With the residential market in the UK in mind, here is a random sampling of new homes for sale that we found via several online portals.

One bedroom kitchen – courtesy McCarthy & Stone

Isabel Court – Exeter (EX4) a retirement development by McCarthy & Stone – £199,950 – £272,950 on Cowick Street, Exeter, Devon – This is a retirement community featuring the latest in one and two bedroom flats backing onto St. Thomas’ Park, opposite St Thomas’ church.

Master bedroom – courtesy Taylor Wimpey

Elswick Park – Bristol – South Gloucestershire – from £194,995 to £237,995 – Elswick Park, Kennedy Way, Yate, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, BS37 4DQ. These new homes by Taylor Wimpey feature 2, 3, 4 and 5 bedrooms and available for personalization as well. An interesting note here is that the BBC rated the schools in Gloucestershire very high, you can see the ratings here.

Rowallan Castle – Kilmaurs (KA3) new homes by Charles Church – these start at £499,000, so interested buyers will have to be upwardly mobile or set for sure. However, the video above shows why these may be some of the best deals for the price in this region of the UK. Not for everyone certainly, these low maintenance upscale houses are good investment for owners who want a bit of land withing a stone’s throw of some wonderful outdoor activities.

Kingston Mills, The Island, Bradford-on-Avon

Kingston Mills - Bradford-on-Avon (BA15) – new homes by Linden Homes starting at £269,995. Choose either apartments or full fledged homes by this developer. These have to be the most picturesque of the new development homes so far in the report. Situated at riverside the historic town centre of Bradford on Avon makes a wonderful setting for any family or single’s living fantasy. Two hours by train from London, these value priced residences are just far enough away to be truly in the countryside, yet close enough to be really convenient.

Black Lamb House

Beaminster, Dorset – 6 bedrooms in the country – £1,300,000 by Strutt & Parker. For those a little bit more endowed with prosperity, this estate offers country living with fantastic views of over the Ouse Valley. 4188 sq.ft. and 1.25 acres of land go with this 18th Century manor. This is interesting of course, only for those not having to have a new built home experience.

So, for those readers among you interested in further research into the market, Property Price Advice and other online resources will serve you well. Articles at the Telegraph and the Guardian also contain good trend information, and we try and keep updated on the UK and world markets as well.

Overlook – courtesy Battersea Power Station Development Company (“BPSDC”)

The news tell of what will be the last riverside development in the city, an enormous project now selling the first phase known as Circus West. Agents will now be selling units to the Singapore and Hong Kong markets, according the news from Jones Lang LaSalle.

Residential and Development Director for the firm, Peter Murray, had this to say about the appointment of his company:

“We are thrilled to be associated with such a high profile and exciting iconic development and anticipate the development to be received with enormous success.”

The development will contain one, two, and three bedroom apartments, as well as; offices, shops, leisure and hospitality venues, not to mention some exclusive penthouses. The property’s design firm, Ian Simpson Architects and de Ryke Marsh Morgan (dRMM), have created smart architectural lines and function that will go from £338,000 for the studio apartments and range all the way up to £894,000 for a three bedroom apartments. The units are expected to be occupied some time in 2016. The image below shows a nice conceptualization of a part of the development.

The first phase of the project, eight core buildings to the West of the 39 acre site, will be complete sometime this year. The opening of these is slated to come along at the same time Europe’s largest brick building, Grade II listed Power Station’s renovation is complete. For those who do not know, this is the largest surviving example of Art Deco architecture in the world.

Extending the neighborhoods of Kensington and Chelsea, this vast and exclusive new neighborhood really transforms an industrial age unsustainable relic into homes and a community for the future. For those who talk about renewed developments, clearly this engaging new plan is a step above. With its own stage one station connecting Heathrow and Gatwick, boutique shopping galore, and a myriad outdoor and indoor entertainment array, it’s no wonder International sales teams were formed.

Those interested should visit the various websites mentioned, or connect via Twitter @Battersea_ICON with the developers.

The video below shows the vision.

For the month of October the average seller asking price jumped some 3.5% (+£8,310). This was the largest increase in the last eight months according to the report. Reversing a price lull after London 2012, the October figures may indicate the market is not so negative as previously believed. However, Rightmove research goes on to suggest just a few segments are responsible for the trend.

Also, despite the positive news there is little reason to assume buyers will actually pay the higher price.

Data courtesy RightMove

Miles Shipside, director and housing market analyst at Rightmove, had this to add:

“This month’s jump of more than £8,000 in asking prices is partly an anticipated bounce after the Olympic-induced activity doldrums, though with all regions seeing increases it also provides evidence of some life in the market. The prospect of a few active selling weeks before the winter slowdown means estate agents are keen to attract fresh stock to try and land more buyers. However, this stock-building could backfire if they agree to over-ambitious pricing to please a seller, as it could curb a potential buyer’s enthusiasm to arrange a viewing if the over-priced alarm bell starts ringing.”

As a snapshot, the London areas of Kensington and Chelsea saw nearly 10% increase in monthly prices according to the research. Meanwhile Camden’s yearly increase in prices totaled some 14.7%. Again, prices do not necessarily indicate ultimate sales realizations, but the anticipation of a higher price is indicative.

Rightmove’s House Price Index is the most up-to-date monthly sample of asking prices in the UK. It monitors changes in prices annually and monthly to provide an overall comprehensive view of the market in England and in Wales. Overall, this news from Rightmove is highly positive as an indicator of potential, at least.

For those interested, the Rightmove study can be reviewed via this PDF.

Raising cash in the UK can be a big hurdle these days – photo courtesy © Sean Gladwell – Fotolia.com

1. Explore your options of raising cash.There are many ways to cut down your monthly outgoings and ways to help you raise that cash you need for buying a house. You need to firstly consider what you are willing to sacrifice in order to raise the cash. If you’re a big fan of holidaying abroad or you tend to splash out on gadgets, it might be worth giving up the new gadgets (and selling the old ones) to raise cash, or putting off your holidays for a couple of years and saving the cash instead.
   Consider also, your living conditions. If you live in a rented accommodation in a city as a couple – why not look into renting a room in a house share, instead of having your own flat? It could cut down your monthly rent and utilities bills by more than half! It’s only something you’d need to do short-term while you save, and you’ll have a fantastic new life to look forward to when you’ve got your new house.
   Another living option is moving back in with your parents. If your parents will have you back home and if there is room, why not live rent free there for a few months? It’s not for everyone, but it could save you huge amounts of money in a short period of time.
2. Cut the cost of your utilities and food billsAn easy way to save little amounts of money would be to cut the cost on little items such as food bills, television bills and travel bills. Try biking to work instead of paying for petrol, try shopping at bargain markets instead of big chain supermarkets and try lowering your television and internet package and save there.
3. Improve your credit rating

One thing you really need to think about when planning to buy your house is the effect of your credit rating. To improve your credit ratings, you need to concentrate on clearing any debts or loans (but don’t worry too much if you only have a student loan, as this won’t overly affect your credit rating). Head into your bank to get some advice on the best ways of managing your finances and hopefully they’ll be able to point you in the right direction. Sometimes doing something as simple as closing an unused account can hugely improve your rating – so it’s always worth enquiring and making sure you’re looking in the right places.

In the breathtakingly beautiful area of Rhondda Valley, Wales, a three bedroom home with a terrace can be sold for as little as £25,000. Other homes in the areas of Mountain Ash, Trebanog and Cwmparc were all priced under £30,000. The Rhondda Valley area is most famous for its historical ties to the coal mining industry and the affects the closing of the pits had on the high unemployment rate in the 1990’s.

Liverpool courtesy © Alex Yeung - Fotolia.com

Liverpool

Liverpool is not only the well-known artistic and musical ancestry to the Beetles and Cilla Black, it also has an abundant supply of moderately priced three bedroom homes. Believe it or not attractive homes for sale in the Liverpool area can be bought for as little as £30,000 to £35,000.

Not only can you get a cheap house in Liverpool, it has been metamorphosed recently into one of the UK’s leading business locations by an enthusiastic transformation program.

Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent is famous for the various potteries that evolved throughout the town, starting with the 17th century and beyond. Some of the more notable china manufacturers include Wedgwood, Royal Doulton and Minton. The potteries along with the copious amounts of local supplies of iron and coal guaranteed the wealth of the area for centuries to come. However, with the closing of the pits and the loss of steelworks and factories, there has been a sharp increase in the unemployment rate. Currently, the local tourism industry has become quite popular and various attractions like the china works and the canal system garner quite a few visitors to the region annually.

A home with three bedrooms, in the Potteries area, can be purchased for as low as £35,000 to £45,000.

Wakefield, West Yorkshire

Next on our list is Wakefield where a typical three bedroom homes can be purchased for between £30,000 to £40,000!

Wakefield, once the site of battle during the Wars of the Roses, has seen numerous developments over the past centuries. Its achievements include becoming an inland port on the River Calder, reputable town market and centre for wool. However, in recent years, Wakefield has seen a decrease in wealth as the glass and textile factories experienced closings in the 1970’s and 1980’s. It has suffered a high unemployment rate, due to the pit closures also.

Newcastle – upon-Tyne

Three bedroom homes in the Newcastle upon-Tynearea of Tyne & Wear are abundant and can be purchased between the £30,000 and £40,000 range. This area became one of the world’s biggest ship-building and ship-repairing regions, since the development of the port in the 16th century. However, in today’s market, the industries have experienced a severe decline. Fear not though as currently, Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a vast business and cultural centre, with a festive and vibrant nightlife.

Written by FirespinJay a property writer from London UK for My Online Estate Agent is one of the UK’s leading online estate agents. If you’re looking to sell or let a house and want to save thousands in estate agent commission fees then why not check out My Online Estate Agent.

UK Home Courtesy MorgueFile.com

If it’s a bad time to be selling, it’s usually a good time to be buying, and if you have the money to spare in these leaner economic times, there are bargains to be had. However, at odds with the potential for great savings in the short-term is the fact that under no circumstances should you ever purchase a second home on a whim or without significant prior research and preparation. If you’re unsure about whether to buy a second home, this guide is for you.

Why are you buying?

Perhaps the most obvious reason for buying a second home is to have a place away from home that you can visit to escape your first home. The typical second home buyer is the rat-race running worker in the capital who escapes at the weekends to a quiet, picturesque village.

Of course, there are plenty of other decent reasons for buying more property. Among them is the investment opportunity of the property: buying a home and renovating it in an area with great growth potential. Alternatively, you could buy and property and rent it out to either a long-term tenant or to people who want to have a vacation in the area. And of course, mixing and matching these approaches can mean that you get the most money and enjoyment out of your investment.

Where are you buying?

In depth research of the housing market will be essential if you want to get the most out of a property investment. The task of purchasing a holiday home is somewhat less complex, but no less important. As previously mentioned, there are definite trends in where people in the UK (and abroad) buy their second homes. But under no circumstances should you follow the herd if you haven’t actually been to the place.

You’ll want to get the most out of a second home property if you’re using it for holidaying. If you manage to buy in a place you just plainly don’t enjoy, you’ve wasted significant time and money. Holiday in the area, preferably in the same village. Obtain pictures of the property you are interested in during different seasons, so you can get a good idea how nice the area is when there isn’t plenty of sun.

You’ll also want to have travelled between your home and your potential new property: nothing kills your enthusiasm for a lovely little cottage quite like a five hour drive through hills and unlit country roads. The bottom line is that you have a the time and a roof over your head to consider getting a property. Think about it for a good three months, and if you’re still enthusiastic about the investment, and you’ve calculated the financial implications, it’s time to buy.

What Do I Have To Do To Buy?

As a first home owner, you won’t need telling that buying property isn’t simply a case of paying the asking price. But the complexities of owning a second home won’t necessarily be familiar to you. You’ll almost certainly need to take out a mortgage on this home, and in doing so, you will have to declare any loans or borrowings you are already committed to paying off:  clearly, if you don’t have a large income and you’re under the cloud of a large mortgage on your first home, your second home dream is simply never going to happen. However, second home mortgages and their associated repayment plans are specifically targeted towards people who’re tackling multiple investments, so it’s always worth investigation.

Securing, maintaining and insuring your home also comes with its own unique challenges. Even if you’re diligently visiting your second property to get the most out of it, you’ll probably still find paintwork peeling, gutters and plumbing blocking, the roof coming loose and plants overgrowing as time wears on. Security and insurance come up against your absence too – it’s essential to have comprehensive second home house insurance that protects you fully when you’re not resident in the property, and without requiring constant visits from a neighbour or other strict security requirements.

Remember, that you will have to account for earnings on the property if you’re renting. If you’re selling, it’s also important to note that Capital gains tax is 40 percent on second homes. Allowances can reduce the impact of this somewhat, but it’s a hurdle to leap over if you’re buying to renovate and sell.

Steph Wood dreams of owning a second home and writes for Schofields Ltd, a UK based second home specialist.

Image source, MorgueFile.com

Thatcher's "right to buy" scheme was incredibly popular in the 1980s. Image courtesy BBC Radio 4

The government wants to encourage current tenants to buy their own homes, and all proceeds from the sale of social housing will go directly towards building new homes in the area. It is hoped this could result in as many as 100,000 new homes being built which would create 200,000 new jobs. The discounts offered to tenants could be as much as 50%.

The original scheme was extremely popular as it offered tenants discounts of up to 60%, encouraging some 2 million tenants to buy their homes between 1980 and 1998. Although it was never actually discontinued the level of discounts was capped by John Prescott during the Labour government, and just 3,690 homes were sold in 2010 under the scheme. The new scheme will also include limits to ensure tenants living in fashionable areas cannot become millionaires overnight through purchasing their home.

Local authorities will be obliged to replace every home sold with a brand-new property. Additional measures to be announced by the government include the release of thousands of acres of publicly owned land for new building in an effort to help the construction industry, as house building is now at its lowest level since the 1920s.

It is expected this scheme will help improve availability and affordability within the housing market, especially as developers will not need to purchase the land before building, but will be able to repay land costs once the homes have been sold. An estimated around 7,000 acres of land will be involved in the scheme, most of which has already been developed.

Sue Warwick, National Head of Sales and Marketing for Miller Homes has decided to experience sleeping rough for herself after a number of reports show Britain is on the edge of the worst housing shortage since World War II. Just 130,000 new homes are being built a year, which is considerably less than the predicted requirement of 280,000.

Britain's housing crisis is almost as bad as it was at the end of WWII © elavuk81 - Fotolia.com

A recent report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) found Britain needs 750,000 new homes by 2025 in order to cope with the expanding population. However lack of planning policy, consumer confidence and mortgage supply has meant the building programme has more or less ground to a halt, and it’s expected that the full effects will be felt during the next few years.
Miller Homes think the housing shortage is merely the tip of the iceberg, and predicts that many Britons will feel the effect of the problem before the beginning of the next decade. One of the effects of the housing shortage is that house prices could reach an all-time high by 2015.

Sue Warwick commented “We are in a position where we have more households than houses. This is a dreadful situation, and one that could have been avoided as we now stare down the barrel at the worst housing shortage this country has seen since World War II.”

Miller Homes involvement with this fundraiser comes within weeks of the government announcement that planning laws are to be simplified, but 60,000 new homes are needed per quarter to meet the current shortfall in demand.

Sue went on to say “We strongly believe that everybody deserves to own a place they can call home, and the government needs to ensure that future generations are able to afford what is wrongly now seen as a privilege rather than a right. We must get to grips with the demand for housing before it is too late.”

Sue will be sleeping out in London’s Exchange Square in the heart of the city on 10th of November, as part of an event hosted by Centrepoint, the national charity which aims to help homeless people have a future. If you are interested in supporting Sue’s fundraiser, visit her JustGiving page. You can also find more information on Miller Homes website.