Building Solutions (Midlands) Blog » Uncategorized

Cash is king for property developers

Richard — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:00:00 +0000

With large UK developers looking at rights issues and other more imaginative ways of raising finance it is a sure sign that there are some fabulous opportunities out there for speculative property developers with “cash on the hip”.
Many of the banks and lenders who have played a role in development funding previously are still simple too exposed to commercial property loans. So to mitigate their risks they are not prepared to lend against development sites and commercial properties. So as the old saying goes “money goes to money”, developers make the cash when they sell but they make the really profits by picking up sites for a fraction of their value. Property Networking

The number of houses for sale increases by 60% year on year

Richard — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:43:46 +0000

The abolition of the Home information packs has undoubtedly given many home owners the motivation to market their properties. Last year was obviously a slow time for property sales and that has been part of the reason why the increase in sales stock has been so dramatic.
The increase in available property has also lead to an increase in the number of viewings which is very positive news for vendors. It must be said that the increase in property viewings is only around a third of the number of new instructions hitting the property market.
Interestingly only two regions in the UK have seen sufficient increase in property sales in June one of which was the east midlands with sale increasing by over 6%.

How to build an extension on your home

Richard — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:41:58 +0000

Seeking Planning Permission for alterations/extensions to your home or for a new build, if you have not been involved in such matters before, can be rather daunting for some people. It is important to bear in mind a few guidelines and I mention a couple of these which are important to note before any works start.
(1) Don’t progress any works on the project in mind before you have researched what Planning Permission, or other Authority you need. You can be made to remove/ or the Local Authority will take action to remove any/all building works in some cases, at your expense, and it is not advisable to rely on Retrospective Planning Permission being given for any building project deemed to need Planning Permission.
(2) You could need Building Regulations Approval, even if you don’t need full Planning Permission.
A reputable Builder, will of course know Building Regulations details, and you should note it covers such things as structural requirements, energy efficiency, fire safety, damp proofing etc.
An experienced /reputable builder will progress with you all the requirements of any building project concerning Planning Permission, Building Regulations and Public Utility (Electricity/ Gas/ Water) concerns from the planning stages to completion of the works.

Banks limit negative equity

Richard — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:59:46 +0000

The US banks are being asked to cap borrowers debt at 115% of the value of their homes, this act of generosity by the banks will be rewarded by the homeowners pledge to stay up to date with mortgage payments.
The banks stand to lose much more if homeowners give up and start to hand in the keys to their homes, this way the pain is minimised for all. With an estimated 13million American home owners thought to be facing repossession or over 90days in arrears with mortgage payments schemes like this would help the American economy back out of the woods.

Difficulty paying your mortgage?

Richard — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:51:58 +0000

Your not the only one, the Council of Mortgage Lending expects that for the next seven years the UK public will struggle to cope with the years of excessive boom. The final results will depend on several variables including the usual suspects of interest rates, unemployment, and the general condition of the economy.
The Council of Mortgage Lending is predicting that the number of mortgagees in arrears will top the 200,000 market this year. With many of the most respected property and banking pundits expecting to see interest rates rise in the short to medium term, the recent gains in property prices may soon be eliminated.

Cash waiting for property finders

Richard — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 07:17:42 +0000

Professional Referral Scheme

Introduction

Amber Valley Homes Ltd is a property trading company operating in the Amber Valley area of Derbyshire. We source property for development and onward sale or letting.
We pay a £1000 finder’s fee for all deals which proceed to completion. However, we also have a Professional Referral Scheme suitable for an individual or organisation who is in a position to source multiple deals for us.
Professional Referral Scheme (PRS)
Individuals and organisations registered with us under PRS receive a finder’s fee of £1000 for the first deal that proceeds to completion. The fee then steps up as follows, on a rolling basis based on the number of completed deals sourced within the previous 12 months:-
0 deals £1000
1 deal £1100
2 deals £1200
3 deals £1300
4 deals £1400
5 deals £1500
So, an individual who brought us a deal approximately every 2 months would receive a £1500 finder’s fee per deal on an ongoing basis, £9000 per year in total. For further information go to www.ambervalleyhomes.co.uk

How to get a great deal on a home extension

Richard — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:39:44 +0000

One of the things to consider when having a home extension built is the relationship between the builder and the architect. If there is an issue on the build that the architect has missed or the builder does not carry out the architects plan there is room for problems. So we would always advise that you have a single point of responsibility, a company that are confident enough with their work and skills to take care of the whole design and build process. Then if there is an issue during the build phase of the project they have to take some responsibility for the corrective action.

Profit from property investment

Richard — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:04:09 +0000

We have never had it so good! Well almost, recent data on the total performance of returns from property has shown that in the last quarter of 2009 total returns from property leapt to 10%. Just let me repeat that property returns 10%, considering where interest rates are there are not many investors who will complain about returns of 10%. The data showed that it was in fact the second highest rise since 1978. Yes that’s right property is performing at its near best since 1978!
Well that is the positive news, of course the usual caveats apply, it only reflexes one quarter’s results so over the more medium term the figures could show a very different picture. With rumours of no double dip being whispered in the city many will start to look for new doom and interest rates are a fare bet.
The increase in the Bank of England’s base rate will of course have a pretty devastating affect on the fragile UK property market. So this time next year what will we are saying about the decisions on interest rates that are the discussion of many back offices in the city?

How will the end of UK recession affect house prices?

Richard — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:10:39 +0000

So today’s the day many have longed for and many have look forward to for as long as they can remember, well at least since 2007. Will we see more estate agents windows appearing in the gaping holes left from the many retailers that have gone into administration? Will your old high street Woolworths be the next Estate Solutions?
Well one thing’s for sure the UK housing market is driven by sentiment and there will be a new sense of positive sentiment now the recession is now in retreat.

Increases in Boxing Day footfalls, retailer’s takings, and commercial property values?

Richard — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:13:05 +0000

Many UK shopping centers have reported greatly increased foot traffic through their doors in the recent few days of the post Christmas traditional high street sales. It is estimated that over half a million shoppers passed through the doors of the Bullring. It seems that the green shoots of the UK economy are inching ever higher. It appears that optimism has turned into positive sentiment in turn that’s has become consumer confidence which will, given time flower into retailers profits and ultimately increased rental yields and increased capital values for commercial property.
It seems that those brave and canny investors that started to “call the bottom”, of the commercial property market will look forward to healthy returns to reward their wise judgment. Will this blog be reporting the same of residential property investors in the short term?