March 2012 from Gateway Homes

A study has found that people feel emotions usually reserved for human relationships when they encounter the house of their dreams. The study, led by Dr Glenn Wilson, revealed that 35 per cent of potential property buyers said they couldn’t … Read more →

House prices fell by one per cent in March, according to a report from Nationwide that was issued shortly after the end of the stamp duty holiday. The average price of a property stood at £163,327 this month, while values … Read more →

Property owners trying to attract a quick home sale will often turn to a bit of DIY to make their house more attractive to buyers, but a new study suggests that their efforts are not making as big a difference … Read more →

Shop vacancies have reached a record high of 14.6 per cent, new data published by the Local Data Company has revealed, which may present a host of new opportunities for property buyers looking to add commercial space to their portfolios. … Read more →

The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) has issued some advice for people who are becoming tenants for the first time – whether they are moving out of their parents’ home or have arranged a quick home sale because their … Read more →

Homeowners looking for a fast house sale have been given some advice by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), which said the best way to make a home attractive is to see it through the eyes of a potential … Read more →

Property buyers seeking homes worth more than £2 million were hit with a seven per cent stamp duty tax in yesterday’s (March 21st) Budget announcement. The 40 per cent increase in stamp duty for the highest band means anybody purchasing … Read more →

Chancellor George Osborne is expected to announce in this today’s (March 21st) Budget that the government will make a number of changes to property rules, including a relaxation of the regulations for Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Under the plans, … Read more →

Property buyers who are short of cash may be interested to hear about what is believed to be Britain’s cheapest house – although the property is in desperate need of some TLC. According to the Guardian, the bidding for 29 … Read more →

Consumers are feeling more positive about the housing market but less confident in their job security, the Building Societies Association’s (BSA) latest Property Tracker has identified. The survey of over 2,000 people revealed that 41 per cent believe property prices … Read more →

First-time property buyers are often not fully considering all the implications of owning a home of their own, according to a new study from HSBC. Although most first-timers take location, size of garden and proximity to local shops and schools … Read more →

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has visited the East Village of the Olympic Park to see how work is progressing on the site. At an exhibition hosted at New London Architecture, the minister was shown housing designs for 2,818 new homes, … Read more →

Despite trying hard to reduce their spending and pay down debts, many households are still facing headwinds of falling incomes and the rising cost of living, the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) has said. In its analysis of the 370,000 … Read more →

Property buyers and sellers felt more optimistic about the housing market during February, the latest housing market survey from the Royal Instituton of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has revealed. The month marked the first time since May 2010 that respondents have … Read more →

A new scheme designed to give property buyers a helping hand has been launched by the government today (March 12th). Under the NewBuy mortgage indemnity scheme, as many as 100,000 prospective buyers will be able to borrow up to 95 … Read more →

Tenants are beginning the resist the sharp rental price increases seen in recent months, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) Residential Lettings Survey. Although rents continued to rise in the three months to January, it was at … Read more →

Property buyers with homes in spa towns across England and Wales, such as Bath, Ilkley and Cheltenham, have seen their investments grow in value by nearly £130,000 on average over the last decade, according to research from Lloyds TSB. The … Read more →

Demand for rental properties has remained high, creating further investment opportunities for landlords in the UK, the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) has said. Some 55 per cent of letting agents believe demand is now outstripping supply, meaning property … Read more →

Property buyers are finding the technical terms surrounding mortgages confusing and this may be putting some off from entering the market, a survey by Nationwide has revealed. More than 40 per cent of people who have looked into buying a … Read more →