Carl Brown writes of the new world of regulation for housing associations, which he argues is now looking likely to get off to at best, a confusing start.
Read the whole of his blog on the subject, here.
Chartered Surveyors for all areas, available to comment, advise and survey, are available here.
As of 31st October 2011, the Government has announced that they will be slashing Feed-in-Tariffs for domestic solar installations. Government Ministers have emphasised the need to stay within the allotted budget in the face of falling solar costs, but critics are foreseeing a sharp contraction of demand and an end to free solar financing schemes and social housing projects.
Read more here.
Consumers have been warned to be vigilant when opting to let their roof spaces for renewable energy schemes, doing so could violate mortgage schemes and damage saleability.
Read the rest of this article here.
The highest number of £1,000,000+  property sales since 2007 were recorded in the first half of this year, underlining the strength of the property market at the upper end, fuelled by foreign money.
To get more details and find other property market comment, click here.
A study by the Intergenerational Foundation has suggested that the housing crisis is being severely compounded by ‘underused homes’, with their co-founder reputedly suggesting that ‘empty nesters’ should be ‘encouraged’ through a new land tax to downsize. The report represents a new, a controversial, angle in the argument on how to solve Britain’s property problem.
To read the rest of this article and learn about a hotly debated solution to Britain’s housing problems, click here.
New research from HSBC has indicated that the cost of providing suitable housing for a third child in the UK, ie. purchasing a three bedroom property, is just under £60,000. This figure constitutes a 38% increase in price from a 2 bedroom to a 3 bedroom property.
The same figures help illustrate that the extra cost of a third bedroom represents 1.6 times the average annual household income for the nation.
Bruno Genovese, head of savings at HSB, is reported to have said:
“[Having a] second child seems to be catalyst for many families moving to a larger home, which is often the largest financial outlay they will ever undertake.”
The figures suggest that careful financial planning is advisory, to ensure that finances are in place to handle the costs involved in raising a family.
If you’re upgrading to a larger property, seek out a professional surveyor to ensure the right price and minimnise the costs as much as possible. PropertySurveying UK
A summary report has been released detailing the acceleration of the release of public land into the hands of the private sector. The report includes further details on the ‘Build now, pay later’ scheme and is part of a wider Government effort to stimulate growth and create jobs.
To read the rest of this article and find the Government report, click here.
Case Reference: Levitt v London Borough of Camden
A new case concerning a hot water system disagreement between leaseholder and freeholder in an apartment in the London Borough of Camden, has reached an important conclusion: a ruling that the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations apply to the service charge provisions of long leases. The decision in the present case could be determinative of contribution obligations if similar cases arise elsewhere under similar leases.
To read the rest of this article and the details of the case, click here.
