All Removals London News Digest - December 2014

What makes Prime Central London and Monaco so much

alike from a real estate point of view?

A report commissioned by Pastor Real Estate has highlighted the many similarities

between the luxury residential property markets of London and Monaco.

The report was recently carried out using data collected by Pastor, along with information

sourced from LonRes and Dataloft, in a bid to determine the popularity of both regions

with ultra high net worth investors. The findings showed that there are numerous parallels

between the two cities that have lead to increased investor interest, and the report also

revealed that a significant number of UHNW investors that had acquired property in one

region also had a property in the other, be it rented or purchased. So just what do these

two property markets, known for being home to some of the most luxurious and exclusive

addresses in the world, have in common?

Written by Economic Voice for Economic Voice

Published on All Removals London website on 01 December 2014

Holiday Clean Up: Clutter Cutting Ideas for Years End

Christmas Week is here, and New Year's Eve is on the horizon! Even in the midst of

holiday cheer, it's time to look ahead to a clean and organized New Year - past the clutter

of Christmas Past!

Ready to swing into the coming year from a clutter-free home?

Try these year-end tips to cut clutter and start the New Year on an organized note.

Santa's Rule: Get One, Toss Two

Try this simple idea to pack a powerful clutter-cutting punch as you put away new holiday

gifts: for each gift received, toss two counterparts.

As you put away holiday gifts, take time to make extra room throughout the house. For

example, for every new Christmas DVD you add to the shelves, remove two older titles.

Written by Cynthia Ewer for Organized home


UK residential property tax changes widely welcomed

Sweeping reforms to the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) in the UK have been announced

which take effect immediately and will mean many people, especially first time buyers,

will pay less property tax.

The reform announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne abolishes the

previous archaic bandings with a more progressive system designed to help young

professionals and families get on the housing ladder.

The new charge will only apply on a portion of value that is above each new level. So

there will be no SDLT up to £125,000, 2% up to £250,000, 5% up to £925,000, 10% up

to £1.5 million and 12% over £1.5 million.

Osborne pointed out that only on purchases of more than £937,000 will buyers end up

paying more than they have done. It is also likely that the chances of a mansion tax

should be introduced are much diminished.

Written by Property Wire for Property Wire


George Clarkes top 10 tips for making your home

sustainable

Tap aerators and LED lightbulbs are easy wins to make your home more energy efficient –

but what else could you be doing?

1. Change the boiler. I always change boilers over 10 years old even if they still work

because they will be costing a fortune to run. Nowadays its relatively cheap to buy a boiler

and they are not only smaller, but also more energy efficient. Make sure you employ a

Gas Safe registered engineer to do this.

2. Insulate your loft to a depth of at least 250mm. This is a cheap and easy way to lower

your heating costs. In most cases you can do it yourself – just roll it out. Buy loft roll from

a DIY store or builders’ merchant.

3. Upgrade your windows. This won’t be cheap, but it will do more than make your house

more ecological and sustainable – you’ll have lower heating bills and a higher level of

comfort. It will make your home more sellable too.

Written by George Clarke for The Guardian


Shared ownership lease problems

Lenders need to be aware that a borrower who has a shared ownership lease can still be a

liability even if they pay their mortgage each month. Paul Heeley, banking and financial

services litigation partner at national law firm TLT, explains

For over 30 years, shared ownership leases have given those on lower incomes an

opportunity to buy a home they couldn’t otherwise afford. In a nutshell, the buyer gets a

combination of a long lease of part of their property for which they pay a premium

(usually funded by a mortgage), and a tenancy of the other part, for which they pay rent.

On a monthly basis this generally works out cheaper than buying a regular long lease of

the whole property. But this novel mix of ownership and renting can cause problems,

particularly when service charges or rent are not paid and the landlord wants possession.

Written by Elizabeth Henry for Mortgage Finance Gazette


Eastern German real estate outlook improving

Prospects for commercial real estate in eastern Germany are improving, according to TLG

Immobilien.

The firm’s Property Market in Berlin and Eastern Germany 2014 report notes an improving

outlook for eastern German cities, with rents stable and – in some sectors – rising asset

prices.

Second and third-tier German cities are increasingly the focus of investors seeking

alternative investment locations. The five eastern German states reported increased

investment in commercial real estate between 2009 and 2012, when investment volume

rose from €320m to around €1.87bn. Following a slight decline in 2013 to €1.36bn,

volumes for the first half of 2014 totalled €1.37bn.

Berlin and eastern German cities such as Dresden, Erfurt, Jena, Leipzig, Magdeburg,

Potsdam and Rostock are attracting strong attention from investors, the report said.

Written by TLG Immobilien for IP Real Estate


Employment gains push up property values

Average house prices in the 20 top performing employment areas have risen by 45 per

cent over the past decade – more than double the national average.

Homeowners in the local authorities that have seen the largest rises in employment have

also seen the average value of properties rise by over £100,000 over the past 10 years.

The average house price in the 20 local areas recording the largest increases in

employment in the decade to June 2014 rose by 45 per cent (or £103,785). This was

more than double the national average increase in house prices over the period (21 per

cent or £35,456).

At the same time, employment in these areas rose by an average of 26 per cent - well

ahead of the average national increase of 4 per cent.

Written by Elizabeth Henry for Mortgage Finance Gazette


Jonathan Dodd: No excuses

As I think I mentioned, I moved house. It was a long and painful process. There must be

ways of making the whole thing easier and less like hard work, but the only way I can

think of is to have vast amounts of money, and just paying someone to do the whole thing

while you go on a cruise or something exotic and a long way away.

Chance would be a fine thing. I doubt that even people with a lot of money would find

themselves owning more books than we do. In a previous lifetime, moving house, the

removals men gave us loads of sturdy boxes to pack our stuff in, and we duly filled them

with books. They had to be unpacked of course, because even the removals men couldn’t

lift such large book-filled boxes.

Raid the supermarkets for vegetable boxes

So now I raid the supermarkets for vegetable boxes. They’re like deep trays with a handle

hole at each end, and they stack. Most important, you can’t fill them too full and do your

back in. We filled hundreds of them with books. Then we had to collect even more,

because they’re also wonderful for DVDs and CDs.

Written by Jonathan Dodd for On The Wight


UK homes with TV fall for first time - Ofcom

The number of UK homes with a TV set is falling for the first time as viewers turn to

tablets and other devices to watch programmes. The communications regulator Ofcom

reports that after years of consecutive growth, the number of TV households fell from

26.33m at the end of 2012 to 26.02m at the end of 2013.

There are now nearly 1m homes with broadband but no TV, while catch-up content in

particular is growing in importance and being consumed on devices such as tablets,

smartphones, computers and games consoles.

The emphasis is on mobile devices for consumption, with BBC figures from July cited,

when 47 per cent of requests for iPlayer content were made from tablets or mobiles, up

from just 25 per cent in October 2012.

Written by Ofcom for Finacial Times


John Taylor first international luxury real estate brand on

Mauritius

The growing international agency hopes the new office in Ebene will increase sales, rental

and property management to Commonwealth and Francophile communities, plus Russia

and the Middle East

Expanding property agency, John Taylor, has opened its first office in Mauritius and claims

to be the first international luxury real estate brand on the island.

John Taylor’s office in Ebene, the business and financial hub of Mauritius, is its first in the

Indian Ocean region and brings its global total to 19 in nine countries.

The news comes just a week after John Taylor announced it was linking with the US-based

Concoran Group to serve the growing demand from American and international clients

seeking unique properties in the United States and abroad.

Ansy Gujadhur, who has an extensive background in marketing and the luxury hotel

sector, has been appointed to head up the new office on Mauritius.

Written by Adrian Bishop for OPP Connect


Parking in London: Loading and unloading explained

Loading and unloading is permitted on single and double yellow lines for a maximum of 40

minutes if loading is observed. You must not cause an obstruction and ensure that there is

no loading ban

Where there is a loading ban, in addition to parking restrictions, you will see yellow stripes

(chevrons) on the kerb. Double stripes are not signed and indicate that loading and

unloading is not permitted AT ANY TIME. Single stripes mean no loading and unloading

during certain times and will have an accompanying time plate (see example below).

Where there is a loading ban, in addition to parking restrictions, you will see yellow stripes

(chevrons) on the kerb. Double stripes are indicate that loading and unloading is not

permitted AT ANY TIME and will have an accompanying timeplate. Single stripes mean no

loading and unloading during certain times and will also have an accompanying time plate

(see example below).

All commercial deliveries and collections (including multi-drop and couriers) are included

in the exemption. Reasonable time is allowed for the checking of paperwork too –

however, as soon as the delivery has finished the vehicle must be moved.

Written by London Councils for London Councils


Young Londoners flee capital for the regions

House prices drive thirtysomethings out to smaller cities.

Ambitious thirtysomethings are leaving London in droves. Record numbers are turning

their backs on the capital and flocking to England’s regional cities, according to an

analysis of official data that suggests a significant exodus from London is under way.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that, in the year to June last

year, 58,220 people aged 30-39 left the capital – the highest number on record and a

10% increase on 2010. Overall, there was a net outflow of almost 22,000

thirtysomethings. The last time there was a comparable figure was in 2008 – the year of

the credit crisis. However, the figures are likely to be only a fraction of the true numbers

of people in their thirties migrating from London.

The ONS figures are based largely on an analysis of NHS registers, so will not include

everyone who moves away from the capital. Soaring house prices in London since June

2013 are also likely to have accelerated the outflow.

House prices in the capital have risen by 19% in the past year alone. The average

property in London now costs £402,800, according to Hometrack: the UK average is

£185,700.

Written by Jamie Doward for The Guardian - The Observer


Spanish properties prices up 1.15% in third quarter

Residential property prices in Spain rose 1.15% in the third quarter of 2014 compared to

the same period last year, according to the latest index published by the Property

Registrars.

That is the first time this index has edged clearly into positive territory since the Spanish

housing bubble burst, and according to real estate expert Mark Stucklin it means the

market could be turning.

On a quarterly basis prices were basically stable, with a decline of just 0.08% between

June and September and the peak to present fall in house prices is 32.4% according the

Registrars’ figures.

It says that these figures paint a picture of stable house prices. The registered number of

homes sold also shows a favourable evolution with transactions up 1.4% to 79,561 sales

in the third quarter compared to the second. The market bottomed out with 72,560 sales

in the fourth quarter of 2013.



Stamp Duty changes see London £1.5-£2m real estate

investment ‘disappear overnight’

Property investors aware of higher Stamp Duty charges, who were buying at £1.5m-

£2million, are now turning to cheaper options so they can factor in profits and avoid

buyers paying more when they come to sell, says agent Henry & James.

Changes to UK Stamp Duty brought in just a week ago have all but wiped out real estate

investment demand for properties from £1.5million-£2million, says top London agency,

Henry & James.

Before 4 December 2014, Stamp Duty was 4% on the entire value of homes worth

£500,001-£1million, 5% on homes between £1,000,001-£2million; and 7% above.

The new system, brought in by Chancellor George Osborne in the Autumn Statement, saw

Stamp Duty charged as a single percentage of any part of the property price at 10% from

£925,001-£1.5million and 12% on properties over £1.5million.

Written by Adrian Bishop for OPP Connect


Don't Move, Improve: London's best new home extensions

The best new residential extensions and improvements are being celebrated by New

London Architecture at an exhibition and awards thing at The Building Centre in WC1.

A timber-framed extension to a 1960’s estate in Gospel Oak designed by architects

Maccreanor Lavington and a light-filled home in Bloomsbury designed by Stiff + Trevillion

were named as overall winners at the fifth annual “Don’t Move, Improve!” awards, and

are now on display along with the 42 other shortlisted projects.

Led by the NLA with support from the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID), Heal’s

and RIBA London, the competition “sought projects that displayed innovation and

creativity in the creation of new space, sustainable and cost-effective approaches to

project delivery, and high-quality design that complements London’s rich mix of

architectural styles.” There’s a full gamut of styles in the shortlist, from classic Georgiana

to full industrialism.

Written by PrimeResi for PrimeResi


Bathroom design mistakes you can't afford to make

If you're thinking of upgrading your bathroom, our expert tips will help you get it right

without flushing your hard-earned cash down the plughole.

Christmas is just around the corner, and with all those guests set to arrive you might be

taking a long hard look at your home and dreaming of a new bathroom to wow them with.

At Wholesale Domestic, we have over 50 years of experience in the bathroom business so

we know all the pitfalls – and some top tips too.

We also know it doesn't have to cost the earth to create the wow factor you’re looking for.

So, to help you create the perfect sanctuary, here's our guide to avoiding those classic

bathroom blunders...

Written by Wholesale Domestic for Daily Record


Average house earns more than average worker

The average house in the UK earned more than the average worker in the last year, the

Post Office’s Cost of Buying & Moving study has found.

The study, compiled by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, found that

house prices increased by 12% – or £29,339 - over the last twelve months, while the

average worker took home earnings of £27,271.

At over £2,000 less, this means that more than 60% of the working population earned

less than the average home in the last 12 months.

A typical home's earnings now outpace those of a number of our most-relied upon

professions, and significantly exceed the starting salaries of a junior hospital doctor

(£22,636), a graduate nurse (£21,388), a teacher (£22,023), a police officer (£23,317)

and a solider (£17,945).

John Willcock, head of mortgages at Post Office, said: "Property prices have soared over

the last year, following a long period of recovery – and are set to increase further over the

next five years.

Written by Mortgage Introducer for Mortgage Introducer


Festive finishers for your home. Illustrated

Left your decorating to the last minute? Don't worry if you're short of time, there's a

sleighful of easy ways to conjure up a seasonal atmosphere.

If your home's still a festive-free zone, there's no need to panic, there's still time to

achieve last-minute touches for Santa-ready rooms.

A beautifully decorated home is within reach; all that's needed is a little imagination, a

willingness to get handy with some scissors, glue and paper, and a small outlay on a few

well-chosen Christmas accessories.

"We're all so busy at this time of year that decorations can be left to the last minute, or

kept to the minimum if you're on a tight budget," says Anita Kaushal, interiors specialist

and co-author of FamilyLifeStyle Home.

"Luckily, 'less is more' is the recipe for seasonal success, because it's about making

beautiful but simple statements. Those personal touches won't just add colour and

character, they'll make your festive setting unique."

Written by Gabrielle Fagan for BT


London house prices fall by more than £30,000 in a month

Property website Rightmove reveals drop since November within 3.3% national decline,

but capital’s prices up 11.1% on 2013.

The average asking price of a home in London has tumbled by more than £30,000 over

the past month, figures from property website Rightmove showed on Monday, with new

sellers in all of the capital’s boroughs seemingly becoming less optimistic about the price

they can achieve.

Across the country, Rightmove reported the largest ever monthly fall in the price of

properties coming to market, a 3.3% or nearly £9,000 decline to £258,424.

Asking prices in Greater London have been falling since the summer, and the drop to an

average of £570,796 from £601,180 in November, represents a 5.1% decline in sellers’

expectations over the month, the second biggest after August. Prices were down in all 32

London boroughs, with the biggest drops in Hammersmith & Fulham and Hackney, where

new asking prices dropped by 7% and 6% respectively.

Written by Hilary Osborne for The Guardian


Why won't Barclays let us move our mortgage

A reader who has been with the bank for 40 years wants to know why Barclays thinks

they can't afford to keep their mortgage after a house move.

I am in dispute with Barclays (LSE: BARC.L - news) over mortgage "porting" on moving

house. We have a part repayment, but principally interest-only, mortgage on our main

residence.

This was last renegotiated in 2009 as a base-rate tracker and has just over three years of

its term to run. The additional financing secured in 2009 was towards the purchase of a

second property. Our intention is to relocate from our current home to the second

property within the remaining term, at which point the sale of our current home would

provide funds to repay the mortgage.

We have since also looked at other properties in the vicinity of our second home and are

currently considering moving from our present main residence, temporarily residing in our

second home while work is carried out on the new home, and, once settled in, selling the

second home to pay off the mortgage.

Written by Jessica Gorst-Williams for The Telegraph


22 free energy-saving tips that really work

At Money Dashboard we're all for finding new ways to help you save money – and if they

help out the environment too that can only be a good thing. Here are a few of the best

energy-saving tips that won't cost you a penny.

1. Check you're on the best energy tariff. See all the latest energy prices for your home

with our price comparison engine.

2. Turn off your appliances. According to the Energy Saving Trust this could save you

between £45 and £80 a year.

3. Turn your shower power down. This will mimic the effect of a water-saving shower

head, which can save a house of four around £175 a year on energy bills.

4. Set your washing machine to 30C. Dropping it from 40C could reduce your energy

consumption by 40%.

5. Wash up in a bowl. This means you won't need to keep the hot tap running, using

unnecessary water and energy.

6. Use your draught excluder. Not only will this keep the heat in, it'll also mean you don't

need to turn it up as high in the first place, saving up to £55 a year.

Written by Lisa Raynsford and Kalpana Fitzpatrick for Money Dashboard


Lowest-ever 10-year mortgage deals launched as inflation

falls

Plunging inflation and interest rate expectations have prompted banks to launch an

explosion of mortgage deals fixed for 10 years at historically low rates.

Santander this morning launched its lowest-ever 10-year mortgage pegged at 3.44% until

2024, aimed at home buyers able to stump up a 40% deposit. The new mortgage, which

the bank claims is the cheapest in the market, is the latest in a surge of 10-year deals

from lenders cashing in on expectations that interest rates will stay low for longer.

Inflation fell to 1% in November, down from 1.2% in October, and the lowest in 12 years

according to the Office for National Statistics. The fall sparked speculation among

economists that the first rise in interest rates, anticipated some time in 2015, may now

not happen until 2016.

Written by Patrick Collinson for The Guardian


Dutch Company Tinello Lets You 3D Print Your Future

Kitchen — or at Least a Model of it

I’m in the process of constructing a custom home with my soon-to-be wife Heidi. Over the

course of the last year and a half we have been trying to envision what our dream home

will eventually look like. As each step in the construction process progresses, we get

closer and closer to finally realizing our vision, hopefully in the way we have been

imagining it.

Because our home is custom designed and not simply chosen from a set of cookie cutter

plans, we had to make an extraordinary number of decisions during the design process.

Both Heidi and I had a really hard time trying to picture just what each room would look

like. In the kitchen, should we put a second island with a prep sink in between the

cabinets and the bar island? Do we have enough room for a large table in the morning

room? These were all questions we had to ask ourselves, and rely on the designers and

our imagination to decide upon.

One exception is a company based in the Netherlands called Tinello Kitchen & Interior.

Although they specialize mainly in kitchen design, they are one of the early adopters of 3D

printing within the field.

Written by Brian Krassenstein for 3D Print


Peer to peer lending set to change the UK mortgage

industry, it is claimed

Peer to peer finance is set to revolutionise the UK mortgage industry, starting with

secured lending to landlords, according to a new independent review of the buy to let

mortgage industry.

Population growth combined with a weak home building response mean the phenomenon

of buy to let would survive a new recession similar to, or even worse than, that

experienced in 2008, according to the research conducted by The Wriglesworth

Consultancy and commissioned by peer to peer lender Landbay.

However despite this, the research also reveals the higher price of buy to let finance, with

average new mortgage rates one third more expensive for landlords than for owner

occupiers.

This leaves a gap for P2P mortgage lenders to disrupt the industry.

In the first ever published stress tests for a peer to peer lender, the report also reveals

that secured peer to peer lending against buy to let properties has a natural stability

against economic shocks.



Buying your first property, when is right for you?

For a long time now property ownership has been an ambition shared by many millions of

Britons. However, today it seems harder than ever to get on the property ladder because

of the high deposits needed to get a mortgage and the rising cost of buying a property

itself. So there’s lots to think about before you make the leap to buy.

It could be fair to say that previous generations had a far easier time buying their first

property. For many, mortgages were easier to get than they are today, there was greater

choice of property within people’s price ranges and, in the days before student loans,

graduates never found themselves saddled with thousands of pounds worth of debt before

they started their working life. It is estimated that the average student will leave

university with £44,000 worth of debt, according to a report by The Institute of Fiscal

Studies and the Sutton Trust.



The Kitchen of the Future

The future is calling and it is asking for a new kitchen. A team at Virginia Tech is

answering, with a plan for a smart kitchen that makes full use of technology.

It’s been talked about for decades: A kitchen of the proverbial future that does the work

for you. Here’s the late actor, Burgess Meredith, reading from a short story by the, also

late, science fiction writer, Ray Bradbury. It’s called, “And There Will Come Soft Rains,’

and it was published in 1950.

"In the kitchen, the breakfast stove gave a hissing sigh and ejected from it’s warm

interior, 8 pieces of perfectly brown toast, 8 eggs sunny side up, 16 slices of bacon, two

coffees and two cool glasses of milk. ‘Today is August 4, 2026, said a second voice from

the kitchen ceiling….”

"The future is now because we have so much technology that’s waiting to be utilized,"

says Joe Wheeler, professor of Architecture and co –director of the Center for Design

Research at Virginia Tech.

Written by Robbie Harris for WVTF


Mortgage rates: five reasons they could rise in 2015

Don't assume mortgage rates won't rise, even if the Bank Rate remains fixed next year

Fixed-rate mortgages are cheaper than ever thanks to the record low Bank Rate, plus the

fact that lenders have access to cheap funding on the wholesale markets.

A year ago most commentators were saying rates had fallen as far as they would go. But

2014 proved them wrong.

Now (NYSE: DNOW - news) , though, there is less conviction. All the signs point to rates

remaining low well into 2015: inflation is down, wage growth is modest and lenders are

keen to attract new business. Some brokers expect rates may even edge down further as

a result of this competition.

But rates won’t stay low forever and there are a number of external factors that could

push them up.

= What affects mortgage pricing? =

Written by Nicole Blackmore for The Telegraph


House prices to rise by 3% in 2015 and rents by 2% says

RICS

House prices in the UK will see an average increase of 3% in 2015 bolstered by recent

changes to Stamp Duty, continuing demand and lack of supply of property, it is predicted.

Rents are set to grow by 2% and sales are expected to increase, according to the annual

housing market forecast from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Across the UK, RICS expect all parts of the country to see modest price rises during 2015

with the South West, Wales and London set to experience the lowest rises with prices

increasing by 2% and 0% respectively.

Having outperformed in the early stages of the recovery, chartered surveyors reported

London's housing market was 'pausing for breath' both in terms of pricing and activity

towards the end of 2014.



Edinburgh rental prices dip below £1000

Rent prices have dipped below the £1000 threshold once again, just months after

reaching a five-year peak.

The average cost of renting a city property has fallen to £961 per month – despite rent

levels soaring for larger family homes.

Earlier this summer, independent letting agency DJ Alexander reported that city rents had

reached their highest level since 2008, smashing the four-figure barrier for the first time.

But now experts say that a growing stock of smaller properties has helped to halt the

city’s spiralling rental market.

However, the cost of a three-bedroom house in suburban Edinburgh has shot up by a

quarter since May – having peaked at £1232 per month.

Written by Edinburgh News for Edinburgh News


UK property boom fades as pace of house price growth

fizzles out

Glasgow and Edinburgh enjoy post-referendum bounce but in most other towns growth is

slowing to a crawl, finds City House Price Index.

Property markets in Edinburgh and Glasgow experienced a post-referendum bounce,

according to new research, as the ending of uncertainty over Scottish independence

helped the two cities record the fastest price rises in the UK over the past three months.

But in other parts of the UK there were further signs that the boom of the first half of the

year had fizzled out, the data from property firm Hometrack showed. Prices in former

hotspots Aberdeen and Cambridge fell over the three months and in London they rose

only 0.5%.

The latest City House Price Index showed that across the board prices were up by 8.9%

over the past year, but the monthly rate of growth has slowed to a crawl. In the three

months to 30 November prices rose by 0.4% to an average of £185,900.

Written by Hilary Osborne for The Guardian


Buy-to-let: is an interest-only mortgage the best bet?

Ask an expert: We have been told an interest-only mortgage is best for our first buy-to-let

investment, but it sounds risky. What are the advantages?

My wife and I are buying our first property to let and friends and mortgage brokers say we

should have an interest-only mortgage. This sounds dangerous as it means the mortgage

capital will never reduce. We prefer the idea of the rent paying down the loan, which

would mean the tenant effectively "buys the property for us". But is this the best financial

route? JG, by email

Most landlords use an interest only mortgage for two reasons, according to David

Lawrenson of Lettingfocus.com: first, it maximises monthly cashflow; and, secondly, it is

tax-efficient.

"Most landlords want as much free monthly cashflow as possible," explained Mr

Lawrenson. "That's what interest-only provides."

Written by Richard Dyson for The Telegraph


Brum on over: the London exodus to UK’s second city

Canals, culture and housing help make Birmingham the top choice for people leaving

capital.

Not so long ago it was a city most people tended to bypass or leave as soon as possible in

search of brighter lights and greener grass – a place of crumbling concrete, ring-roads

and miserable shopping centres. Not now.

“Birmingham’s a great place, it’s changed hugely in the last few years,” said Omar

Budeiri, a young businessman who has just quit London in favour of a trendy flat in

Birmingham’s revived and increasingly funky Jewellery Quarter.

“There’s a lot of people setting up really interesting businesses, especially in the hi-tech

industries. There are good independent coffee houses and clothes shops and you can have

as fun a night out here as in London at half the price.”

Written by Steven Morris for The Guardian


UK stamp duty changes set to boost house building

A leading UK builder has announced that the reforms to the Stamp Duty tax has given it

the confidence to bring forward the next phase of a major development.

While the stamp duty reform has been widely hailed as a boost for first time buyers trying

to get on the housing market the announcement from Crest Nicholson shows it is also

going to boost house building.

The house builder said it will bring forward the next phase of development at Centenary

Quay in Southampton and build 280 new homes, some 128 of them in the next year.

New analysis by the company revealed that the reforms will save buyers in Southampton

over £1,660 per transaction and increase demand for new homes. In addition, since 2013

some 44% of sales at Centenary Quay were made through the government’s Help to Buy

scheme and a further 101 apartments were sold for Build to Rent.



Mortgage deals proving tasty in expat hot spots

Britons are returning to the overseas property market, attracted by low mortgage rates

and bargains galore.

According to the OverseasGuidesCompany.com inquiries from would-be overseas buyers

are up 17pc since 2013. Spain, France, Portugal and Italy are all attracting interest from

Britons. And partly, that’s thanks to low mortgage rates.

Angelos Koutsoudes, head of OverseasGuidesCompany.com, said that nearly a quarter of

its inquiries are from those wanting to buy in Spain, thanks to mortgage rates from

2.75pc and availability of cheap properties.

According to spanishpropertyinsight.com, there are around 1.4m empty properties in

Spain. In the Malaga region – popular with UK expats – there are 120,611 vacant homes,

depressing house prices.

Written by Charlotte Beugge for The Telegraph


House prices rose £42 a day

Homes typically piled £42 a day on to their value throughout 2014 as Britain's housing

market recovery gathered momentum, research from a property website has revealed.

The average property price increased by £15,191 over the last year to reach £268,895 on

average, according to Zoopla.

Huge variations in the pace of the recovery have been seen across the country.

Over the last year, property values have typically leapt by £81,619 in London, by £27,675

in Edinburgh and by £21,689 in Aberdeen.

Newcastle, Reading, Dundee, Bristol and Milton Keynes also recorded particularly strong

performances in terms of house price increases this year, Zoopla said.

Written by Press Association for Yahoo News


Londoners miss out as homes built as safe deposit boxes for

foreign buyers

10 investors own sites for 30,000 homes, data shows, with interest from Abu Dhabi and

China in Hyde Park site.

The control of plans for tens of thousands of new homes in London is now in the hands of

foreign investors who are increasing their grip on the capital’s prime property assets,

figures obtained by the Guardian have revealed.

Sites for close to 30,000 homes are owned by just 10 investors in Hong Kong, China,

Malaysia, Australia, Singapore and Sweden, sparking warnings from politicians and

housing industry experts that too many are being built to act as “safe deposit boxes” for

international investors rather than for Londoners in housing need.

Foreign owners seizing on the London housing market include the Usaha Tegas Group,

owned by Malaysian billionaire Ananda Krishnan, which has submitted plans for 104 luxury

homes on the site of the former St John’s Wood barracks, with apartments expected to

sell for up to £5m each and seven-bedroom stone-clad detached mansions around

landscaped gardens that will go for more.

Written by Robert Booth for The Guardian


Property price hotspots of 2014 revealed

Two new surveys show where house prices have grown fastest this year.

New reports by Halifax and Zoopla have revealed where house prices have grown the

fastest in 2014.

Halifax says Greenwich in London is its property hotspot. Data from the lender’s monthly

House Price Index revealed the average price of a home in the borough has shot up

24.6% over the last year, from £263,183 in 2013 to £328,044 in 2014.

Halifax says this pace significantly outstrips the growth of house prices in London as a

whole, which saw rises averaging 13% over the same period.

On average property prices in the UK grew 8.5%, from £193,087 to £209,428.

Towns with the biggest growth in house prices

Here are the top ten towns that saw the biggest growth in average house prices between

2013 and 2014.

Written by BT for BT


Relocation from London up 50% as house prices soar

Brighton, Luton and Bath are top choices for homebuyers, with Esher and Brentwood

popular among families.

The number of Londoners buying homes outside the capital has jumped 50% in a year as

rising house prices have triggered a larger than usual migration to the home counties and

beyond, according to a report.

Londoners spent £21bn on 58,000 homes elsewhere in the UK, the highest number since

2007, according to Hamptons International, the estate agents. The vast majority, said

Johnny Morris, Hamptons’ head of research, were bought for relocation purposes.

Top spots included Brighton, Luton and Bath. Among families, popular destinations were

Esher in Surrey, Brentwood in Essex and Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire. About 80% of

those relocating bought in the south-east or east of England, staying within communing

distance of the capital.

Written by Simon Bowers for The Guardian


Out with the old and in with the new. How about a new

home for 2015?

For many, the start of a new year prompts the desire to make changes over the coming

12 months – including moving house.

House buyers are often faced with the dilemma of old versus new, leading to the debate

of which offers the best value for money - a new, or second hand property.

While older homes traditionally have larger rooms, re-decorating, installing a new

bathroom or kitchen and laying new carpets are just some of the DIY jobs many of us

have planned when we move into a ‘used’ home.

However, buying a new house can not only cut down the cost, but also put buyers in the

driving seat when it comes to those finishing touches – as well as saving on energy and

bills.

And with a number of new developments around the region, Linden Homes North is

helping to promote the ‘out with the old, and in with the new’ theme when it comes to

moving home.

Written by Easier for Easier


14 All-Natural Ways to Get Rid Of Nasty Smells In Your

House

Expert advice on how to lose the bad smells in every room of your house.

... Bring baking soda into your house immediately. Baking soda is an inexpensive,

versatile product that can freshen up many rooms in your home. In the kitchen, it’s a

great way to deodorize your drains and garbage disposal.

... Here’s an insider tip house-care experts have been sharing for years: coffee grounds

and dryer sheets. For a spill that is particularly smelly

... Mattress pads are an easy, go-to solution for comfort and hygiene in the bedroom. A

machine washable mattress pad adds an extra layer of protection from stains to your

expensive mattress but also allows sweat to be cleaned easily and regularly, for a clean

sleeping area.

... Water leaks within a home can cause odors. Even a small leak can create an

environment for bacteria to grow, which will cause unpleasant smells.

Written by Sadia Latifi for iVillage


All Removals London News Digest - December 2014

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Transcript of All Removals London News Digest - December 2014