Happy New Year readers. We would like to use this blog post to wish all our readers a happy and prosperous 2013. Last year saw housing issues frequently being addressed in a variety of sources including the autumn statement and the 2011 census results. Our blog gives us an opportunity to bring you the latest housing news on a national and local scale as well as helpful housing tips.
We endeavour to deliver a first class service to all our customers and our humble little blog provides us with yet another means of communication. 2013 will no doubt bring a great many developments to all areas of UK housing and with the help of our blog we can keep our readers up to date with issues that matter. Check back here every week for our latest blog post and don’t forget to leave a comment. Once again: Happy New Year readers.
We thought, seeing as today is Christmas Day, we’d give our readers a little present in a list of some of our favourite Lit up houses from around the world. Have a Merry Christmas, enjoy the list and let us know how you’re Christmas went!
Last week saw the statistics of the 2011 Census revealed to the general public. The census covers almost every facet of life in modern Britain and, taken every ten years, provides key insights into the way the countries that make up the UK are evolving as time passes by. Housing is a part of the variety of topics covered by the Census, and so we thought we’d use this blog as an opportunity to share some of the findings concerning the UK rental market.
The Census finally put some figures alongside the ‘Generation Rent’ label, as it was revealed that the proportion of households renting privately has almost doubled from 1.9 million in 2001 to 3.6 million in 2011. The number of households with a mortgage has dropped from 8.4 million to 7.6 million, and overall home ownership also fell from 69% to 64%. Renting was especially popular in inner London where more households rented privately than had mortgages.
Housing continues to be one of the key issues in the collective consciousness of the UK. The sector is amidst turbulent times and keeping up with the latest developments can be tricky. We always try and bring you the latest key issues here at our blog but if you would like more information please feel to get in touch with us at:
Winter has really begun to make it’s presence known now. It’s getting very cold and it probably won’t be long until snow starts falling across the country, grinding everything to a halt as usual. We thought we’d take this opportunity to brief our landlords on the potential damage that can be caused to properties in Winter.
Empty Properties and the Cold If your tenants are going to be away for the Christmas holidays make sure that the heating is set up to deal with the cold. Freezing weather can lead to burst pipes, a devastating side effect of the cold water in the pipes expanding as it freezes. Draining the entire system removes any chance of frozen water but can be time consuming. Placing the heating on to a ‘frost’ setting ensures water remains circulating within the pipes enough to avoid freezing. Leaving the heating on as normal can be costly but can eliminate the risk of water freezing and mould forming.
Strong Winds and Snow Strong winds will almost certainly be sweeping across the UK at some point this winter, and to an unprepared household they can present a major threat. Tiles can be blown away leading to leaky roofs. Snow can settle in uncleared gutters, and left to sit, can place a great deal of stress on the guttering.
There can be no guarantee that your property will not be damaged by winter weather, but taking heed of these precautions will significantly decrease the likelihood of damage. For more information on ensuring your property is ready for the winter weather please feel free to contact us at the following address: http://www.lettsliving.com/contact_details.php
Tomorrow The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne will announce his plans for the UK economy, in his autumn statement. The statement, an annual fixture in the political calendar, will allow the chancellor to share the most recent economic forecasts and plans for the UK with the public.
The statement will cover all sectors of the UK economy including housing. The housing sector is certainly a high priority fixture in the UK economy and it is highly likely that it will be addressed in tomorrow’s statement. Recently the Guardian’s Housing Network Blog covered what housing can expect from the autumn statement, and we thought we’d share some of their predictions with our readers.
The report is expected to follow up on the £10bn of guarantees to support investment in both new affordable and private rented homes. Universal credit, housing investment, reduced spending on welfare and measures to tackle rising homelessness are all also likely to be included.
Gavin Smart, writer of the blog claims “the key test will be the degree to which government can hit two competing targets simultaneously. The first: the need to put in place the necessary reforms to see the fundamental reform of our dysfunctional housing system. The second: to find measures that can have an impact now on our failing housing system.”
Here at Letts Living we are always sure to keep up to date with the latest housing developments to ensure we provide you with an up to date and informed service. For more information on the services we provide please see visit our website: http://www.lettsliving.com/
Ahead of the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s Autumn Statement, the National Housing Federation (NHF) has created a five point plan for economic growth through housing.
The autumn statement, due December 5th, outlines the state of public finances and details the government’s plans to stimulate economic growth. The National Housing Federation believes that housing has the potential to stimulate growth within the UK economy. Because of this belief in the potential of housing, the NHF has developed a five point plan for growth that they are currently lobbying Ministers to back.
We always like to keep up to date with the big developments in the housing world and so we thought we’d share with our readers the five point plan of the NHF.
1. Rapid release of small sites for development 2. Provide certainty on its long-term plans for supporting social housing by extending the current formula for social rent until 2020 3. Reduce the VAT rate to 5% for services provided to housing associations for the renovation of social housing 4. Supporting local investment for the development of new homes by raising the local authority debt cap 5. Welfare reform that supports new development
Don’t forget to check back here for the latest housing news and leave a comment with your thoughts on the plan.
The Association of Residential Landlords has recently issued warnings to tenants to be on the alert for rogue letting agents.
The ARLA promotes a set of standards amongst the landlords that have joined the association. The official website of the association claims that “Membership is achieved only by agents who demonstrate that they have a thorough knowledge of their profession and that they conduct their business according to current best management practice.”
Unfortunately for those who are legitimate members of ARLA there are landlords operating under false certifications. Would be tenants are warned of fake or near meaningless logos and professional credentials being touted by rogue landlords. ARLA further advises prospective tenants to be wary of agents who refuse full viewing and inspection of the property they are offering.
Here at Letts Living, not only are we answerable to the ARLA, we also answer to both the NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents); and the OEA (Ombudsman for Estate Agents). We believe that being answerable to all the main bodies governing residential estate agency provides our customers with absolute peace of mind. To learn more about our beliefs and service visit us here: http://lettsliving.com/SITEUPGRADE/ep6.php
