After a busy Easter weekend, its starting to feel like the housing market is coming out of the doldrums and our main problem in the short term is not a shortage of buyers but not enough people (yet) deciding to move and put their property on the market. Maybe people are hesitating because they think …
2023 wasn’t the best year for the local housing market as higher mortgage rates impacted on how much our buyers could afford to pay, – even when they really liked a property. But this trend is levelling off now and whilst we’re not seeing a major uptick yet in achieved prices, it would be fair …
Its’s that time of year to review the year ending and to ponder the new one starting in January (named after Janus – the Roman god of transitions, doors and gateways who is usually depicted looking both backwards and forwards.) To use the football pundits cliché, 2023 for us has been a game of two …
There’s been lots of reports in the national press about house price falls and its only to be expected as mortgage rates have climbed to their highest for some years (although a number of major high street lenders have trimmed their rates back in the last couple of weeks). Locally it felt like we were …
As we recently marked the coronation of King Charles 3rd, we can reflect on how much our area was defined and coloured by the first King Charles and many other royals since. That influence is all over our locality – and all over our local names for streets and districts. The main effect Charles 1st …
The short answer to this question is if you live in a flat or a house built anytime up to 2000, then possibly there’s asbestos lurking somewhere. If your home was built from the 1950s to the 1980s then it’s actually quite likely. So as much of our local housing stock falls in these categories, …
For a few months now – ever since the infamous Truss/Kwarteng ‘mini budget’ last September, – housebuyers have been faced with increased costs on mortgages and have also been a bit nervous they might be purchasing in a weakening housing market. You couldn’t blame them when the media at the end of 2022 were full …
Continue reading “HOUSING MARKET TURNS A CORNER – OR DOES IT?”
For a few months now – ever since the infamous Truss/Kwarteng ‘mini budget’ last September, – housebuyers have been faced with increased costs on mortgages and have also been a bit nervous they might be purchasing in a weakening housing market. You can’t blame them when the media have been full of negative reports and …
We try to avoid talking shop in this column but recently there’s only been one recurring question everyone’s been asking me – are our house prices going to drop? I realise the subject might seem tone deaf when we’re all faced with many other issues and indeed many would welcome a drop in house prices …
Continue reading “Where is the housing market going in 2023 ?”
Christmas always seems to approach slowly… and then suddenly. The lights are up on Ham Parade and this Saturday December 3rd is the special Christmas Market! Ham Parade Market is run by the community for the community and takes place every first Saturday of the month between 10am and 2pm. The December 3rd Christmas Special …