Source: nationwide.co.uk High performing primary schools add value to property prices across all regions, according to a special report published by Nationwide Building Society. The report says that a 10% higher Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) attainment equates to a property price premium of 3.3%. The highest premium for better performing schools is in Yorkshire & Humberside. Commenting on the figures Martin Gahbauer, Nationwide’s Chief Economist, said: “Following recent rev... Read Full Story

People underestimate the importance of entering a nice warm house, and if you didn’t have a central heating system, you would certainly notice the difference. Some homes still don’t have central heating though, and the homeowners rely on layers of clothing to keep warm instead. Here are some valuable reasons why central heating is a must. Its Freezing Cold! – the cold air outside stays outside when you have central heating. As the heating ensures each room in the house is warmed to a suitable... Read Full Story

Edinburgh’s property market is remaining strong despite claims in the latest Lloyds TSB report that house prices have fallen in the city, according to the Capital’s leading solicitor estate agent.   Responding to the latest Lloyds TSB Scottish House Price Monitor, which claims Edinburgh house prices have fallen over the past three months, Warners estate agency partner Scott Brown said:   “We have actually seen prices stabilise and even increase very slightly in Edinburgh over the past few m... Read Full Story

Source: millerhomes.co.uk Despite Government efforts to encourage them into the housing market with shared equity schemes which require little or no deposit, two thirds of first time buyers believe that a lack of sufficient mortgage deposit is preventing them from owning their own home. A survey of 3,000 potential first time buyers by Miller Homes found that 28% of buyers still believe that they will need to save for at least five years before finally getting the keys to their own home. The s... Read Full Story

Source: environment-agency.gov.uk The Environment Agency today announced plans to increase flood protection to 200,000 homes and businesses in England and Wales by 2015. The number of properties in England and Wales at significant risk of flooding could increase from 570,000 in 2009 to over 900,000 by 2035 at current levels of flood defence investment. Launching the 2010-2015 corporate strategy at its annual conference in London, the organisation today warned that more properties face an incr... Read Full Story

Have you ever considered having your own house? Have you ever wondered how it feels to have your own garden or swimming pool? Indeed owning a house is the dream of many families as it will bring a greater feel of independence. In this article I will be providing some more information on this topic to help you learn more on how to get your dream house and how to maintain it. Foremost you will need to decide whether you desire to purchase an existing house or build one up from scratch. In fairn... Read Full Story

More is needed to be done to assist first time buyers to take their first step on the property ladder, according to a group of the Lothians’ leading solicitor estate agents.   The Edinburgh and Lothians Property Group (ELPG) believes that, although house prices are rising and mortgage lending is on the up in Scotland, first time buyers are still being hindered when it comes to being able to finance their first property purchase.   The group has said that new initiatives and funding should be ... Read Full Story

Source: cml.org.uk One third of first-time buyers escaped paying stamp duty in September as a result of the government’s temporary £175,000 nil-rate threshold, according to new data released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). There were 6,200 first-time buyer loans for properties between the old threshold of £125,000 and the temporary threshold of £175,000, representing 32% of the 19,700 loans to first-time buyers in September. In addition, 7,800 first-time buyers (40%) bought pr... Read Full Story

Source: homesandcommunities.co.uk An initiative aimed at increasing the use of renewable construction materials in affordable homes has been agreed by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the government’s housing and regeneration body the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). DECC has provided funding under the Low Carbon Investment Fund, which will be administered through the HCA’s National Affordable Housing Programme. The funding is to create a series of greener... Read Full Story

Source: bankofengland.co.uk The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee today voted to maintain the official Bank Rate paid on commercial bank reserves at 0.5%. The Committee also voted to continue with its programme of asset purchases financed by the issuance of central bank reserves and to increase its size by £25 billion to £200 billion. The world economy has shown signs of recovery, with a number of emerging market economies experiencing a strong rebound in growth, although g... Read Full Story