Property Market

First Time Buyers now pay less or no tax if all purchasers are First Time Buyers and the purchase price of the property is £500,000 or less.

Since 1st July 2021, the current Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) threshold has gone down to £250,000. Although the bigger savings before this date have now been reduced, there is still an opportunity to save up to £2,500 on SDLT before it returns to its regular threshold rate of £125,000 from 1st October 2021.

What has gone unnoticed by most commentators is the change that affects First Time Buyers, which also came into effect from 1st July. Since that date, First Time Buyers now pay less or no tax if all purchasers are First Time Buyers and the purchase price of the property is £500,000 or less.

First Time Buyers are exempt from SDLT for the first £300,000, but since 1st July, they now pay a reduced rate of 5% on purchase prices above £300,000 and up to, and including, £500,000. So, if you’re a First Time Buyer, but were unfortunate to miss out on the 30th June deadline, there are still longer-term savings to be made, as these will continue for First Time Buyers after the SDLT returns to its £125,000 threshold from 1st October 2021 for all other buyers.

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Photo source: Pixabay http://bit.ly/2pcBFtF

February ended with a rise in property prices, as the data reveals. We were interested in finding out which of the regions were best seen by buyers…

From the prices table, we can see the leaders that peaked the charts:

North West

East Midlands

South West

Wales

South East and London have had prices raise by 2.5%, as this article on Property Reporter states.

It leaves the average value of a home in England & Wales at £299,556, up £1,512 compared to one month earlier, and £1,700 compared to a year ago.

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Photo source: Property Reporter http://bit.ly/2ib8ZBf

We seem to get a lot of feedback about the property market on the regional level. London scores are getting lower and this causes an overall draw effect on the UK property market. All in all, the impression is that the market is definitely resilient to political uncertainty.

Details and some interesting point of view in the article on Property Reporter.

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Photo source: Property Reporter

Owners returned from the summer holiday with an appetite for selling. Latest research showed that new property listings are up by a fifth last month, compared to August.

Highest rise can be noticed in Oxford, while London – South East is on the fifth place.

And if you’re wondering about a region in particular, check out the entire article on Property Reporter:

September sees new property listings at two year high

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It seems that interest rates will stay low for a while yet, and that has encouraged investors to look to commercial property in the UK for a steady and reliable yield. Over the last 17 years, we have seen income make up the majority of the return enjoyed by investors.

Photo source: Property Division http://bit.ly/2y6aPte

While stability in time is certain both for bonds and investments in the right properties, what is the right choice for investors. The analysis on Property Division takes a lot of variables into discussion and it is of help for investors in London nowadays.

Are Property Investments still Outperforming Bonds?

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Photo source: Traditional Home http://bit.ly/2pIyvA1

When it comes to pets, the rent market is usually split in two between landlords – usual pet ‘haters’, and tenants – whom can be quite fond of their pets. One of the most difficult situations is the one when the two have to get along. It is just a joke, of course, but there have been conflicts and prices going up for houses of apartments to let because of the appearance of pets into the discussion.

But, when you are the owner, the problem is easily solved. A pet lover – depending on the degree, of course, can even make changes to the house to accommodate the animal companion.

Here are a couple of things to do to improve your home and make it pet-friendly:

  1. Choose a durable and easy to clean flooring. You will then be assured that the dog will not dig in to bury a treasure in the dinning, and that the cat will not leave paw marks on the freshly washed kitchen floor.
  2. Use slip-proof rugs for the ‘playing’ area. The slipping rugs are a problem for children usually, but the other runner in the house might find them just as troubling.
  3. Make a drawer with easy-to-clean solutions. Use specific products that are pet friendly and that eliminate both stains and odours.

You will find a lot of good advice in the following article both for cats and dog lovers.

Decorating Ideas: Making a Pet-Friendly Home

 

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We know the news about house prices going up or down, from month to month. We heard about the slowdown in the growth rhythm from quarter to quarter.

All in all, the specialist now call this phenomena on the UK housing market a period of ‘plateau’. Details and previsions about the future of the market in the article on PropertyWire.

UK housing market has reached a plateau, analysis suggests

How do you think this will affect you? Any of you already felt the effects of this stagnation?

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The UK property market does not seem to have a clear path for its development and will be easily influenced by a lot of factors (stamp duty, Brexit). It is hard for anyone trying to draw conclusions and anticipate the future of the sales and lettings market in England.

However, this week we found a couple of information that can form a image of how the United Kingdom’s property market looks now and a bit about how it will look in the future.

Photo source: http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/property/what-if-the-population-of-the-uk-lived-on-one-street.html

First of all, we have the current image of the typical English street. It is formed mainly of semi-detached houses (32%), detached houses (25%), terraces (26%), and flats (14%). We can anticipate that these structures of houses will be those used for future developments.

Secondly, we know that England tops as one of the most peaceful country around the globe. This should be an important criteria for students, investors and anybody else looking to relocate.

Photo source: http://www.propertywire.com/news/uk/biggest-build-rent-development-uk-gets-65-million-government-boost

When it comes to how the country will look in a couple of years, we now have some idea of the projects that will change the entire property market. One example are the recently financed by the Government Build-to-Rent developments that are supposed to create over one million new homes in the future years.

These are some main factors to influence the future of the UK. Keep them in mind when making any decisions in the real estate field.

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A new survey lifts the lid on the UK property market, with Brits sharing exactly what made them buy their homes.

Wood flooring specialists Flooring Republic asked 1,000 Brits what led them to fall in love with their homes, and which factors they consider non-negotiable when buying a property – and between community appeal and room size, it seems Brits are swayed by more than an attractive price tag.

After the BBC reported that the number of first-time buyers was at its highest in a decade, this new study reveals what it takes to get Brits excited about buying a house. With 60% of the vote, a safe and friendly neighbourhood took the top spot, followed closely by the price of the property (52%).

The local community also proved to be a key selling point for 45-54 year olds – with a huge 73% citing this as a major factor in their decision-making process. In terms of what Brits love about their living space, room size came out on top – taking 38% of the vote.

At one with nature

For 31% of participants, a good-looking garden is what got them to sign on the dotted line – and half of over-65s declared this the ultimate highlight of their homes. Natural elements proved popular across the board, with a fifth of those surveyed saying natural light is what they love most about their home.

Price versus practicality

Perhaps surprisingly, just over half of all respondents believe the price of a property is the most important aspect when it comes to making an offer.

Generation Y are more price-conscious, however – with 18-24 (57%) and 25-34 year olds (69%) admitting the asking price was the thing that ultimately swayed their decision. Space proved a key concern for 37% of Brits, who said the number of rooms in a property would influence whether or not they bought it.

Aesthetic appeal

When it comes to a property’s appearance, it looks like it’s not just what’s on the inside that counts – with 16% of Brits saying they’re swayed by both exterior appeal and interior styling. For 17% of male respondents, the outward appearance of a house is a deciding factor – while 18% of women favour the property’s interior design.

11% of Brits revealed they bought their home because of high ceilings – a factor which sweetened the deal for just under a quarter of 25-34 year olds.

Smart solutions

According to 35% of all respondents, parking availability is a key issue when it comes to deciding on a suitable property – and more than half of over-65s agree. This is less of a concern for those living in the capital, though – with just 17% of Londoners put off by limited parking. Organisation addicts across Britain declared practicality a priority when buying a house – with storage space scooping 15% of the vote.

Other answers

For 14% of homeowners, accessibility is a deal-breaker – with proximity to local transport networks and amenities proving particularly important. Respondents were also invited to offer up their own answers when it came to the reason they fell in love with their home and what they consider to be the key factors when buying a house – with answers including the property’s character, affordability and a double garage.

With Brits divided over what makes the perfect home, as housing prices continuing to fluctuate, the future of the property market shows no signs of stabilising any time soon.

Mark Haskell, Ecommerce Manager of Flooring Republic said “It’s great to see just how many Brits value a welcoming neighbourhood, and it’s really interesting that most homeowners are concerned with more than the price of a property. Spacious rooms and beautiful gardens will always hold plenty of appeal for buyers – although they generally come with larger price tags.”

 

Source: http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/property/brits-reveal-what-made-them-fall-in-love-with-their-property.html?utm_source=Email+Campaign&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=21136-201394-Campaign+-+06%2F04%2F2017+

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