The Property Review

22/05/2015

Private sector rents across England and Wales have leapt to a new all-time high of £774 a month on average, according to a buy-to-let index.

20/05/2015

SCHOOLS CONTINUE TO DRIVE FAMILY HOUSE MARKET

Demand for town centre property is growing at an unprecedented rate with proximity to the school gates the preliminary deciding factor for both sales and lettings properties, according to Savills in Harpenden.

Bernadette Oliver, Head of Savills Harpenden Lettings, says: “Historically tenants have always been drawn to this area by the quality of the schools and at this time of year we usually see an upsurge in demand as tenants want to settle their families before the start of the new academic year in September. This year, with increasing competition to secure a place in a good school, we are finding that demand is being further catalysed by many local families who are willing to consider letting out their family home in order to rent a property closer to the school gates in the hope it will better improve their chances of securing a place at a local school.”

Within the sales market, the story is similar. Julian David, an Associate Director at Savills in Harpenden, says: “The town market has been extremely busy all year and demand has been further exacerbated by a lack of quality stock becoming available between £500,000 and £1 million. This typically tends to be the family house market and, because of the quality of schools, it is rare for property to become readily available. The demand is such that when something does come up for sale, we receive a high level of viewings and offers from competitive parties, often completing a sale within a small time frame and at or just above guide price if the property has initially been brought to the market at a realistic level.”

Roger Pollard, Head of Savills Home Counties Residential, adds: “On average, our stock levels are 10% lower than the same period last year. This goes some way to rationalising the pent up demand being seen in Harpenden and many of our other offices in and around the Home Counties. The result of the General Election ought to bring with it renewed political stability and economic confidence and we are hoping that we will see an increase in the quantity of high calibre stock at this level of the market place as the year progresses.”

19/05/2015

House prices surged by 9.6 year on year in March as the pace of annual growth in values accelerated across the majority of the UK, according to…

18/05/2015

The most AB residents are found in the City of London, with six out of ten falling into the category, but this area is considered a special case because so little of it is residential.

15/05/2015

St Albans District Council is planning to buy the lease to the King Offa pub in to redevelop the site as affordable housing.

13/05/2015

The election outcome is set to inject a fresh lease of life into the prime London housing market, which will ripple out to other parts of the…

21/04/2015

Weston, Hitchin, Hertfordshire £750,000

New to the market, Cowmead Cottage is a beautiful detached house, originally a woodman's cottage, situated in a peaceful, quiet location next to the parish church in Weston, Hertfordshire. The quintessentially English house enjoys a large plot of 1/3 of an acre with breathtaking rural views.

The house dates back to 1580 and part of it was a hay barn, it was the home of Sir Christopher Cockerell who invented the hovercraft. The property has a wealth of charm and character with exposed beams and fireplaces, complimented by a beautiful 23ft kitchen/breakfast room. There are two further reception rooms and three bedrooms upstairs. The property is in a conservation area and is not listed, with huge scope to extend.

To book your viewing please contact;

Satchells

8 High Street, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 6AR.
Sales: 01462 892041
Email: [email protected]
Email Lettings: [email protected]

08/04/2015

Prices of homes near a national supermarket store such as Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Marks and Spencer or the Co-operative are typically more…

26/03/2015

Situated in the ever popular Charrington Place development in Barcino house. This first floor apartment offers a wealth of features that makes…

18/03/2015

How has the Budget affected you? Good news for First Time Buyers.

Budget 2015: This one-page fact sheet provides information on the Help to Buy: ISA scheme for first-time buyers.

16/03/2015

Property of the week...

St Albans
A charming period Townhouse situated in a sought after location within St Albans, with the Town Centre, parks and highly regarded Schools as well as St Albans City and Abbey mainline stations both within a short walk . The property has been tastefully designed by the current owners, internally the property offers diverse accommodation over the three floors and there’s clever use of space in the basement offering multiple functions for the modern family. Outside is a beautiful courtyard garden leading onto a driveway which offers the bonus of having off street parking for up to two cars. On the market for £799,950 through Aubrey & Finn 01727 221290

11/03/2015

The Government's flagship Help to Buy housing scheme has helped more than 88,000 people buy a new home since its creation in 2013, the Treasury has…