Blogs

A senior economist has warned about the dangers of a house price bubble, following figures that show prices are surging.

In its latest monthly survey, Nationwide said prices across the UK are now 5.8% higher than this time a year ago. That figure is up from 5% only a month ago. Howard Archer, the chief UK economist with IHS Global Insight, warned that policymakers need to be vigilant.

"The acceleration in house prices...will fuel concern that we could be on our way to a new housing bubble," he said.

He added that the UK is "currently some way off from an overall housing market bubble", but

Protesters have taken over a London home billed as the "most expensive council house ever sold" which on Monday raised almost £3m for Southwark council after fierce bidding at an auction.

The price paid for the building, encompassing what were numbers 21 and 23 Park Street, Borough, was £710,000 above the £2.25m reserve price and enough to fund 20 new council homes in the inner-London area.

However, as the hammer came down, local housing campaigners were occupying the building to try to stop the sale. They said 25,000 people in the borough needed council homes and described the sale as part of

The sale of two former council homes today by the London Borough of Southwark is expected to draw in big bidders - and the cash will be plowed back into building new council properties.

The 200-year-old “Take Courage” building near Borough Market is set to sell for more than £2.3million at auction, according to Savills Auctions, which believes the property will be “the most expensive council home ever sold”.

Southwark Council took possession of the building on Park Street in the wake of the dissolution of the Greater London Council in 1986, and since has put it to use as part of his housing

Thinking about selling at auction? We are now undertaking property valuations for entries into the final round of auctions taking place this year.

There is no faster way of selling property. The process can take as little as six weeks from instructing us through to an exchange of contract. Depending on the agreed completion period, generally 20 working days, the full funds are available. Financial pressures, relocation or other time –related disposals can easily be accommodated within the parameters of a sale by auction.

So if you are thinking about selling and your property might be suitable

Another packed room of over 400 people saw Auction House power on to its best ever performance with a 90% sales success rate by the end of the auction raising over £3,000,000.

Demand for properties from “Buy to Let” Landlords was extremely strong with every property in that category selling with many considerably above the top guide price.

Properties to renovate were also in demand with a structurally damaged property at Bracken Edge in Leeds 8 selling at £91,500 from a guide of £15,000 to £25,000.

Family houses from Otley to Wakefield which had previously failed to sell with Estate Agents

Bristol and Edinburgh have been named as the two best places to live in the UK following a review of the nation's 12 largest cities.

According to the Quality of Living Index from MoneySuperMarket, adults residing in Bristol enjoy the highest quality of living, with the Scottish city taking the second spot.

The report considered how the enduring effect of the recent economic downturn has impacted the UK's biggest cities over the last 12 months, as well as various other factors such as activity in the housing market and the cost of renting property.

Financial matters, including disposable income

UK house prices have risen to a record level, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In August, the ONS's house price index stood at 185.8, surpassing its previous peak of 185.5 in January 2008. The average price of a house or flat in the UK is now £247,000, the ONS said, the highest figure since the index was first calculated in 1968.

The figures suggest house prices are rising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but still falling in Scotland.

Prices across the UK rose by 3.8% in the year to August 2013, up from 3.3% in July. However, excluding London and the South East -

The UK's housing boom ended in 2008 as the banking crisis and credit crunch bit.

In the subsequent years, sales and prices fell in most areas, leaving some people in negative equity. Many potential buyers found they were unable to get on to the ladder as risk-averse banks rationed their lending.

But 2013 has seen hints of a revival in the housing market, driven in part by signs of the return of first-time buyers. Transactions have risen but the number of homes for sale has failed to match demand in many areas, pushing up prices.

Annual increases are now at a level not seen for at least three

Whilst state agents operate the ‘bid-down’ private treaty conditional sales method, auctioneers use the ‘bid-up’ non-conditional approach to selling property.

Property types that typically benefit from the speed and certainty that the auction environment provides are:

•      Tenanted property – single AST, HMO and portfolios
•       Mixed use – commercial units with part residential
•       Development property – with or without planning consent
•       Development land – with or without planning consent
•       Amenity land – paddocks, woodland etc.
•       Ground rents – the freehold or

The freehold of Liverpool’s iconic Cavern Walks Shopping Centre together with seven floors of offices above and world famous music venue The Cavern Club will be offered at Allsop’s 16th October commercial auction at the Park Lane Hotel, W1.

The high profile lot situated close to the newly completed Liverpool One Retail and Leisure Scheme is expected to attract a wide range of investors due to its prominent city centre position within the Cavern Quarter. With a guide price of £1 million the lot represents significant investment potential.

The property is arranged over 10 floors with the lower