Posts with tag: families

The Best Counties in the Country to Start a Family

Published On: February 14, 2017 at 11:10 am

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As it’s Valentine’s Day, online estate agent eMoov.co.uk has found the best counties in the country for property buyers to start a family.

Based on the number of births in each county and the affordability of property in the area, the agent has found the most popular parts of England for loved up homebuyers to make a love nest – they may also be great areas for landlords to invest if they want to let to families.

The Best Counties in the Country to Start a Family

The Best Counties in the Country to Start a Family

eMoov has assessed the total number of births across each county to find the areas with the highest levels, before finding the locations with an average house price below the English average of £234,278.

The West Midlands came out on top, with 19,005 registered births in 2015 (for which the latest data is available). Although this is second to London, the West Midland’s average house price of £163,162 takes it storming into first place. With the birth of babies often spurring a move to a larger property, the lower average house price in the region is no doubt what makes it a popular choice for those starting or extending a family.

Greater Manchester would seem the next best option, with an average house price of just £152,747 and 18,446 births recorded there – the third highest in the nation.

West Yorkshire (14,595), Merseyside (10,333), and South Yorkshire (9,394) are home to the next highest number of births across England, and all offer an average house price between £131,000-£146,828.

Lancashire (7,048), Tyne and Wear (6,995), and Cheshire (5,846) all saw more than 5,000 new additions in 2015, and, furthermore, buyers in Lancashire and Tyne and Wear can purchase a property for less than £137,000, with the average house price in Cheshire also affordable, at £176,495.

Norfolk and Nottinghamshire complete the top ten, with an average house price of £212,509 and £161,508 respectively, and both seeing the number of births in a year stand just below 5,000.

On top of these counties, there are an additional 15 locations where the average house price is lower than the national average, making them more affordable for potential buyers starting a family.

In the City of London, where the average house price is a huge £790,439, just 16 births were registered, proving that high property values are perhaps the biggest barrier to starting a family.

The Founder and CEO of eMoov, Russell Quirk, says: “The birth of a child is always a big event, and often influences where we buy and, with raising a child becoming increasingly expensive, saving on the price of a property can make all the difference.

“So, it is no surprise that 70% of the top ten counties for the highest birth rates are home to a lower average house price, as expecting parents look to make their finances stretch as far as they can.

“Of course, it isn’t always like for like as London proves with the highest birth rate in England, but it highlights where is the best places to consider for potential parents and buyers.”

Families top renting group in the UK

Published On: June 23, 2016 at 11:43 am

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Families have risen to become the most common household type in the private rented sector in Britain for the first time.

Research from the National Landlords Association shows that more landlords now let to families with children, accounting for 48% of the sector. This is closely followed by young couples, who make up 47%.

Shifting household trends

The latest data indicates a shift in comparison to four years ago, when young singles accounted for 53% of the market, followed by young couples and families with children.

Now, the private rented sector makes up nearly five million households in the UK. According to the English Housing Survey, the proportion of families in the sector has risen from 30% in 2004/05 to 37% in 2014/15

Of those families surveyed, privately renting a property is a steady option. 76% reported that they were happy with the length of their tenancy. 79% said that their tenancy was either renewed or stayed constant at the end of their initial fixed term.

As a result, the perception of renting a property as a barrier to family life is being snuffed out. 77% of renting families said they considered their rental property to be their home. 65% said they had received the green light to personalise their property however they wish.

Families top renting group in the UK

Families top renting group in the UK

Contrast

Richard Lambert, chief executive officer at the National Landlords Association, said, ‘there is a genuine contrast between the experience of renting in the 21st century shown in this research and the prevailing housing culture in Britain that only views it as stopgap, something to be tolerated while waiting for the opportunity to buy your own house.’[1]

‘There is a rogue element to private housing that ruins the experience for far too many people but for the majority of the 11 million private renters, renting offers an inclusive and flexible option which works for them in their current circumstances,’ he added.[1]

Concluding, Lambert said, ‘contrary to popular perception, there’s growing evidence that renting is no obstacle to putting down roots and calling somewhere home. The majority of landlords want good, stable, long term tenancies and these findings show that more and more are becoming receptive to helping families make a home in the private rented sector.’[1]

[1] http://www.propertywire.com/news/europe/uk-rental-homes-research-2016062112055.html

Hackney council targeted for buying mansion

Published On: June 12, 2015 at 2:52 pm

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Hackney Borough Council is spending an astonishing £1.2 million on a beautiful 19th century country mansion, in order to send feuding families on extended breaks to help their relationship.

The council, which is facing a £36m reduction in Government funding, are planning to send troubled families to the two-acre resort for up to six-weeks. An offer on the site, known as the Silver Trees estate, came following a £2m government grant to the council to help these types of families spend, ‘structured’ periods away from their normal home.

Joke

Needless to say, the move has not gone down well with local residents, with one describing the move as a, ‘wind up.’ Others are very concerned about anti-social behavior. One resident, Helen Straw, said that, ‘the families sent there might be considered problematic or troubled. I personally walk my dog in the wood opposite most days alone and my enjoyment of our rural area would be affected if my personal feeling of safety was compromised.’[1]

Another resident Matthew Batstone, commented that the move was a, ‘profligate use of public money in what is supposed to be a time of austerity. This proposal is extravagant and it ignores the enormous and urgent need for family housing in Oxfordshire.’[1]

Hackney council targeted for buying mansion

Hackney council targeted for buying mansion

Undeterred

The council however seem undeterred by the claims, saying that families likely to be sent to the retreat are parents who need to learn how to manage their children. A spokeswoman for Hackney council said that they had, ‘recently received funding from the DfE Innovation Fund to run a programme to help children and families who would benefit from some structured time away from home. It is a voluntary programme, with parents and where appropriate, foster carers joining the children and taking part in a programme of learning and support.’[1]

She continued by saying that Hackney Council, ‘think this location is ideal as it will give the families involved the opportunity to spend time together away from their homes in a tranquil location with plenty of space that is still a commutable distance from London.’[1]

Currently in its consultation period, the application will be decided upon on July 2nd.

[1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3119949/Cash-strapped-London-council-buys-1-2million-country-mansion-send-troubled-families-free-six-week-holidays.html