http://www.charnockbates.co.uk Corporate news feed containg press releases, newsletters, events and announcements. en-gb Copyright 2010 >Charnock Bates Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:33:41 GMT http://feedvalidator.org/docs/rss2.html Sandford MySiteCMS Corporate News info@charnockbates.com info@charnockbates.com 60 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/193 Thank goodness the world cup is all over and we can get back to business as normal and also stop receiving jokes to our mobile phones, such as Gerrard is better at club level in Ibiza than at international football. So who is Max? Some of you may have seen Max on television this week or alternatively his name proudly held by his father John Rawson during the world cup final. Max from Halifax is the son of John a friend of mine and I understand that Max is coping well with his new found fame. ]]> Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/194 Figures released yesterday by the Bank of England have shown that UK homeowners have increased the value of their stakes in their properties by £3.26bn in the first three months of 2010. This is primarily as a result of lenders demanding higher deposits from home buyers and higher repayments on existing mortgages. This is no bad thing as the higher this figure becomes then in theory, repossessions should become less likely. This, coupled with the proposal to stop self certified mortgages, can only contribute to a more stable housing and finance market. ]]> Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/195 Is there more to this statement than meets the eye? A recent survey has found that the highest value houses are to be found on a "Hill", where the average property value stands at £341,466 - well above the national average. Other names at the top of the list include "Lane", where average values are £328,378, "Mews" coming in at £294,869, "Park" at £283,069 and "Green" at £269,861 (I understand Green is becoming less popular after the world cup!). Conversely, at the other end of the league table are "Terrace" at £156,387 and "Street" at £155,515, whilst the most common name by far is "Road" with an average figure of £144,322. I have long been of the opinion that the name of your house or the street where you live, can have some impact on the value of your home due to public perception. For example "Wisteria Cottage" paints a completely different picture to "Gas Works Road"! ]]> Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/192 As Charnock Bates constantly thrive to be market leaders in promoting one of the most up to dates websites in the area, we are today launching an additional feature within our website for your personal benefit. By simply logging on to our website through the Personal Property Match Alert Button located on our website homepage (shown opposite), you are able to manage your very own property search requirements. All you need to do to register is provide your name and email address. You will then be able to personalise your search criteria in order to immediately receive details regarding new instructions and price reductions direct to your ipad, iphone or laptop. In this ever changing technological world speed is of the essence when accessing information. This new feature will enable this and will be of great benefit to purchasers. Moreover the chances of selling your home through Charnock Bates will be greatly improved as potential buyers will receive your property details promptly. We feel sure that our clients will appreciate this additional service. ]]> Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/189 In June the Nationwide Building Society stated that the average house price in the UK has risen only 0.1 % to a figure of £171,000 I find it quite unbelievable that as soon as there is a slowdown in the price rate increase in a month there are so called experts out there suggesting that the house market recovery is struggling. It amazes me that people have such short memories. Briefly, let's look at the facts. Over the last twelve months we have come out of recession and during 2010 we have had a change of Government, two budgets and a month of World Cup football. Bearing in mind all of these distractions to our economy over the last twelve months, I think it is impressive to achieve such a result, particularly when you consider house prices have risen by 3% in the first half 2010 according to the same source. So all in all the market place is not quite as bad as some people say, especially when taking into account the recent increase in properties coming to the market as a result of Home Information Packs being suspended. ]]> Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/190 Thank goodness the World Cup is all over at least for England anyway. Over the last two weeks I am sure we have all been football experts shouting at the television telling Fabio Capello which team to pick and which formation to use whether it should be a diamond or Christmas tree! How on earth anybody can do their job when they can hardly speak the language and when they do, the excuse for our poor performance is that the players are tired. Somehow I don't think our clients would accept this as an excuse as to why we weren't selling their houses! Moving on swiftly, it has been interesting over the last three weeks to see how the World Cup has affected the property market. Some areas of the country are reporting a slump in house sales of up to 26% in June but I think another valid reason for this is the extraordinary good weather that we have experienced over the past month. I feel quite sure that we can now expect home buyers to return to the housing market with a real conviction to secure their new property. They will certainly be more welcome than the England football team. ]]> Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/191 This week a survey has been revealed with regards to how doing improvements to your home can increase the value to your property. It is important to bear in mind that these improvements produce general results and are not relevant to all types of property. It is therefore important to receive specific advice on anything you are proposing to undertake to ascertain how it might affect the value of your own home. Nevertheless, here are the top five additions that have been reported as being worth consideration: an extra bedroom, a loft conversion, an extra bathroom, a new kitchen and central heating, in that order. My only comment in respect of this report is that these top five items can be quite expensive additions. There are much easier options that can add value to your home which are far more affordable for those sellers on a budget. The most important of these is without question the curb appeal of your property and in this respect I mean either landscaping or quite simply keeping up to the maintenance of the garden surrounding your property. Remember you may go into a shop because you like the window display or you like the appearance of the property itself. Selling and buying houses is no different! ]]> Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/186 This week's breaking news has very much a sporting theme to it with the commencement of the world cup today and England's rugby game against France tomorrow. So for all of you ladies out there, please be patient with all of us men over the next month. In respect of the world cup, two stories have taken my eye. The first one is that JP Morgan had predicted England to win the World Cup. You may wish to remember when considering such a possibility that JP Morgan had to be bailed out by the US Government for billions of dollars because of unanticipated losses in the lending market. Therefore, on the back of this performance, I think we can stop dreaming! The second story relates to the protection that is to be provided for our travellers whilst visiting South Africa to watch the World Cup. I immediately thought of policing and security but I was surprised to read that a group of Cape Town hoteliers will be distributing 160,000 free condoms to visiting World Cup guests. The reason for this is to promote safe sex in one of the world's highest HIV populations. It would therefore appear that during the next month there will be a lot of opportunities for our players to score both on and off the field! With regards to rugby I would like to congratulate Gareth Widdop who has received a call-up into the new England nineteen man squad for the match against France tomorrow. Gareth, twenty one, who is Halifax born, emigrated to Australia when he was sixteen and is the nephew of a very good friend of mine - Stephan Brearley. Good luck tomorrow Gareth. ]]> Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/187 It has been announced this week within a new Tory policy that back gardens are no longer going to be classified as Brown Field land. The immediate impact of this is that it will be much harder for developers to demolish family homes in large gardens and replace them with blocks of flats or high density housing developments. In my opinion this is a policy that should be congratulated. Garden grabbing should be stopped, thus enabling existing homes to enjoy the space within which they were built, instead of the land being given over to homes that huddle together in little hutches in former back gardens or on the sites of old gas works. Conservation of greenbelt/agricultural land should always be retained in its existing use wherever possible, but one must also remember that much of our wild life enjoys back gardens, many of which have been decimated over recent years. This move by the Government is a positive step to improve the environment in which we live as we don't all want to live in homes at high densities. I am quite sure that it is the preference of all of us to live in a property with some garden/ privacy and in order to do this, the Government now needs to look at loosening some of the restrictions on building in the countryside. This of course will take time to implement and will also need to be done carefully through the local planning system but this has to be the way forward in order to stop this overcrowding of town centres and the loss of many large old houses in substantial gardens which are not Listed. ]]> Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/188 Yesterday the bank rate was held at a record low of 0.5% yet again which remains at a historical low since March 2009. This was the sixteenth consecutive month that the rate had not changed which is not surprising bearing in mind that the emergency budget is less than two weeks away. Thankfully the rate has remained so low for so long as I believe that any increase, even a small one, could have a negative impact on the property market. But so far so good this year with sales remaining steady and prices remaining constant. The supply of new homes coming onto the market has also increased recently as a direct result of Home Information Packs being suspended. This sort of market activity would also appear to be being confirmed by the Lloyds Group who have stated that there has been a slight dip in prices in May whilst Nationwide state there has been a slight increase, so I think overall one can say that the market remains steady as the new Government finds its feet in Number 10. ]]> Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/183 As the weather starts to pick up and the England team land in South Africa, now is the time to begin our celebrations and possibly consider buying a property with a recently built indoor pool. Below we feature three such examples and would strongly recommend an internal viewing to fully appreciate the quality of the finish and the specification that is now available in the 21st Century. For further details regarding these or any of our other properties, please visit our website at www.charnockbates.co.uk ]]> Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/184 This week the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended introducing a minimum price per unit for alcohol which should be reviewed on a regular basis. Having worked in property now for over thirty years, which is by definition stress related, I can only imagine that such a proposal will not be welcome news in an industry where many of its employees quite simply get by with a bottle or three! Can somebody tell me why in this country the majority always seem to suffer for the minority's behaviour/actions? The root cause needs to be addressed - simply increasing prices will not stop the problem. In a garden, if one simply chops down the weeds they will continue to grow unless one kills the roots. Surely 'NICE' needs to start looking at the bigger picture. ]]> Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/180 Please forgive me for a moment of self indulgence but I cannot let this important event take place within my family without congratulating my Mother and Father ( both of whom are in their 80s) on their wedding anniversary for 60 years of being happily married on 27th May.Nancy and Dennis were married in Chester and met whilst my father was signed up for the army during the 2nd world war (though many thought he also served in the first world war).For those of you that know my father you will be aware that his eyes are not his strongest asset and as such was not never let loose on the enemy. My Mother has coped with him and his subscription to Sky Sports and FC Halifax Town and as such she deserves a medal for not only supporting him but raising two son's extremely well namely myself and Martin. Thank you so much to both of you and have a lovely anniversary weekend. ]]> Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/181 When I visit a property for the first time a question that many people ask me is what can I do to my property before I put it on the market for sale? There are many perceived answers to this question that include declutter, a new kitchen or bathroom or perhaps build a conservatory, but invariably what is more important than anything particularly at this time of the year, is that you ensure that the external of your property is clean and tidy. This includes quite simply the grass, planting out the borders and other ongoing repairs to the external of the house such as the clearing of the gutters or the painting of woodwork. Remember before you buy anything or even an item of clothing before you try it, it is the aesthetic appeal of that product that initially attracts the buyer. So, therefore, in this competitive world that we find ourselves in with many new houses coming to the market since home information packs were suspended, make sure your property stands out from the rest and possesses the all important kerb appeal. ]]> Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/182 After the opening of the new rail link from Halifax/ Brighouse direct to London, Calderdale is fast becoming one of the quickest areas of growth in the region and at the same time more accessible than ever before. Thanks to Grand Central the 'Golden Triangle' of Calderdale could be perceived to be the Calder Valley, Ryburn Valley and Norwood Green/Lightcliffe which are all area's possessing good quality housing with easy access to Leeds and Manchester and now the capital city itself London!! So my statement to all of you is that Calderdale is the future and the area to watch whether you presently live in the area of are currently contemplating your next place to reside. ]]> Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/171 There surely can be no way back for our Prime minister after such a major gaffe this week. As MP's are always under the public spotlight it is inevitable that situations will arise that are embarrassing. However the one this week is surely equivalent to the gaffe made by ex football manager/ commentator Ron Atkinson which was directed towards a French coloured footballer. Needless to say he immediately lost his job. This week we have experienced Gordon Brown and as such how can anyone possibly recover from such an embarrassing moment. I am sorry but surely sorry is not enough. One could understand John "two jabs" Prescott for punching a farmer when he took exception to being egged many years ago but I am afraid that on this occasion Mr Brown, words speak larger than actions! ]]> Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/172 According to Nationwide's latest house price index prices have increased by 1% month on month in April and whilst there are many that would see this as an opportunity to talk the market up - I do not! This figure is merely attributable to the fact that house prices have started to recover from very low levels due simply to the lack of supply and demand. With many imponderables still evident within our economy such an increase should be taken with a pinch of salt. This is because as a result of the General Election there could be an immediate down turn in the economy. It would appear that the UK electorate are very unsure of themselves at the moment and in circumstances like this, this can invariably transfer into the economy. Therefore, I am quite sure that the market place will now stabilise throughout the year as further increases are unlikely due to this uncertainty. I also believe that any increases would not be healthy. Prices must remain competitive to enable a healthy vibrant property market where properties are selling within a reasonable period of time but at the same time ensuring that there are opportunities for first time buyers. ]]> Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/173 With our General Election this time becoming more like a presidential election in America it is interesting to see which celebs have taken sides with which parties, for the blues we have Sir Michael Cain, Take that and Kirsty Allsop, whilst for the reds an Elvis impersonator and Dr Who. For the Liberal Democrats there is Boy George, David Baddiel and Sadley Kate Winslett. I think David needs to have a word with Kate! ]]> Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/168 In many respects none of the parties go far enough within their manifestos to sufficiently help the construction industry. The Labour party has said that it will commit to building 50,000 new council homes over the next 5 years which doesn't even come close to reduce the five million people on the social housing waiting list. Meanwhile the Conservatives plan to abolish any form of targets and that new homes will be provided in local communities dependent upon supply and demand- which seems a common sense approach. Whilst our great saviour at the moment Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats is suggesting that there should be VAT on new homes thus impeding the expansion of much needed house building. The Liberal Democrat policy is negative and very much prohibits a way forward for our construction industry. It is policies such as the above that should not be forgotten on 6th May plus also don't forget it is the Conservatives that have categorically said they will abolish the very expensive and time wasting Home Information Pack! ]]> Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/169 In times of recession where the growth of a company is limited and profit growth is restricted, this then forces companies to look into saving costs with a view to moving forward. Unfortunately this sometimes means that jobs are at risk and unemployment grows. But surely what we should be concentrating on now is that the recession is over and as a result of this it is only a matter of time before economic growth continues year on year. As reported this week from upmarket fashion label Burbury to discount retailer Primark; from Tesco the UK's largest private employer to SAB Miller, the brewer of Peroni, the talk is now growth and investment rather than how to survive the recession. Whilst I feel sure that there will be some bad news throughout this year with the possibility of interest rates rising and economists remaining down beat, but whilst companies are investing like this it has to be good news for us all and ultimately the unemployment figure. ]]> Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/170 The mild weather has certainly brought many new instructions onto the market with at the same time many sales being agreed. It is only when I look at our figures year on year that I can fully appreciate just how the market has changed. For example all of the three properties pictured below have had sales agreed upon them during this week which is representative of confidence returning to the market and people's desire to live in a variety of different locations. In respect of new instructions this week I bring to your attention two superbly finished four bedroomed detached family homes on the Leeds side of Halifax and secondly two cottages one of which is ideal for conversion and the second being in the desirable village of Mill Bank. Both of these cottage would suit a professional couple. For further details see our main advert or visit www.charnockbates.com ]]> Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/165 After the first TV debate from the leaders of the main political parties you may still be a little confused about where to put your X in the forthcoming general election. Whilst is not my position to try and persuade you in any direction, I find the main parties' take on Home Information Packs very interesting and influential as to how the property market can operate in the future. If you have read my column before then you will no doubt be aware that before they came in I said they shouldn't come in, and ever since HIPs have been in, I have constantly said they should be abolished. I feel as strongly about this subject today as I have felt for some time. There are many reasons why I form this opinion, but of late this is mainly due to the fact that the marketplace disregards the document - that is if it is ever up to date. Having trawled through the main parties' manifestos, what I find interesting is that whilst the Labour Party have given us HIPs, as far as I can see they remain silent on this issue. Meanwhile, the Tories quite simply state they will abolish them and the Liberals are trying to do something a little bit different by stating that they are mindful to abolish them but retain the Energy Performance Certificate requirement for when a property comes onto the market. My position remains unchanged - let's just quite simply go back to how we were which would save us all an awful lot of time and money. ]]> Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/166 The bottom line is if the banks aren't making money then the chances of anybody else making money are much reduced. Hence the news that the banking giant JPMorgan Chase has just recorded bumper quarterly profits is like music to everybody's ears. As a result of this, on Wednesday evening, the FTSE 100 index rose to its highest level for 22 months since June 2008. Needless to say the results were just as positive on Wall Street, suggesting that the worst is possibly over in America, and signifying that the world's biggest economy is at last gaining pace. Whilst one could argue that the UK does not necessarily benefit directly from such results, one can certainly argue that indirectly we do! This feel good factor amongst the markets came at the same time as a report from the Council of Mortgage Lenders confirming that 12% more mortgages were taken out in February compared with the previous month. Year on year figures also provides us with positive reading as the market remains significantly stronger than a year ago, with 49% more borrowers taking out loans in February than in the same month last year. All in all, it's onwards and upwards as the market recovery continues. ]]> Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/167 The survey has reported that confidence is returning to the marketplace at a pace not seen since May 2007. This is in particular regard to the supply of property coming onto the market. Many agents are still reporting that enquiries and demand do not match with supply and as such it is expected that because of this, prices will remain static for some time with no noticeable increases to be seen for the foreseeable future. As I have said for some time, I think that this is a healthy market and any price increases would be detrimental to a long term market recovery. So therefore, with the first Stamp Duty holiday for first time buyers in two years for properties up to £250,000, this news can only be good news. ]]> Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/162 After a miserable start to the year with what must have been one of the worst winters that we have experienced for many years I cannot believe that we have already reached Easter. That said the weather conditions are certainly not been illustrative of the property market's recent performance. As Easter is upon us we are pleased to report that we have had a cracking March as the market place has resumed to normal service. This is also confirmed by recent statistics with recent price indices suggesting that there has been small increases in March whilst at the same time the land registry are also noting increases in sales transactions agreed. But even with these positive times I still continue to repeat that the market place is fragile, the prices are not increasing in West Yorkshire but have merely stabilised over the last twelve months. Having said all that, I consider that to be a positive prediction in which we all have a part to play in making it a feel 'Good Friday'. ]]> Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/163 It would appear that this subject is being used as one of the political tools in the run up to the general election. This was illustrated only last week with Alistair Darlings rather desperate attempt to pinch Peter to pay Paul in order to help first time buyers. What he did in my opinion was just merely meddle with what is yet another of our unfair taxes. Unfortunately in this country our taxation system always seems to be both politically and class driven when in fact what is the motivating factor with any tax is the fairness of that tax in respect of all parties. Therefore, who can argue with what is presently been proposed for a stamp duty change by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors which is in simple terms that stamp duty should be like income tax and be a marginal system. In other words only the full rate should be paid once a stamp duty threshold was crossed. For example, a house selling for £600,000 3% should be paid on the first £500,000 and then 4% on the difference only. This would seem to be fair and reasonable and let's just hope that the incoming government take note of professional property people at the RICS. ]]> Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/164 Whilst there are reports of inflation increasing slightly and the pound not performing particularly admirably in the currency market, it is still good to be able to report that money remains cheap as interest rates remain low but more importantly our gradual climb out of recession has recently been reported to be 0.4% growth. This figure is as a result of our performance during the quarter October- December but what is important is that this figure is higher than anticipated. I suppose we should be congratulating Gordon Brown for this, but personally I think it is our own resilience that has produced this figure as we are not prepared to lie down in difficult times. That said it is about time now that our banks started to speculate in order to accumulate after mortgage approvals in March have reportedly dropped for the third consecutive month. ]]> Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/159 In a budget that can only be described as a cheap, cleverly disguised policy full of tax increases, his performance was a clown-like attempt to punish those people that are working whilst trying to achieve votes from the people who are sitting on the fence. Throughout his budget, Alistair Darling was seen spinning plates, juggling balls and jumping through hoops before finally sitting down in glorified self admiration to receive a pat on the back from the big cat himself - Gordon Brown. This budget should not have been about politics and winning votes but about ensuring the majority of us contribute towards the mess that we are in. Why pick up on clever tax increasing schemes to raise money when surely what would be much more straightforward and easily more justifiable would be to increase VAT to 20% for everybody for example? This way we would all suffer, but we would all contribute! ]]> Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/160 With every piece of legislation, whether it be laws or rules, they are always open to interpretation and by pure definition, made to be broken. I think we would all agree that Alistair Darlings 'first time buyer' is ideally somebody between the ages of 18-30 who as yet has not purchased their first home. But what about grandparents that are currently returning from abroad who have always previously lived in rented accommodation in England - are they not first time buyers? What about the 50 year old couple who have just met and are living in rented accommodation - are they not first time buyers? Quite clearly, stamp duty exemption for first time buyers up to £250,000 is, I am sure, meant with the best will in the world, but surely it is quite apparent that this statement is very much open to interpretation. Nevermind, on the one hand I would applaud Alistair Darling for doing something positive for the property market, but why does he have to spoil himself and punish those people buying properties over a million pounds? Unfortunately many of our clients will suffer, though I am sure the name Alistair Darling is hardly flavour of the month south of Watford this week. ]]> Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.charnockbates.co.uk/news/newsview/161 With many economic indicators heading in the right direction such as inflation, unemployment and markets remaining steady, it would appear that the word recession is one of the past. However, as we all know, until our debt is addressed then things will really not improve. But the property market is proving to be resilient. A property research company this week has talked about improved market conditions, price increases and an encouraging number of householders willing to sell their properties as a result of this. The same company has also reported that sales have increased by 13% nationwide during the month of February. This is all good news, but we must not forget at the moment that these nationwide increases are very much led by London and the South East as the same research company has stated that Yorkshire and Humberside had seen a small reduction in prices in February by 0.1%. Whilst such a low figure cannot be quantified, what we should take note of is that in order to sell our property at the moment, we must be realistic within the market place that we operate. ]]>