Archive for March, 2008
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
Advice should be made available to all people looking to buy a new home, according to one institute.
In a statement that may be of interest to those looking to buy a house in Scotland, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has urged people to seek advice when purchasing a new home.
Although advice is mainly targeted at those in crisis, the CIH has commented that people with less acute needs should also be accounted for and that they should be able to receive guidance concerning their income and long-term housing options.
In a statement that may be welcomed by people looking to buy a house in Scotland, Sarah Webb, CIH chief executive, said: “We need to develop our advice services further to help people both in affordable rented housing and home ownership to sustain their home and make plans for the future.”
The CIH recently welcomed the provision for homeowners made in the annual Budget, which allows for more access to ownership through shared equity products.
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Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
People looking to buy property in Scotland may be interested to learn that they will be expected to pay less stamp duty than many people south of the border.
With an average house price of £259,849, people who buy a house in Scotland will have to pay £7,795 in stamp duty, according to SmartNewHomes.com.
This is compared to some £9,663 in the south-west of the UK and £12,184 in Greater London.
However, stamp duties in the north of England are as low as £2,130 in the east Midlands, or example, showing that southern duties are as much as five times higher than in the north.
David Bexon, managing director of SmartNewHomes.com, commented on the effect stamp duty has had on people stepping onto the housing ladder, which may affect Scottish first-time buyers.
“Recent figures have highlighted that the stamp duty bill for the average first-time buyer in the UK in 2007 was £1,751, 82 per cent more than that paid in 2002,” he said.
Meanwhile, the SmartNewHomes.com’s New Homes Index and Migration Monitor for February showed that, compared to the previous month, over five per cent more people were choosing to migrate to Scotland.
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Thursday, March 20th, 2008
Redrow has revealed its plans to offer families looking to buy a house in Scotland the chance to enjoy themselves while viewing properties this weekend.
On Saturday March 22nd and the following Sunday, visitors to the company’s Middlebank Rise development in Dumfermline will be able to take a ride in a hot-air balloon and enter a prize draw that could see them take home a Nintendo Wii games console.
Additionally, anyone attending the event how gets hungry after all their house hunting will be able to tuck-in to some barbecue food and mothers looking to buy a house in Scotland over the weekend will be able to take advantage of what Redrow has described as a “pampering session”.
“Searching for a new home can be difficult for a busy modern family so we wanted to put the fun back into house hunting with this open weekend,” said Diana Newton, sales director for Redrow Homes.
The Council of Mortgage Lenders suggested recently that the expectation that the base rate of interest will be cut again this year has prompted greater interest from consumers in tracker-rate home loan deals.
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Thursday, March 20th, 2008
Anyone looking to buy a house in Scotland is running out of time to secure the purchase of one of George Wimpey’s family homes in Tullibody, it has been suggested.
The firm behind the Ochil View development in Tullibody has revealed that there are only a few of the detached properties at the site available for purchase.
Prices for the houses that remain on sale at Ochil View start at £200,750 and George Wimpey has a number of deals on offer to entice people looking to buy a house in Scotland, including a pay “£99 and move in” arrangement.
The houses are described as being family-friendly, well-proportioned and close enough to Stirling to enable those who work in the city to commute without difficulty.
“With a stunning location overlooking the Ochil Hills, two stunning showhomes, plus our amazing £99 move-in deal, it’s a great time to make that family move to Ochil View in Tullibody,” said Karen Armstrong, sales and marketing director for George Wimpey East Scotland.
Earlier this month, in response to the Budget, the House Builders Federation accused the government of not doing enough to help would-be first-time buyers onto the housing ladder.
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Wednesday, March 19th, 2008
People currently saving up for their own homes – including Scottish first-time buyers – have spent a collective £1.98 billion from their nest eggs, according to a financial services provider.
In news that may interest those looking to buy a house in Scotland, research by the financial services provider suggests that two-fifths (42 per cent) of such consumers have dipped into their deposit.
This is almost four times the 11.2 per cent of people who did so last year.
Nici Audhlam-Gardiner, director of Abbey Mortgages, explains: “First-time buyers may be more tempted to dip into their deposit savings this year because of the uncertainty in the market and prospect of falling house prices.”
However, she adds that there are a number of reasons for consumers to get on the housing ladder since property remains a good investment for the long term.
In related news, the financial services provider recently suggested that Britons prefer fixed-rate deals, despite the fact that further interest rate cuts from the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee are expected.
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Wednesday, March 19th, 2008
Scottish first-time buyers – and those elsewhere in Britain – who have been more attracted to fixed-rate mortgages in the past are now more tempted by tracker-rate products, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).
CML spokesperson Sue Anderson explains that this change could be in part due to anticipation that the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee (MPC) will slash interest rates at some point during 2008.
"So there is greater appetite than what there would normally be for tracker-rates, which will take advantage of rates if they do fall further," she notes.
Continuing, Ms Anderson states that those investing in commodities – such as Scottish property – should identify their own attitude to risk as well as remaining aware of the potential for interest rates to move either up or down.
The MPC elected to maintain the base rate of interest at 5.25 per cent in its lat meeting on March 6th.
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Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
Central Scotland law firm Caesar & Howie is overjoyed to have won the Summerhall Marketing Initiative of the Year Award at the recent Scottish Legal Awards, it has been revealed.
The company’s Kupdom UK project encourages Polish consumers to buy homes in the Scotland region.
Managing partner of the firm David Borrowman tells Scotland on Sunday: "Scotland has historical links with Poland and many of this latest influx of Poles find they wish to settle permanently after enjoying their early experience of Scotland."
He adds that many of the company’s clients have stated that they feel they have been made welcome in Scotland, adding that the majority have been able to settle into employment.
Mr Borrowman concludes that Caesar & Howie now has hundreds of Polish clients either currently buying or intending to purchases property in the region.
The firm was presented with its accolade at an award ceremony at the Hilton Glasgow which was attended by Alan Hansen.
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Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
Those who suffered damage to their property have been offered help to calculate the cost of repairs by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Owners of Scottish property may be interested to hear that the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) has published a resource called the Property Makeover Price Guide which details the estimated cost of more than 1,300 different types of home repair work.
The BCIS gives a number of examples of the costs of storm damage, including replacing six slates in one location (£350), replacing a single width 10 metre-long drive (£3,160) and cutting down and removing a large tree (£1,050 per tree).
International development director of BCIS Andrew Thompson comments: "Whether your property has suffered light, medium or severe damage getting an accurate estimate of the repair cost can help put your mind at ease, as well as help you to negotiate with your insurer or contractor about the work."
Meanwhile, the New Homes Marketing Board recently called for stamp duty for first-time buyers to be scrapped.
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Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
Owners of Scottish property and those elsewhere in Britain will benefit from proposed alterations to the building control system to crackdown on illegal construction, according to housing minister Caroline Flint.
Entitled the Future of Building Control, the consultation aims to reward good builders by removing the burden of unnecessary inspections while rogue traders will face tougher scrutiny.
Ms Flint comments: "Homeowners have the right to expect their homes to be built and renovated to minimum standards set out in building regulations.
"I want to make life more difficult for the cowboy builders that are out there whilst letting the high-quality majority of the industry get on with the job."
Brian Berry, director of external affairs at the Federation of Master Builders, stated that the organisation supports the government’s plans to improve the approach towards building regulations.
Meanwhile, Scottish first-time buyers – along with their counterparts around the country – were recently identified as the foundation of the housing market by conveyance firm convex.net.
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Monday, March 17th, 2008
Consumers who are eager to buy a house in Scotland will be happy to learn that two showhomes have been opened at homebuilder George Wimpey’s Burnside development.
The site provides the perfect location for families and young professionals, offering a choice of two and three-bedroom semidetached homes as well as three, four and five-bedroom detached properties.
Karen Armstrong, sales and marketing director for George Wimpey East Scotland, explains that the showhomes offer great practicality and as such are bound to be popular with a wide range of consumers.
“The combination of affordable prices, excellent location and some great incentives to get customers on the move is also proving a winning formula for many families who’ve already chosen Burnside as their new place to call home,” she adds.
In other news that may be of interest to people looking to buy a house in Scotland, the property developer recently announced that it has opened showhomes at its Pines development in Blackwood and the Poplar Grove site in Chapelhall.
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