Estate agents should stop fretting about the dangers of misleading potential house purchasers and read new draft guidance from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), published today. The watchdog has launched a consultation on proposed guidance to estate agents and housing developers, aimed at ensuring firms stay within the law when handling property and land [...]
Estate Agents
NAEA: Success of Stamp Duty Campaign a major victory for first time buyers
THE National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) today welcomed as a major victory Alistair Darling’s decision to raise the threshold of stamp duty land tax for two years.
The NAEA has long campaigned for a major rethink on stamp duty – which it believes to be a tax on aspiration. Today in the final Budget before the election, Mr Darling listened and raised the threshold to £250,000 from midnight tonight.
Peter Bolton King, chief executive of the NAEA, said: “For thousands of first time buyers the dream of getting onto the property ladder was slipping out of reach.
“This announcement has added a new rung to the property ladder, one within reach of thousands of young families.
“We have long argued that stamp duty is a tax on aspiration that smothered the natural demand of the market. We still believe that more reform is needed and there is more work to be done, but this is a good first step – a major victory for first time buyers.”
The NAEA has for years called for a major reform of stamp duty land tax, beginning with the threshold being raised. Most recently in the run up to this Budget the association led a coalition of property organisations in calling for reform, under the banner of the 1808 campaign. More information on the 1808 campaign can be found at http://www.nfopp.co.uk/1808/
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Effects Of The End Of The Stamp Duty Holiday – Decision Homebuyers Report
London, England (Jan 11, 2010) – Decision Homebuyers, one of the UK’s most trusted and flexible home buying specialists, comment on the impending end of the stamp duty holiday and the effects it will have on the current housing market conditions.
Surveyors in the West Midlands, East Midlands, Wales and Scotland predict that the end of the holiday will have a “detrimental effect” in areas that are yet to see a recovery from the recession, and widely expect to see a drop in market activity when the threshold reverts back to its previous ways. The temporary stamp duty holiday was implemented in September 2008 and will finish at the end of the year.
The 1% tax will be reintroduced for properties sold over £125,000 compared with the £175,000 currently in operation, with The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors calling for the tax to be restructured. The Council of Mortgage Lenders calculates that 132,500 houses that were bought funded with a mortgage had escaped paying stamp duty in the past year.
“This is one of those situations where we will have to wait and see what the long term affects are to the housing market, but there can be no doubt that the stamp duty holiday has been a huge help to various regions in the UK,” says Laurence Smith of Decision Homebuyers. “People looking to sell a house quick or who are looking to buy a property are now working under different market conditions, and will have to cater their budgets accordingly as a result.”
To find out more about Decision Homebuyers and their services:
Please call 08456 341 456
or visit: http://www.decisionhomebuyers.co.uk/
About Decision Homebuyers:
Established in 2006 and specialising in fast property purchase, Decision Homebuyers are experts in their field. Decision Homebuyers can buy your house fast and guarantee to make cash offers on all types of residential and commercial property, no matter what the condition.
CKD Galbraith offer Edwardian villa with Loch views on Arran
AYSHIRE, SCOTLAND – CKD Galbraith and Arran Estate Agents are marketing a most impressive and well appointed Edwardian House enjoying a superb waterside setting, lying in the heart of Lochranza on the North Eastern coast of the Isle of Arran, Scotland.
Benvaren is a superb family residence dating back to 1911. With delightful gardens, the villa has superb views set amid spectacular scenery. The accommodation includes 4 bedrooms, 3 reception rooms, kitchen, utility rooms, 2 bathrooms and 2 shower rooms. The beautiful wood panelling in the Reception Hall, together with feature fireplaces, cornicing and picture rails all show a style typical of Edwardian Houses.
A former laundry and toilet, together with former maid’s room have Planning Consent to convert to a one bedroom annex.
The mature and well kept gardens, which are a particular feature of the property, provide a wonderful backdrop slopping gently down towards the shore of the loch.
The village of Lochranza is truly stunning, lying snuggled in a sheltered valley along the edge of the loch, against an imposing backdrop of the surrounding hills. The nearby 17th century ruins of Lochranza Castle were once a royal hunting lodge and an earlier castle on the same site is believed to be where Robert Bruce stayed on his arrival from Ireland in 1306.
Often referred to as ‘Scotland in Miniature’, the Isle of Arran has the best of all the many characteristics of Scotland. From a rugged and mountainous interior in the north, green rolling hills and woodland in the south, the beautiful coastline with pretty villages and sandy bays benefits from the warm climate of The Gulf Stream. A ferry service from Lochranza provides a Summer link to the Kintyre peninsula, known as Arran’s “back door”, whilst a further regular service to the mainland operates from nearby Brodick.
Offers Over GBP485,000 are being sought for Benvaren. For further information please contact the selling agents.
CKD Galbraith
7 Killoch Place
Ayr KA7 2EA
Ayrshire, Scotland
Contact: R A Cherry BSc MRICS
Tel: 01292 268181
Fax: 01292 292300
E-mail: bob.cherry@ckdgalbraith.co.uk
Web: http://www.ckdgalbraith.co.uk/
CKD Galbraith is one of Scotland’s leading independent property consultancies, with expertise across a broad spectrum of property-related services.
CKD Galbraith operates from 12 offices across Scotland, bringing the firm’s clients a wealth of experience in:
* Residential property sales and lets
* Commercial property sales and management
* Estate, farm and forestry sales and purchases
* Estates, farming and land management
* Building surveying
* Forestry
* Sporting holidays
* Holiday homes
Estate agents innovative new service – auctionmove.co.uk
New online property auction website, auctionmove.co.uk, is offering estate agents the chance to promote their properties, including difficult to sell locations to a new audience, free of charge.
auctionmove.co.uk will provide estate agents with the opportunity to add an auction arm to their existing business, without impacting on commission.
Estate agents will also be able to have a branded presence on auctionmove.co.uk, generating valuable exposure for both the brand and for properties that are proving difficult to sell through the traditional estate agent route.
In the same way that a traditional auction works, auctionmove.co.uk will invite motivated purchasers to bid on a carefully chosen selection of residential and commercial properties, as well as land and development opportunities.
Buyers can bid anywhere, at anytime and at the end of the auction, if the reserve price is met, the highest bid wins the property.
auctionmove.co.uk’s experienced staff will always be on hand to help with any enquiries relating to the properties or the auctions.
Promising a competitive bidding process and sales that will be completed within 28 days, auctionmove.co.uk is a useful tool for buying and selling property online, whilst also being extremely helpful for estate agents.
Every property on auctionmove.co.uk is also advertised on rightmove.co.uk, the UK’s largest property website, which provides a steady throughput of traffic to the website.
Lisa Obertelli, Sales Director of auctionmove.co.uk, said: “We hope that by providing this service, estate agents will feel they can place their properties on our website. It allows an additional form of advertising for estate agents who are looking for new promotional avenues in a difficult market, with our property finder.
“We offer an auction service for estate agents, as well as offing any estate agent from anywhere in England the opportunity to advertise and promote through our website.
“We envisage this becoming an extremely useful tool for estate agents that will aid many stifled sales in the estate agency industry.”
For more information visit www.auctionmove.co.uk
Press Release Contact Details:
Andrew Barton Corby House, 38 Chorley New Road, Bolton BL1 4AP 01204 399440 auctionmove@inspia.co.uk www.auctionmove.co.uk
Zoopla.co.uk to integrate propertyfinder.com to deliver unrivalled offering to UK estate agents and home movers
Following the acquisition of the PropertyFinder Group from News Int’l over the summer, Zoopla.co.uk – the UK’s fastest growing property portal – will integrate all of its websites onto a single, world-class technology platform.
The move will combine the best features of each website and deliver an enhanced experience for the group’s estate agent members and millions of home movers that use the sites every month.
All of the brands in the Zoopla portfolio – Propertyfinder.com, HotProperty.co.uk and ThinkProperty.com (recently acquired from Guardian Media Group) – will become ‘powered by’ Zoopla and there will be significantly increased marketing investment put behind the Zoopla.co.uk brand from November onwards. UKPropertyShop.co.uk, the leading online agent directory, also owned by Zoopla will remain separate for the time being but members will continue to enjoy enhanced exposure in the directory as part of their membership.
The combined platform will offer huge advantages for agent members and an unrivalled set of features. By uniting the 3rd and 4th most visited property businesses in the UK, agents will benefit from greatly enhanced exposure for their listings and their brands. The Zoopla group will also power an impressive range of property partnerships with leading UK websites including MSN, Yahoo!, Guardian, Tiscali, UpMyStreet and Virgin.
There will be no change to fees for existing members but the combined group will now offer a unique dual pricing structure, giving agents the flexibility to choose between paying a fixed monthly fee for ‘unlimited’ leads or paying on a ‘pay-per-lead’ basis. Agent members will also soon be offered a whole range of new features exclusive to Zoopla.co.uk including appraisal leads from potential vendors and a variety of premium placement opportunities to enable the agent’s brand and listings to be featured more prominently.
Alex Chesterman, CEO of Zoopla Ltd, commented: “The driving force behind our recent acquisitions was a desire to combine the expertise in the businesses and to create a unique, market-leading proposition for our member agents and the millions of home-movers using our websites every month. We plan to continue to transform the online property landscape in the UK and partner with our member agents to deliver more leads, more viewings, more services and help them to win more instructions and business. It is our intent to be the most efficient marketing partner for UK estate agents and provide them the widest possible exposure and best value online marketing services.”
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For further information please contact Lawrence Hall on 020 7620 4618 / 07890 078 945 lawrence.hall@zoopla.co.uk.
Notes to editors
Zoopla! awards
We are proud to have won numerous awards and added several trophies to our cabinet:
- Winner: ‘Best Property Portal 2009′ (Daily Mail UK Property Awards)
- Winner: ‘Best Real Estate Website 2008′ (Websiteoftheyear.co.uk)
- Winner: ‘Best Property Website – Gold Award’ (Web User Magazine)
- Winner: ‘UK’s Most Promising Internet Company 2008′ (First Tuesday)
About Zoopla.co.uk
Zoopla.co.uk is a unique property website offering users information and tools to help them make better-informed property decisions. Our aim is to provide the most comprehensive source of residential property market information in the UK to help buyers, sellers, owners and estate agents alike and give them an advantage in the property market.
In 2007, following the success of bringing DVD rental to the web with LOVEFiLM.com, Zoopla! founders Alex Chesterman and Simon Kain realised that the UK property market had yet to fully enjoy the benefits of the internet in terms of its ability to deliver transparency and efficiency. They set out with the mission to transform the property market for both professionals and consumers by:
- offering users FREE access to instant value estimates, sold house prices and local information and trends
- enhancing estate agents’ marketing efficiency by providing exposure/leads on a pay-for-performance basis
- helping users find local agents and other property professionals to assist them in the transaction process
- letting buyers make offers on ANY UK home and owners test interest in their homes before choosing to sell
- creating an environment where anyone can ask/answer questions and share their knowledge about homes
By providing FREE value estimates for EVERY UK home, sold prices and local information as well as hundreds of thousands of property listings for sale/to rent, Zoopla.co.uk is fast-becoming the ultimate destination for users to both search for property and to do their market research. We continue to be the UK’s fastest growing property website and largest and most active property community, with over a million user contributions to our website in the past 12 months alone. We also offer unique features, like TemptMe!. and AskMe!., which allow consumers to gain an insight into the market and discover information they won’t find anywhere else. Our estate agent directory, FindAnAgent and our unique AskAnAgent feature also help guide users to local professionals directly for their expertise.
We launched our website in January 2008 and since then we’ve been on a non-stop path to transform the UK online property sector. Our user numbers continue to grow impressively and we have consistently been the UK’s fastest growing property website for the past 18 months, now attracting over 1.5 million visits per month to our website.
In July 2009 we acquired Thinkproperty.com from the Guardian Media Group and in August 2009 we added Propertyfinder.com, one of the UK’s largest property portals, which we purchased from News International.
Our value estimates are calculated using a proprietary algorithm (secret formula) that we have developed by analysing millions of data points relating to property sales and home characteristics throughout the UK. The algorithm works by comparing relationships between home prices, economic trends and property characteristics in given geographic areas. Our estimates are constantly refined, using the most recent data available and a variety of statistical methodologies, in order to provide the most current information on any home.
Zoopla Ltd is a privately held company with a highly experienced and proven management team, backed by well-respected angel investors and leading venture capital firms Atlas Venture (atlasventure.com) and Octopus Ventures (octopusventures.com).
Prime Time For Property Hunters?
HOME SEARCHERS SEIZE CHANCE TO SECURE DREAM HOMES
The competitive house prices and rents seen over the past two years have opened up the prime property market to a wider variety of homebuyers and tenants, says email4property.co.uk, with many more now looking to make their move as the market shows signs of recovery.
While seasoned investors were quick off the mark to snap up prime property at bargain prices as the market showed the first signs of bottoming out earlier in the year, less experienced cash-rich buyers are now looking to act quickly amid signs of sustained price growth. Tenants have also benefitted from price falls in the rental market. Many are now hoping to trade up to better homes in more desirable locations and tie into a year-long contract before prices rise out of their reach.
Email4property.co.uk, the UK’s largest online network of estate agents, has seen a 20% increase in the use of its ‘Premier Property’ search option since August this year. It has some essential tips for those looking to capitalise on current market conditions and enter the prime market:
How much is a prime postcode worth to you?
Even if you can afford to buy or rent in a more upmarket location, it might not always be worth your while doing so. If you are stretching yourself financially to secure a particular street or district, you may not achieve the prestigious lifestyle you had hoped for. Consider how important the locality is to your living needs and whether you might be better off seeking more for your money elsewhere. A studio flat in Chelsea is still a studio flat, regardless of its postcode!
Premier property needs a premier agent
Different agents cover different sectors of the market. Those that focus on prime markets and list higher-end property will also be best placed to advise you. Not only will they have access to the best range of homes in your area, but they will also have the experience and expertise to be candid with you on your expectations and restrictions. Visit the ‘Premier Property’ function for your chosen location on email4property.co.uk. For example: www.email4property.co.uk/chelsea/premier-property
Make sure you are precise and accessible
Be upfront with your agent on exactly what it is you are looking for and how much you are willing to pay. Having opted to go for a prime property you may be unwilling to compromise, particularly if you are buying, but the agent will be able to advise on whether your criteria is realistic. Be as forthright as possible with them about the property you want to view, so that no time is wasted in your search. Rest assured you will not be the only person in your area on the look-out for a prime bargain, so ensure you are also readily available to receive updates from your agent.
Don’t neglect the home-searching basics
While the location and/or style of the property may be sufficient enough for you to make a decision, you should not neglect the standard home searching procedures. Judge the property on all the merits you would in normal circumstances – such as the local amenities, transport links, schools etc. Depending on how long-term the move is, consider how the home will suit your changing needs over time. And of course, do not neglect any assessment of the general state of repair! A bargain priced conversion property in a dream
location is likely to need as much work as any other – it could soon lose its bargain status if significant work needs to be done to make it liveable for the long-term.
Steven Lees, Head of Marketing for email4property.co.uk, comments:
“Those lucky enough to have had sufficient capital to secure a mortgage over the past two years have been in a strong position to capitalise on the low prices available across the market, and many have been able to secure homes that would previously been out of their reach.
“With strong signs of firming house prices and rents starting to improve across the sector, people are now realising that the prime market may not remain open to them for much longer. However, there are still options available and plenty of specialist agents across the
country who are well-equipped to advise buyers/renters on their options and help them source the best properties available.”
For a comprehensive list of estate agents in your area visit: www.email4property.co.uk
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