Average property price: £5,401,447

Wales - Druidstone Road, Old St Mellons, Postcode CF3; Average property price: £621,000

posted by Quick Move at 10:22 1 comments links to this post

Share It!

Click here to return to blog home
Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Inflation Jumps in December

Today's inflation figures show a record jump in December of 1%, with CPI up to 2.9%. This jump was the largest since 1997 when monthly records began.

Economists are now predicting inflation to rise above 3% in Janaury, so what chance an interest rate rise at the Bnk of England's next monthly meeting?

posted by Quick Move at 13:56 0 comments links to this post

Share It!

Click here to return to blog home

10 Top Property Websites

The internet has revolutionised the area of property as much as any other in the last 10 years; sites have cropped up ranging from huge portals advertising property to interior design tips sites. Below is a selection of the most popular property sites on the web:

1. Rightmove - http://www.rightmove.co.uk

The granddaddy of all property sites, Rightmove is the largest property website in the UK, with most new properties going on sale in the UK being listed on the site. Rightmove has over 20,000 estate agents properties on the site. The site makes its money by charging estate agents for putting their properties for sale on the site. By doing this Rightmove have preserved a key element of many successful sites on the web - the element of making the site free for the user. This drive toward free has been a key part of the new internet economy; businesses that would have traditionally charged a fee for their services are now having to find their income from another source. Rightmove have done this well, and have been successful as a result.

2. Prime Location - http://www.primelocation.com

One of the second tier property sites in the UK, Prime Location serves a wide range of property interested clientele in the UK. Its services are more wide ranging than Rightmove; Prime Location offer services for people such as: people looking to rent; people looking to buy land; people looking for the best deal on their mortgage; people looking to find house price trend data; people looking for property market news; and people looking for new build homes to buy. These resources mean the site is more of a property "hub" than Rightmove, and may mean it is potentially well placed to overtake Rightmove as the UK's number one property site in the future.

3. Period Property - http://www.periodproperty.co.uk

As the name suggests, this is the premier site in the UK for period property. Again, it is more of a "hub" than Rightmove, offering forums, a Q & A section with a professional, book recommendations, articles as well as an area to buy and sell period properties. Periodproperty.co.uk has some really good content, including a directory for services related to period properties, but will only ever serve a niche, which is people who own or interested in older buildings. This is not necessarily a bad thing - serving a targeted niche effectively can be very helpful for its users, as well as potentially being very profitable. The only downside I would give to the site is its design; it's a little bland.

4. Shared Spaces - http://www.sharedspaces.co.uk

This interesting site gives people who would not usually have the opportunity to buy a property the chance to get on the ladder. Shared Spaces touts itself as the original UK "co-buyer network". They have been running since 2005, they offer the chance to sign up and meet one of the thousands of people on their books in order to buy a house with them. What seems like quite a strange option at first actually makes sense for thousands of people unable to keep up with the rocketing property prices of the past few years. The site has a nice, fresh design and much of the on site copy is well written. I suspect sites like this will do well if house price increases continue to outstrip salary levels.

5. Energy Saving Trust - http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

This site is a government sponsored site that provides information to the public and businesses about ways to save energy and reduce CO2 emissions. The site's central premise is that global warming is a potentially disastrous issue and one that needs to be addressed by everyone, now. Highlights of the site include: a personalised carbon footprint calculator; a section on generating your own energy and a section on driving tips to reduce CO2 emissions. Being a government sponsored project, the site is of top quality, both in terms of content, design and usability. One to bookmark and come back to.

6. Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen - http://www.llb.co.uk

The OTT interior designer here promotes his own interior design company and other projects. The design is quite distinct; it is the most stylish design I have profiled in this blog post. The site gives some good design tips from the man himself, based around some of his favourite lighting, kitchens and bathrooms. Perhaps what is missing from this site is some sort of interactive element, which would take it to the next level. Still, a good effort, worth visiting if you are thinking of changing your home around.

7. Land registry - http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/

The main appeal of the Land Registry is its house price index, which, it claims, is the most accurate house price index available. The site offers the unique ability to generate lists of average house prices in any area of England and Wales for any range of months since January 1995. The Land Registry house price index traditionally has strengths and weaknesses; its strength is that it is official government data, so it has gravitas. Its weakness is that because the index is of completed sales, the data may be a few months behind the real figures, perhaps reflected in the indices of companies such as Nationwide and Halifax.

8. Property Snake - http://www.propertysnake.co.uk/

Property Snake is a site that has really come into its own during the recession - it basically shows the properties for sale in the UK that have dropped in price, ready for sale. The highest price reduction shown on the site currently is 54%. The site give users the option of searching for properties by price or location. Since the economy and housing market has picked up, the site has declined in importance slightly, but still is the place to visit if you're looking for property bargains.

9. Star Driveways - http://www.stardriveways.com/

Bit of fun this one - an amateur site that shows pictures of stars' driveways, most of them in Hollywood. You can get a glimpse of some of the houses in some of the pics, which look very luxurious. So log on and catch a glimpse of Ozzy Osbourne or Tom Jones' house front. Brings out the nosey-parker in all of us!

10. Quick Move Now - http://www.quickmovenow.com

Couldn't leave this one out! Quick Move Now are one of the leading house buying companies in the UK; they help out hundreds of people every year who need a quick sale. They will pay up to 85% of the property's value, and can turn around in as little as 7 days. Because Quick Move Now have access to a large reserve of our own cash to buy houses, they can move a lot quicker than other house buyers, who have to borrow money to buy homes. If you are thinking, "I really need someone to buy my house quickly," or "I need someone to sell my house to," then look around our site and see what we can do for you.

posted by Quick Move at 10:37 0 comments links to this post

Share It!

Click here to return to blog home
Monday, 18 January 2010

Asking Prices Up in First Week of 2010

Rightmove says that asking prices for houses jumped 1.2% in the first week of January as sellers became more confident about the strength of the UK housing market. Rightmove says that it's year has started strongly, with visitors to their site up 26% compared with 2009.

Its figures also show the lowest stick of homes for sale in 10 years when it started to monitor the market, with the average estate agent having just 63 properties to market. 50,624 properties were added to Rightmove in the 5 weeks to January 9th - down from its average of 89,000.

posted by Quick Move at 16:01 0 comments links to this post

Share It!

Click here to return to blog home
Tuesday, 12 January 2010

House Price Rises Slowed in December

The latest RICS survey shows that house price rises slowed in December.

30% more surveyors saw rises than falls in December but the positive balance was lower than in November or October. It is difficult to read too much into December figures - with the run up to Christmas, it is part of the normal seasonal slowdown.

The Government's figures show that house prices rose 1.7% in November, meaning they were 0.6% higher than in November 2008. Overall prices rose by 3.5% in the quarter ending November.

posted by Quick Move at 10:55 0 comments links to this post

Share It!

Click here to return to blog home
Tuesday, 5 January 2010

House Prices Rise in 2009

The Halifax has reported that UK house prices were 1.1% higher in December 2009 than in December 2008, the first annual price rise since March 2008.

Prices rose by 1% in December on the previous month, the 6th consecutive monthly rise.



The graph above shows the change in house prices over the past 2 years, with house prices reaching a low in April 2009 before rising by 9.4% to December 2009.

Price increases in 2009 were driven largely by a shortage of supply - if more people start selling, price rises would level out. The Halifax is forecasting a flat year for house prices in 2010 with the market heavily dependent on the state of the UK economy.

posted by Quick Move at 10:47 0 comments links to this post

Share It!

Click here to return to blog home