Helping Innovate Property (HIP) – Blog, Housing Market News and Articles

Nationwide have published their monthly report stating that house prices have risen for the fourth consecutive month. In August, it is claimed that we have seen property prices increase by 1.6% making the average house price in the country £160,000. However, is this the recovery most are looking for?

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Anti-social behaviour is a subject close to the hearts of many and it is more complex than it appears on the surface, particularly when it is viewed from the perspective of management. We have recently been faced with the issue of excessive noise created by neighbouring tenants hosting parties and every website I look at says that it is recommended that the neighbours be approached first. I can see some merit in that, as sometimes they genuinely don’t know that they are causing a bit of a disturbance to others and respond accordingly. This is what we always do as the resident management company but what happens when reasonableness doesn’t provide the hoped-for response?

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House hunters searching online for property can now benefit from a new search engine which uses text entries to find the most suitable match rather than traditional drop-down filter menus. Gartoo, which launches today, is based on ‘semantic search’ – advanced technology which disseminates search according to words entered by the user to find the most accurate fit.

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Twitter usage is growing at great speed and many property professionals are adding fuel to the growth; using Twitter as an additional business tool for improved communication, marketing and networking. However, to use twitter succesfully in the property field there are some basic tips and ideas that would be worth remembering and implementing.

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In comparison to last year, recent studies in the property market have indicated that new properties for sale on the market are far more likely to be sold in this year.

New research indicates that owners are almost twice as likely to sell their flats and houses this month than they would have been when the market was at its highest. The number of people applying to buy has augmented by about 40% compared to May last year. A simultaneous fall in the number of new property being introduced to the market (about 31% since May 08) has clearly changed the balance between available property and the demand for it. As a result a noticeable advantage has emerged for sellers.

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An estate agent in Somerset has been succesful in her job application to become a Witch at a tourist attraction in Somerset.

After watching BBC news yesterday morning and the reported results of the job interview later that evening; it just could not go without a mention due to the amusing nature of the story witch is sure to raise a smile.

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For my first article I have decided to focus on something very close to my heart – information provision, or in our case, the lack of it when it comes to selling, subletting or parting with possession of a leasehold flat.

Most leases have a minimum requirement that compels leaseholders to serve notice and these are known as assignment conditions.

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Google maps has recently developed their search functionality when searching for properties. The recent addition of streetview is in our view fantastic and with this new ability it further enhances googles’ progression and  goal of returning the best searches result, now targeting the property search market.

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Repaying your mortgage early can save you substantial amounts in interest payments and could be a great financial investment at present. With interest rates at their lowest in decades now maybe the time to increase your mortgage repayments or consider paying off a lump sum.

Before you arrange to make overpayments it is important to check a few details, do your homework and understand the pros and cons whichever type of mortgage you have and/or are considering.
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Mark Goldberg, Head of Residential Sales at the one of the UK’s most prestigious real estates firms, Hamptons International, believes that signs of a dramatic improvement in the UK property market mean those wishing to sell have a chance three times greater than a year ago.

Hamptons report that in 2009 there has been a month-by-month increase in activity across the property sales market, with London and the Central England region performing particular well. Renewed health and confidence in property buying and letting in the some regions is likely to galvanise the broader national market as demand increases.

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So you are about to sell your property and are looking to choose an estate agent. It is imperative that you make use of the services of an informed, professional estate agent to get the best out of your deal and ensure the process is smooth and without problems.

We are all aware of the challenging financial situation most are currently encountering and the negative impact this has had on the property market. It has never been as important to carefully select your estate agent as it has at present.

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