Blogs

Prince Charles has warned that predicted house price rises for London are not sustainable and risk driving away young talent.

The Prince said the hope of home ownership for those starting their careers in the capital was becoming further and further out of reach. He was speaking as his organisation the Prince's Foundation for Building Community launched a report which suggested that mid-rise buildings could be the solution.

Addressing the Housing London Symposium, in east London, the prince said: "The National Housing Federation estimates that in only six years' time the average London house

Thinking about selling at auction or want to know how much your property might be worth at auction? We are now undertaking property valuations for entries into the next round of auctions of the year. So why not send us a few details about your property, and one of our auctioneers will give you a ring, to chat further about your requirements.

Selling a property by auction is easier than many people think, and the prices that we achieve are usually higher than expected too.  So if you are thinking about selling and your property might be suitable for auction (residential

Property auctioneer Auction House has announced it is expanding again this year, with the opening of a new auction room covering North Derbyshire.

The opening of the Chesterfield branch will take the brand’s total to 34 outlets across England, Scotland and Wales, and will trade as Auction House Copelands. The first sale for the new auction room is scheduled for April 30th.

The firm will also see the opening of a new Sheffield auction room; run by experienced auctioneer David Tate, holding its first sale on April 30th.

The expansion comes as Auction House reports sales were up by 9% at

Housebuilder Berkeley Group has said it expects to complete 30% more homes this year than during the 2007 market peak.

It has credited the government's Help to Buy scheme with boosting the property market and speeding up the number of new homes being built.

The firm's forecast comes shortly after the chancellor's decision to extend the equity loan scheme for new homes until 2020, in England at least. Shares in UK housebuilders rose sharply on the news on Monday.

An extra £6bn would be put into the English Help to Buy scheme, George Osborne said at the weekend, allowing a further 120,000 new

We like to share the insights from our auction partners, the latest being from Auction House Gloucestershire, who this week discussed one of their latest property challenges:

As property auctioneers we are asked to value all kinds of property for public and private sector clients. Recently we were called out to value some former public conveniences for South Gloucestershire Council. Located in Thornbury the building was disused and our client was looking to get maximum value out of this unwanted asset.

We recommended auction as the best method. For our client auction had the benefits of

Homeowners trying to sell their property should hide self-help manuals and novels like 50 Shades of Grey and display cookery books and Dickens instead, according to TV homes expert Sarah Beeny.

Along with the smell of freshly-baked bread and the sight of peeling paint, books can be as much of a help or hindrance to finding a prospective buyer for a home, said the presenter.

Homes should not have too many books to avoid “a chaotic feel”, according to Beeny. Too many also spoil the look of photos of the property and can make rooms seem smaller.

Booklovers with teeming shelves should consider

House prices are continuing to accelerate across the UK, according to the latest snapshot from the Halifax mortgage lender.

Its latest survey, for February, shows that prices rose by 2.4% last month, leaving them 7.9% higher than a year ago. That was the fastest annual pace of increase since October 2007 and means the average UK home now costs £179,872.

The Halifax said the pick-up was mainly due to better economic conditions.

"Several factors appear to have boosted demand, such as the improved economic outlook, unemployment falling faster than expected, improvements in consumer confidence and

Several posh lots are up for sale in Edward Mellor’s upcoming Auction  – including a property once owned by David Beckham.

The detached house on Hazelhurst Road, Worsley was home to Becks during his early years at Manchester United and boasts four bedrooms, spacious accommodation throughout and an Astroturf garden to the rear. Guided between £375,000 and £400,000, the price reflects that the property requires some cosmetic refurbishment.

There are 95 lots included in Edward Mellor and Roger Hannah’s commercial and residential property auction, which begins from 2pm on Wednesday 19th March at

BRITAIN’S biggest mortgage lender will pay the 1% stamp duty due on homes bought by first-time buyers, it announced this week.

The Halifax says its deal will save younger borrowers struggling to get on the housing ladder as much as £2,500. They will be returned the 1% payable on purchases between £125,001 and £250,000. The high street lender says the offer will “ease the burden” on first-time buyers taking a Halifax mortgage.

The move came as financial experts called on Chancellor George Osborne to reform the levy in this month’s Budget.

The average UK house price reached £250,000 in December

A former London Underground station, used as a World War Two command centre, has been sold for £53m.

Brompton Road station, near Harrods, was put on the market in September by the Ministry of Defence as part of cost-cutting efforts.

Opened in 1906, the Piccadilly Line station closed in 1934 when London Underground decided it was no longer financially viable. It is now expected to be used for residential development.

'Historic significance'

Defence minister Andrew Murrison said: "The Ministry of Defence is committed to selling off its surplus land and property in order to provide the best