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Lots of chat especially in those hard-to-fill newspaper pages about what is driving up prices in those areas of the country that are seeing double-digit inflation. “There’re no homes for sale” say some pundits so I thought I’d check. Using the data from HMRC on the number of sales each month across the UK and the number of new homes listed online and elsewhere it’s not that hard to check. The graph above shows what’s happening to both the number of homes for sale and the number selling – month by month. Whilst estate agents may not be as busyContinue Reading

If you’ve found a suitable property but would like someone to run a professional eye over it before you commit further then email a link to the property advert on the agent’s website or the property portal on which it appears. For £100 (including VAT) I will; Check the history of the sale Look at the guide price and the underlying value Consider the strength/weakness of the local market, house prices, rents and yields Review the local area, crime statistics, schooling options, mobile reception, broadband & council services Recommend environmental search tools to check on flooding, mining or contaminated landContinue Reading

House prices are complicated and their future direction is hard to predict. I’m often reminded that there are only two types of ‘expert’ when it comes to predicting house prices – those who don’t know & those who don’t know they don’t know. However the future direction of prices lies behind the question I am most frequently asked – “should I rent now or buy?” but having warned you that nobody knows here’s my best guess at what is going to happen and why. The coalition Government seems determined to ramp house prices over the next 444 days ahead ofContinue Reading

It’s hard to find the right home be it to rent or to buy but it’s amazing how much harder people make it when negotiating the deal for the home they’ve often fallen in love with. I’ve been buying and selling homes for nearly 30 years and I am still learning but here are my top ten tips for anyone thinking of negotiating for the home of their dreams. Leave something on the table for the next guy. It’s often tempting to try and squeeze the deal till the pips squeak and whilst many (men) will see it a matterContinue Reading

I’m a big fan of Chesterton Humberts, they had a difficult marriage when they got together a decade or more ago but the current CEO is a top man and their troops do a first class job in presenting some of the nicest homes for sale across the country. However… Details of a little 2 bed flat dropped into my inbox from their Chelsea office that’s ripe for development – subject to planning consent coming through. It’s a 4th floor walk-up, on the Cromwell Road but it’s neat and tidy and could be made into something fun with a bitContinue Reading

The new year brings news stories of rising house prices, of falling stock levels and even the return of dreaded ‘gazumping’. Buying a home hasn’t been this tough for many years but it’s important to remember that across 90% of the country the buyer still has considerable influence and in many cases can actually dictate terms of a sale. Making money on a property isn’t down to what you sell it for (the market when the time comes will dictate that), it’s based on what you pay for it. Money saved now ensures that whatever happens to prices in theContinue Reading

listen to ‘Update on progress of Help to Buy – You & Yours 4th Oct 2013’ on AudiobooContinue Reading

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