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House prices edged upwards in March, according to the latest Rightmove House Price Index, although activity is largely limited to the upper end of the market. According to the company’s research, the need for larger deposits means that purchases are heavily focused on owners with equity already built up in their properties. Meanwhile, first-time buyers … Read More »

Buying a flat or apartment can be a lot more complicated than buying a house: who is responsible for communal areas? Is the building insured? What if something in the hall or stairwell gets broken? Residential development managing company Chainbow has just launched a free online guide for first-time buyers to answer all these questions. … Read More »

Q: “I live in a rented property and, until now, have always paid my rent direct to the landlord. I recently received a letter from an estate agent saying that from now on, I should pay my rent to them, and that the property may be repossessed when my tenancy ends in August. “I phoned … Read More »

Quidos Accreditation has always strived to maintain the highest quality standards within the energy assessment industry, and in September 2010 took a stand against “reverse auction” panels after it became apparent that quality is being compromised by cost with the launch of these panels. “We should not devalue the industry, the EPC and ourselves ” … Read More »

Buying your first home can be an exciting time, but it’s always a good idea to plan ahead and start thinking about your home insurance before you’ve even got the keys. It can be a very busy time in your life, as you spin the various financial plates at once to secure that property you’ve … Read More »

Rent increases rapidly across the UK Strong tenant demand and falling supply is pushing rental prices higher according to the latest RICS UK Residential Lettings Survey. Rents rose at a rapid pace in the three months to the end of January, as falling supply of rental properties and strong tenant demand continued to drive prices … Read More »

BBC1’s Cowboy Trap! Do you have a story to tell? The BBC are working on their 3rd series of BBC1’s Cowboy Trap and are currently looking for stories of homeowners who have been stung by builders who have carried out work on their home. The aim of the programme is for our team to help … Read More »

Government Grants for Thermal Insulation & Heating Infrastructure Some Facts: Cavity Wall Insulation etc. The Warm Front Scheme: As a useful starting point refer to http://www.government-grants.co.uk which provides an at-a glance summary of eligibility for all insulation and heat-related grant aid. Energy Company Grants: Grants are funded by the energy companies via EnergyLink (part of … Read More »

Traditional Houses or Something Else? BRE publication 469, 2004, ….’Non-Traditional Houses’ (cost £275) lists approximately 450 different types of dwelling, from the Shipston Aluminum where only one example was built, to the Easiform Type II where over 100,000 were constructed between 1920 and 1970. Many types, such as Airey (26,000 examples); Cornish Units (30,000), Orlit (17,000) and Unity Types I and II … Read More »

Whose drain is it anyway!? -or- ‘When a blockage occurs’. “The problem started with sewage bubbling out of a manhole in the garden of an 86-year old lady”, reports ISA member, John Maguire. “The drain served a row of ten houses and the manhole was the last one before the drain changed direction towards the … Read More »