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Em Morley

Tinder-Style Property Searching App

Published On: May 20, 2015 at 8:57 am

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Finding a home can be a struggle, but a new app is designed to make it an easier journey. Users can now swipe through properties in a Tinder style on their smartphone or tablet.

Online property portals can be strewn with poor descriptions, amateur photographs and unrealistic details.

But the founders of Knocker, which is free from the App Store, are trying to use the aspiring buyer’s imagination to support their search; similar to those looking for love on Tinder.

Tinder allows the user to swipe through photographs of potential partners; swipe left if they don’t like them, right if they do.

Like Tinder, Knocker showcases the homes for sale or to rent close to the user. By using the user’s location, all of the properties nearby that are listed on Zoopla will be easily accessible.

Tinder-Style Property Searching App

Tinder-Style Property Searching App

This could be as simple as strolling past a house for sale and loading the app to find details there and then. This will be useful for those visiting the area they would like to live in.

Through the app, browsers can pin properties they would like to save until later, share them via email and arrange a viewing. This is particularly helpful if buyers are looking in a hotspot area where homes are sold quickly.

Knocker currently uses property website Zoopla and there are no plans to expand this to other popular sites such as Rightmove.

House hunters will continue using the well-known property portals and the traditional methods of finding a home. However, Rightmove revealed that searching for a home on mobile phones has doubled recently, and smartphone and tablet browsing accounts for over half of its hits.

Two entrepreneurs in Manchester, Jon Grant and Sam Easterby-Smith, created Knocker. The current iOS system is being perfected before they release an Android version.

The app’s lemon logo is designed to reflect the “refreshing way to search for property” that the app provides.

Grant talks of the comparison to Tinder: “It’s always nice to get compared to something that big and we hope that people don’t see it as a limitation.

“Tinder has been a huge influence on the process and we hope that the very simple approach to property search is something that resonates with users, both looking for somewhere to live, and of the nosey variety.”

Recent research from Aviva reveals that people buying a home in the past year generally spent only 33 minutes viewing a property before purchasing. This could be down to people being full of knowledge of the house before looking around.

Those searching for a home, however, spend a long time looking every week.

Online estate agent Purple Bricks discovered that 20% of employees looking for a property spend over two hours every day looking at homes on websites as part of the selling and buying process.

Grant continues: “We’ve noticed people go and look at areas before conducting an online search. Knocker enables them to get fast answers and quickly understand whether something is in that neck of the woods that they can afford.

“It’s also good when outside a house that has a for sale board outside. If you like the place, the first thing you think is, how much does that cost? Knocker gives you the answer.”1

1 http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-3086417/Would-swipe-property-love-Tinder-style-app-aims-dream-home-21st-Century-online-dating-style.html

First-time buyers support Tory policies

Published On: May 19, 2015 at 5:08 pm

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The Conservative election victory has been well received by first-time buyers, according to new research.

A survey from the Halifax suggests that housing policies announced from the Tories were more in line with the demands of would-be buyers , particularly the Help to Buy scheme.

Policies

Halifax’s Generation Rent analyses an ongoing insight into the attitude of young, aspiring homeowners toward the market. The most recent survey indicated that getting empty homes back on the market was the primary concern of first-time buyers.

Despite five of the top nine housing policies that the survey found young people to be supportive of came from the Conservatives, the top policy was actually a Liberal Democrat proposition. This was the proposal of increasing housing supply by allocating powers to local authorities to make more of an effort to restore empty homes, thus returning them to the rental or homebuyer markets.

Producing a greater supply of homes was the challenge made to the incoming Tory Government by all of the participants of the Generation Rent report. As a result, the pledges made by David Cameron to address the lack of supply were welcomed by the vast majority of people questioned. Popular pledges so far have included the announcing of both a new Right to Buy and Rent to Buy scheme.

First-time buyers support Tory policies

First-time buyers support Tory policies

Big Issue

Craig McKinlay, mortgages director at the Halifax, said that, ‘housing was a major issue during the general election campaign and political parties of all hues acknowledged that more needs to be done to help first time buyers.’ He warns however that, ‘this now needs to translate into concrete plans during the next Parliament.’ [1]

McKinlay continued by saying that, ‘earlier this year the independent Commission on Housing identified that we need to deliver at least 2 million homes by 2025 to meet demand. Getting empty homes back on the market and tackling the shortfall in housebuilding needs to be a political priority and requires a long-term commitment if it’s to address the shortage of supply.’[1]

Encouragement comes with the news that during the first couple of years of the Help to Buy Equity Loan Scheme to 31 March 2015, 47,018 properties were purchased using the loan. The Halifax report reveals that over half of respondents (53%) feel that the Help to Buy schemes currently in place have had a good effect on the market. 39% were either undecided or did not have an opinion, whereas just 8% thought the scheme had a negative impact.[1]

McKinlay noted that, ‘the majority of Generation Renters participants believe Help to Buy has had a positive impact and its good news that the scheme will be carrying on for a number of years yet. However, the fact that 39% either don’t know or are undecided demonstrates that more work is needed to educate people as to the benefits and how the schemes work.’ [1]

[1] http://www.propertywire.com/news/europe/uk-first-time-buyers-2015051910521.html

 

 

The Winners at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards 2015

Published On: May 19, 2015 at 4:19 pm

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A stunning penthouse in Wapping, East London has been given the top prize at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards 2015.

The Penthouse at Wapping Lane by Ballymore was presented with the renowned Grand Prix Award and named Best Apartment.

At the top of a new build 18-storey tower, the 5,000 square foot home boasts a circular perimeter of glass walls and terraces with 360° views of the capital.

Priced at £3.95m, this is a luxury apartment featuring a private lift and lobby, an open-plan kitchen and living area, and handpicked designer furniture and finishing.

The winners were announced on 15th May at The Dorchester hotel in Mayfair.

The homes are judged by Evening Standard readers as well as industry experts, and the awards cover 13 categories in the housing industry. All property types are included, from starter homes to luxury mansions.

The Outstanding Architectural Merit award went to Banyan Wharf, which overlooks Wenlock Basin in Shoreditch, for its Rubik’s Cube-inspired design.

Crossacres, a mansion on the Wentworth Estate in Surrey, won the Best Luxury Home prize and the Best Eco Home went to Virido, a concept house in Cambridge, which is the model for a 208-home development.

 

 

BTL investment more stressful than job

Published On: May 19, 2015 at 3:27 pm

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An alarming new survey has found that many Buy-to-let investors believe that problems associated with their property cause them more stress than their paid employment.

Issues such as rent arrears, regulation and taxes are leading to increased stress levels, according to a new report from PropertyLetByUs.com

Stressed

Results from the survey indicate that rent arrears topped the list for causes of stress, with 87% of respondents saying that this was the case. Dealing with tenant complaints (80%) came in as the second highest problem. Other top causes of stress were making repairs to property damage (43%), changes in the immigration act (40%) and obtaining additional finance to add to existing portfolios (28%).[1]

25% of landlords said that tax and inland revenue issues as their main reason for anxiety in regard to buy-to-let. 23% said that lack of support or understanding from their partners towards how much work it takes to make a BTL investment successful was their main cause of stress.[2]

BTL investment more stressful than job

BTL investment more stressful than job

Assessing the results, Jane Morris, Managing Director of Property Let By Us stated that, ‘the good news is that finding new tenants is near the bottom of the stress list, which brings some relief to the plight of landlords. The increasing regulation and the added responsibility that goes with it, is weighing heavy on the shoulders of landlords, along with rent arrears and tenant complaints.’[3]

Helpful methods

A key method to assist landlords in avoiding potential rent arrears is to conduct thorough reference checks on all prospective tenants. Choosing the correct tenant will save a lot of hassle and cost later in the agreement. Landlords should obtain references from the tenants’ previous landlords, conduct credit checks and ask for bank statements. It is also imperative that landlords check the identity of a tenant, proof of current address and, if applicable under the immigration act, eligibility to rent in the UK.

 

[1-3] http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/landlords/majority-of-landlords-say-btl-is-more-stressful-than-their-job.html?utm_source=Sign-Up.to&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=21136-106318-Campaign+-+19%2F05%2F2015+FSE

 

 

New App Lets You Donate to Homeless People

Published On: May 19, 2015 at 3:21 pm

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Donate Locate is a new app developed by creative agency Soul to avoid people not giving to the homeless.

New App Lets You Donate to Homeless People

New App Lets You Donate to Homeless People

The app was developed in connection with London homeless charity The Connection. Instead of searching through your purse for any spare change, you can now donate through your smartphone.

Donate Locate gives the option of giving £1, £3 or £5 to The Connection when you see a homeless person. At the same time, the app records your location using your phone’s GPS and sends this to the charity, so that they can identify where homeless people are.

Soul’s Director, Shaun Moran, explains the idea: “Often, we’re told not to give to homeless people on the street in case they spend the money on drugs and alcohol. However, it’s when you see them on the street that compels you to want to give. The app solves the dilemma of how to help the people you see without giving to them directly.”

Donators will receive a confirmation text message upon contributing and the money is added to their mobile operator bill or through their pre-pay account.

Moran says the app has the power to “save lives”, as homeless people will not be able to spend the money on the things that could “contribute to their early death.”

Moran adds: “The other reason to care is that you’re both raising money and saving time for a great charity. The app raises money through donations and saves time by helping the outreach team locate homeless people.”

He concludes: “Being told not to give to homeless people in the street is a well-publicised and long-running issue. Finally, here’s the solution.”1

Find Donate Locate on the App Store.

1 Moran, S. (2015) ‘Homeless app to help save lives’, Metro, 19 May, p.37

Homebuyers Don’t Know Enough About the Legal Process

Published On: May 19, 2015 at 2:55 pm

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Homebuyers do not know enough about the legal process, a new study has found, with around three quarters confused about what is involved.

77% of those planning to buy a property in the next ten years said they do not know when they are expected to pay the deposit and 38% are unaware of the difference between a freehold and leasehold.

Homebuyers Don't Know Enough About the Legal Process

Homebuyers Don’t Know Enough About the Legal Process

Over half of the 2,000 Britons surveyed could not define gazumping and 45% are not sure what a conveyancer does, revealed the research by property law specialist Slater and Gordon.

Samantha Blackburn, a property lawyer, says: “Tens of thousands of Brits will be contemplating buyers or selling a home as the weather and the market warm up. It’s vital that buyers, especially first time buyers, know their rights and have a basic understanding of the legal process.

“Buying a home can be confusing, time consuming and expensive. Misunderstanding the process and not getting the correct legal advice cannot only delay a sale, it can also lead to increased costs and potential issues in the future.”1 

One of the main areas of confusion was the rights of leaseholders, with 32% of respondents unaware that they must pay ground rent to the freeholder.

Here are some of the terms to remember:

Conveyancer: A legal expert, usually a solicitor, who organises all aspects of the sale.

Exchange: When the buyer and seller sign contracts and send them to one another. The deposit is lodged and the sale is now legally binding.

Completion: The money is transferred and the keys are given to the buyer.

Freehold: The property is owned outright.

Leasehold: The home is owned for a set period when it is on lease from the freeholder.

Gazumping: When the owner has agreed to sell, but then accepts a higher offer.

Gazundering: When the buyer offers less at the last moment.

1 Binns, D. (2015) ‘Gazumped? Homebuyers clueless over legal process’, Metro, 19 May, p.24