Seriously, now the children are getting bigger, does you home seem to be getting smaller? What seemed once like a spacious palace, has suddenly started to feel like a shoebox. You are not on your own, many families are realising that it makes sense, and a lot more economical, to extend their homes, rather then move. We have many ideas that can help you, by extending upwards or outward, so why not give us a call for some expert advice. Don’t end up feeling like a sardine!
AN ENGLISHMAN’S HOME IS HIS CASTLE
November 20, 2009
AN ENGLISHMAN’S HOME IS HIS CASTLE – minus the turrets, the moat, the portcullis and suits of armour everywhere! The truth is, an Englishman’s home is exactly that – his home.We all like to own our own property, not because we want to be king of it, but because we know it is a wise investment. Most sensible investors like to protect their investment, and forward thinking homeowners understand how important it is to make the most of their property. Creating extra space, whether it be simply knocking down an interior wall, or adding an extension can do wonders in modernising your home, thus turning your investment into a foreseen money-spinner. Why not give us a call so we can put your thoughts and ideas into reality.
Botox your house!
November 19, 2009
Let?s imagine your house hunting and you have found your perfect house in the right location. Everything about the house ticks all your boxes except one major aspect. The exterior is the ugliest on the street! What do you do? Keep looking and hoping you find another house? Well with today?s housing stock being so low, apparently down 60% since the boom years, you will probably struggle. So why not botox your house! A bit of cosmetic surgery could transform it from and ugly duckling to a swan. It will also add value to your home as aesthetics count for a lot when it comes to value. More and more investors are buying older houses which are the ugliest on the street and with a bit of imagination doing a full facelift so they end up with a house worth much more than they paid. You don?t need to get planning consent to change a home?s exterior unless it is listed or in a conservation area however building regulations will apply.
So if you have just bought an ugly house whether as a home or for investment, why not give it a facelift. Give us a call today and let us put some botox in your house!
Trading futures predicts UK property market future?
November 16, 2009
As with most assets traders will make trades in what they think the future of assets value will be, and UK house prices are no different. So as we know markets like anyone else cannot predict the future, but they often have a certain unemotional way of finding the closest thing to sensible forecasts. So what does the UK house price futures market tell us?
Well the futures market for UK house prices has seen even greater gains than house prices themselves, so if the futures market is right the future of UK house prices looks set to stay bright. There are still many investors who note that there has been ?no great shake out? and in previous down turns there was greater suffering when unemployment took its toll. There are also those who wait with baited breath for a surge in interest rates. Well with the recent announcements from the Bank of England, they may have to wait as the Bank of England?s forecasts is for no great rise in interest rates for the next two years. One thing does remain certain the UK publics love of property and all things related.
Smaller office units driving the market in midlands commercial property market
November 15, 2009
Many experts in the commercial property and financial world within the midlands believe in this current climate there will be a lower demand for large 10,000 square foot office units. They are more optimistic for smaller units and cite an increase in enquiries and demand in recent weeks. There is always a long time lag between the initial enquiry and a lease deal being completed, so much of the current activity in the commercial property market will filter into 2010 figures.
There is more good news for the midlands commercial property sector as there is an increasing demand from institutional investors. Those who are tasked with finding suitable homes for their investor?s funds are increasingly looking at the UK commercial property market as a relatively safe home for their funds with increasing optimism for both rental returns and capital values.
More interesting news on home information packs
November 14, 2009
With some estate agents now offering no sale no fee and including home information packs within that deal, some experts think that a new slimmer version of the existing pack could soon replace the current system. There are only a small handful of agents offering this service and as with all such deals the devil may well be in the detail. It is increasingly becoming a given that the current system will at least be revamped if not replaced by a change of government. Previous comments on this blog regarding home information packs have raised some very good points. Many within the industry feel that a few simple changes to the current packs could make the whole system far better for vendors and purchasers.
Great news for struggling home owners is bad news for property auction rooms
November 13, 2009
News has emerged that the Council of mortgage lenders has drastically reduced its forecast on repossessions for 2009. The previous forecast for this period has been greatly slashed from 75,000 to 48,000. They cite a number of factors for this huge reduction, less aggressive action from lenders and the continued period of low interest rates.
Other data released proves even more interesting, that house purchase loans have increased by a staggering 43% on the year up to September of this year. So there is no denying that the demand for property is still there and most experts believe that more relaxed lending criteria would lead to further increases in both the value and number of property transactions.
House prices bouncing back or do we face the double dip.
November 12, 2009
It?s the old glass half full glass half empty question, the optimists are confident that we are ?though the worst of it? and many agree that the worst is now over. There could still be mixed forecasts and ups and downs on house price growth but many analysts within the property sector agree that there will be no more catastrophic falls. The pessimists are crying ?suckers rally?, they say we are entering a double dip and we are now reaching the top of that middle point.
Whatever anyone says the average house price has increased by near two thousand pounds per month in the last few months. This mean many home owners are enjoying capital appreciation that could well be doubling their income. Some figures suggest that from peak to trough prices fell by 22.5% this combined with a lack of average growth for the two years of say 5% could mean that in ?real terms?, prices have fallen by a total of 32.5%. If you consider that prices may have fallen in real terms by just short of one third, it looks increasingly like the asset bubble that was residential and commercial property has deflated back to a sensible level. The other consideration is rental yields, there are now reasonable areas in the north of England and the midlands where you could quite easily buy a terrace property for as little as ?50,000 and get a 9% rental yield. This means that rents alone will support the bottom end prices in these areas.
Property Development Sheffield
November 11, 2009
Sheffield is an up and coming city of more than half a million people. It lies at the southern end of England’s Pennine hills, within the county of Yorkshire on its border with the forests of Nottinghamshire and the Derbyshire Dales.
The town has undergone a remarkable regeneration in the past 5 years. By 2010 Sheffield city centre will have some prestigious luxury apartments which will become the tallest building in Sheffield. Many other developments have seriously brought up to the standards expected of a modern European city.
Sheffield and its surrounding areas is a great place to live as it has some of the lowest living costs in the country. House prices are competitive and it has plenty of development opportunities.
If you have ambitious development plans and need a competent building company who specialise in Property Renovations or need an Electrician in Sheffield contact Building Solutions Midlands Ltd today.
Saving money and being green
Being green and saving money often go hand in hand, but how do you the customer know what eco friendly environmentally friendly products offer the best value?
Well if you are considering an eco friendly self build there are specialist consultants that can advise you on eco friendly building techniques and the best value products. They can advise on the ?pay back? on the purchase and installation of items such as solar panels, ground source heat pumps, and wind turbines. They can also assist with eco refurbishments and advice on running your building residential or commercial in a more environmental friendly way. We will all leave a carbon footprint, perhaps with sound advice we can learn how to tread softly.
For further information or to speak to one of our specialists, just drop us an e-mail at info@buildingsolutionsmidlandsltd.co.uk
