Blogs

Are you interested in putting your property in to auction?

UK Auction List has teamed with some of the leading auction houses within the UK to help you put your property on the market. We aim to make the process as simple, straightforward and stress free for you as possible. There are a lots of advantages to putting your property into auction, with obviously speed of sale being the biggest factor - normally completion is within 28 days!

Simply visit our SELLING section http://www.ukauctionlist.com/selling/property-auction-enquiry-form (or click on the Selling box on our homepage) to

MSN today reported that local authorities will be able to help first-time buyers struggling to save a deposit get on to the property ladder under a new scheme.

The initiative is aimed at people who could afford monthly repayments on a 95% mortgage but do not have the big deposit that most lenders are currently demanding.

Under the scheme, local councils would step in and provide a security worth up to 20% of the property's value, which would be held with the lender and on which interest would be paid, enabling the buyer to qualify for a lower mortgage rate.

The individual would still

A few words of wisdom in the Sunday Times today to help those people thinking of buy to let...

Flat or house? flats do well in the cities,  but family homes are better in rural areas or near good schools.

Do I splash out on furnishing? generally, classier interiors means classier tenants - but don't go mad.

Should I manage it myself? this will save money - management fees are typically 8-15% of rent - but it means finding a tenant yourself and taking charge of repairs.

Do I need insurance? yes - not just buildings and contents, but cover for emergency repairs; landlord's liability

The National Homebuilding & Renovating Show, taking place at the NEC 24–27 March 2011, is now bigger than ever!

Meet over 500 of the UK’s leading self-build and renovation companies, see 1000’s of new products and services and attend one of the 64 free seminars or 48 specialist masterclasses, offering a fantastic opportunity to enjoy advice from the country’s leading experts. Pick up new ideas with more independent advice than ever before. No matter what stage you are at, how many projects you have done before, there is something for everyone. From budget to built, it’s all covered.

To

The Bank of England today announced it would be holding interest rates at 0.5% - marking a full two years since they were dropped to their current record-low level.

The decision came in spite of continued pressure to raise rates in order to combat high inflation. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 4% in January, and is widely expected to remain high for the rest of the year at least.

Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at (UK Auction List's partner) mortgage broker John Charcol, says: "I don't expect Bank Rate to rise before the second half of the year and, whilst a couple of 0.25%

There has been quite a discussion going on in the office today about how best to store books (interesting I know!) and now we thought we'd share some top tips to help you declutter and organise your bookcase!

1. Line the back of your bookcase with wallpaper or add a coat of paint that goes with your overall decor.
2. Separate your books by size and attractiveness. Consider storing uninteresting or unattractive titles in a less conspicuous area.
3. Choose books to group together in odd numbers. Add figurines, or items that are in collections or heirlooms. Round plaques, picture frames

We have had a very successful few days at auction, with a number of our properties selling above Guide Price.  If you're thinking about selling your property at auction, please give us a ring on 0845 0536906 or fill in our property enquiry form.  We work with the best in the business throughout the UK and helping you sell your property is our key priority!  Here's a note from one happy client who sold her property at auction in Yorkshire last week:

My experience of the services received from UK Auction List and Ryder & Dutton has been highly satisfactory. I found the process to be

Rents are continuing to rise rapidly in the face of strong tenant demand and a shortage of available properties, research has indicated.

A balance of 40% more surveyors reported increases in rents during the three months to the end of January, the highest level recorded by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors since it first began the survey in 1998.

The group said the ongoing problems in the mortgage market and the high deposits lenders demanded from borrowers, were preventing many people from becoming homeowners, leading to rapid growth in tenant demand since late 2009.

About

The Ideal Home Show, Britain’s best loved home event, returns to London’s Earls Court for its 103rd year.

The multi-award winning show brings together more than 600 quality exhibitors from all over the UK to offer a unique shopping experience for all areas of the home and includes ideal Interiors, ideal Home Improvements, ideal Gardens, ideal Gadgets, ideal Food, ideal Housewares, ideal Shopping and ideal Woman.

And if that’s not enough, the show is jam packed with celebrity guests, more features than ever before including the latest home gadgets, demonstration theatres, a live kitchen

Welcome to my first post on the UKAL blog. I’m an interior designer by profession, so I hope to offer you some insight into my commercial interiors world, as well as design and architecture in general.

There’s a glut of interior design and architecture exhibitions in the spring (wishful thinking, I know), only a few weeks ago I attended The Surface Design Show, and tomorrow I will be visiting for the first time Ecobuild at London’s Excel  – I shall let you know how it fairs, as the show looks fairly promising as a resource for residential interior designers.

Coming up in the next month