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Em Morley

Housing Association in Salford Funds Community Projects

Published On: July 3, 2015 at 4:04 pm

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Struggling community projects in Salford have been given thousands of pounds worth of funding by housing association, Salix Homes.

A total of 31 Salford-based schemes and initiatives received a share of £37,500 during the Your Salix, Your Say event.

Now in its fifth year, the event provides the opportunity for community groups to bid for funding of up to £4,000 to help finance the worthwhile causes that improve the area.

Housing Association in Salford Funds Community Projects

Housing Association in Salford Funds Community Projects

On Saturday 27th June, the competing bidders met at St Sebastian’s Community Centre in Lower Kersal, where they could vote for the projects they believed should receive the cash.

St Joseph’s School Gardening Club in Ordsall collected the most votes on the day, winning £1,110.

This project provides a vegetable garden and growing area for pupils at the school, who grow their own fruit and vegetables and learn about healthy eating. They will use the money to buy a much-needed greenhouse.

School administrator, Alison Campbell, who runs the club, says: “We are absolutely delighted to have won and it’s going to make such a difference to the club and give us a real boost.

“We will be buying a greenhouse, which will elongate the growing season and mean the children can grow fresh produce all year round. The benefits of teaching children how to grow their own vegetables are enormous; they often take the products home with recipe cards or we cook it together in school. Plus, the children have so much fun out in the garden that they don’t even realise they’re learning.”1 

In the young people’s category, aspiring footballers SAYO FC, who train at Fit City Clarendon, received the most votes, winning £428 that will go towards transport for away games.

14-year-old player Luke Adams comments: “We play in the Bolton and Bury League and we struggle to afford transport for away games, so this will really help us. We are buzzing to have won.”1 

Other winners include the Grown in Brought ‘On’ project, which accepted £2,550 for an observational beehive at their community growing site on Heath Avenue, Lower Broughton and the Seedley and Langworthy in Bloom group, which received £3,500 for their annual floral display.

The Your Salix, Your Say fund is made up of savings from within the housing association as well as external sources. It empowers communities to decide how the money should be spent.

Chief Executive of Salix Homes, Lee Sugden, explains: “At a time of scarce resources and budget cuts in Salford, our Your Salix, Your Say grant can be a lifeline for many struggling community projects, but the fantastic thing about this grant is it allows the people of Salford to decide where the money should be spent, which is something we believe in wholeheartedly.

“It’s wonderful to see just how dedicated some people are to improving their communities for the benefit of others and we are very proud to hand over this well-deserved funding, which will help sustain projects and initiatives that can make a real difference to an area and the lives of residents.”1 

1 http://www.24dash.com/news/housing/2015-07-02-Funding-boost-for-31-community-projects-in-Salford

Property prices have motored through the years

Published On: July 3, 2015 at 3:33 pm

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Categories: Property News

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This week is a significant one in the British sporting calendar. Not only is Wimbledon in full swing, this weekend will see thousands of motor sport fans converging on Silverstone for the Formula 1 British Grand Prix.

To mark the occasion, online estate agent eMoov.co.uk has conducted an interesting survey into how the British property market has evolved since the first British GP in 1955.

Motoring

Data from the report shows that when Sir Stirling Moss won the inaugural race back in 1955, the average UK house price was just £1,928. In 1969, when Sir Jackie Stewart won in 1969, prices had risen to £4,222. When he won again in 1971, prices had increased further to in excess of £5,000.[1]

When James Hunt took the chequered flag in 1977 prices stood at £12,805 and when Nigel Mansell won in 1990, prices had increased further, by £32,500. By the time he had won again in 1991, house prices had increased to £54,626.[1]

Pit-stop

However, when Mansell won his last title in 1992, prices had dropped annually by £2,811. Next British victories in 1994 and 1995 by Damon Hill and Johnny Herbet respectively coincided with further UK average value drops.

This slump had ended by the time the next British man took the Silverstone honours, with David Coulthard’s victory in 1999. By now, prices had recovered and risen more than £20,000 in four years to stand at £71,000.[1]

Property prices have motored through the years

Property prices have motored through the years

Speed

Since Coulthard’s last win in 2000, it is fair to say that house prices have speeded up at fifth-gear rates. Prices have increased 165% from then until now, rising to £168,973 when Lewis Hamilton took the plaudits in 2008. When Lewis achieved his second Silverstone victory last year, prices had risen to £185,620.[1]

CEO of eMoov.co.uk Russell Quirk said, ‘things have changed dramatically in the UK since Stirling Moss first made the podium in 1955, both in F1 and property. It really is mind boggling to think a property back then was under £2,000. Of course this was the equivalent to about £50,000 in today’s money but still a darn site cheaper none the less.[1]

Quirk concluded by commenting, ‘this said, I don’t think today’s drivers will be too hard pushed to climb the property ladder but if a British driver does win at Silverstone this weekend, we’ll happily sell their house for free!’[1]

 

[1] http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/property/pole-position-property-prices.html

 

OnTheMarket Agent Reports Drop in Leads

Published On: July 3, 2015 at 3:03 pm

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OnTheMarket Agent Reports Drop in Leads

OnTheMarket Agent Reports Drop in Leads

An estate agent, whose company stopped using Rightmove in favour of keeping Zoopla under OnTheMarket’s one-other-agent policy, has reported that leads are down as a result, but he remains optimistic.

Head of Residential at Chestertons, Richard Davies, says: “For agents who are using OnTheMarket, it is a case of a bit of pain for future gain. Every month, there is more activity on OnTheMarket and momentum continues to build.

“Also, we have found that our leads from Zoopla have tripled. We think this is partly because a lot of agents came off Zoopla and we are getting the benefit, but also it isn’t just about portals, it’s about the market too.”

Chestertons went against the majority in dropping Rightmove, but Davies says the decision was carefully selected.

For the firm, which has 30 offices in London and 32 internationally, Davies believes it was the right option.

Additionally, Davies criticised letting agents that give the industry a bad name by charging “ridiculous” fees.1

Davies would like to see a fully regulated sector for both sales and letting agents, who should meet minimum standards.

1 http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/onthemarket-agent-says-theres-a-bit-of-pain-for-long-term-gain/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property Market Optimism Steadies

Published On: July 3, 2015 at 2:02 pm

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Property Market Optimism Steadies

Property Market Optimism Steadies

Fewer homeowners are expecting a rise in the value of their property in the next 12 months, revealed research from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks.

Under half (49%) of survey respondents believe the value of their home will grow over the next year, compared to 54% in January and 55% a year ago. A further 49% predict that the price of their property will stay the same and 2% think it will decrease.

The study also found that homeowners in London are the most optimistic, with 73% forecasting an increase in the value of their home. This is followed by those in the South East at 62% and 56% in the East of England.

Contrastingly, 11% of respondents in the North East expect the value to drop and 6% of homeowners in the North West and Scotland are not positive.

For those predicting value rises, growing house prices is the key factor, alongside the economic recovery.

67% of homeowners in the South East and 64% in London name this as the main reason for expecting an increase in the value of their property. Just 37% of those in the North West said the same.

Director of Retail Banking, Steve Fletcher, says: “It has been a positive to see confidence returning to the property market, however, our latest research has shown that this is levelling out with a drop in the number of people who believe their home will increase in value over the next year.

“There are still a number of property hotspots, such as London and the South East, where property prices are rising and we anticipate that this will continue. However, this is not mirrored across the UK as a whole.”1 

1 http://www.propertyflock.co.uk/f/F1A4CAE9E

 

How Long do House Prices Drop For?

Published On: July 3, 2015 at 1:03 pm

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In 2007 and 2008, the country suffered a severe house price crash. In 2010, some areas saw prices bounce back slightly.

After this period, where your property was in the UK greatly affected its price.

Some places experienced continuous price growth from 2010 onwards and they are still rising now.

In some parts, prices became stagnant, and then began to increase in 2013 and 2014. In Brighton and Hove, the average house price is now above 2007-08 levels, while other areas have recovered but are still lower than they were before the crash.

In places like Liverpool and Bradford, the average property price is still almost 30% lower than they were eight years ago.

How Long do House Prices Drop For?

How Long do House Prices Drop For?

When house prices drop significantly, it usually means there is an economic recession. For homeowners, this can be devastating, as the value of their biggest asset is falling and they may also face employment issues.

During these periods, newspaper headlines do not help. The Guardian said: “House prices set to fall by further 12% in 2009”1, while the BBC reported: “House prices ‘fell 15.9% in 2008’.”1

These statements influence buyers and vendors. If the newspaper says prices are falling, house hunters will delay buying, which can then cause prices to decline further, as desperate sellers cut their prices until they sell.

It is difficult to determine how long prices will drop for, but it is possible to look at past trends.

Property expert Kate Faulkner has analysed this data for each of the 32 London boroughs.

Property prices decreased for 18-20 months by 16-18% in the following boroughs: Havering, Hillingdon, Brent and Lambeth.

Most boroughs’ (23) prices fell for 13-17 months. These boroughs saw drops for 17: Barnet, Redbridge, Merton, Southwark and Waltham Forest.

The boroughs that declined for just 13 months were: Hackney, Ealing, Haringey, Richmond upon Thames and Wandsworth.

In terms of the greatest drops, Newham and Barking and Dagenham experienced decreases of 22%, while Hackney, usually one of the capital’s best performing boroughs, saw drops of 21%.

Those falling by less include the City of Westminster at 14% and Southwark, Haringey and Ealing at 16%.

The following boroughs experienced price declines for the shortest period, of just 12 months, with 19-20% reductions: Hounslow, Tower Hamlets and Kingston upon Thames.

The boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea and Camden dropped for only eight and nine months respectively, by 16-17% – also some of the smallest falls.

Analysing these London figures, property prices generally drop for 8-20 months, with the average at just over a year.

If you have an idea of how long prices will decrease for, vendors can plan whether to continue trying to sell or rent out the property until the market has recovered.

Home movers, investors and first time buyers will also benefit from knowing how long property prices will fall for, however, it is never really clear when the bottom has been hit until some time afterwards.

Knowing the length of time prices decline for in a certain area gives an indication of what to look for and also proves that prices won’t drop forever, as some people predicted during the crash.

1 http://www.propertychecklists.co.uk/articles/property-prices-rise-fall

 

Rogue HMO Landlord in Brent is Fined Again

Published On: July 3, 2015 at 11:57 am

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Rogue HMO Landlord in Brent is Fined Again

Rogue HMO Landlord in Brent is Fined Again

A landlord, who was the first to be fined in the North West London Borough of Brent for owning an unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), has been fined again after owning an overcrowded and dangerous property.

Douglas Gerard-Reynolds packed 16 people into a six-room rental house, just months after he was ordered to pay £2,500 due to a lack of license. His second property, in Willesden Green, was also unlicensed.

Willesden Magistrates’ Court heard that not only was the six-room property severely overcrowded, the ceiling was also hazardous with the potential to collapse and electrical wiring was dangerous.

Gerard-Reynolds was given a fine of £6,500, and ordered to pay costs and other charges totalling £2,143.

However, this was not his first offence. In April, he was the first landlord to be fined due to a lack of HMO license for another property. This home also had poor heating facilities and water leaks. He was issued a fine of £1,000.

Councillor Margaret McLennan, Brent Council’s Lead Member for Housing and Development, says: “This is exactly why we introduced the landlord licensing schemes this year; to protect people who rent in Brent.

“This case should serve as a deterrent to any landlords who are dragging their feet when asked to apply for a license. The licensing scheme is vital for the protection of vulnerable tenants, many of whom are unaware of their housing rights.”1

1 http://www.residentiallandlord.co.uk/news/3937-original-rogue-hmo-landlord-fined-again.html