Many homeowners dream of walking out the door to a thick, lush, green lawn. That doesn’t just happen on its own, though. You’ll need to invest some time and resources into growing that healthy landscape. Here are five tips to help you get started in the right direction. Continue Reading
Why do machines need calibrating or servicing regularly to keep them in peak working condition? In order to operate at their optimum performance level, machines must be calibrated periodically. The process of calibration makes the machine more reliable and efficient so it will perform at its best even under various conditions. Continue Reading
Property disputes are one of the most common types of disputes that end up in court. There are many reasons as to why these types of disputes occur and when they do, it is important that both parties be prepared to present their case in court and work towards a mutually acceptable solution. Here is a look at some of the most common disputes people face with respect to property ownership disputes. Continue Reading
If money was not an object what would your perfect kitchen look like? Would you want to have a rustic farmhouse kitchen look or the clean and clinical modern appliance filled paradise that we see on TV? Continue Reading
The government launched a new Help to Buy Scheme in April 2021. This scheme, not too dissimilar to the last version, aims to help first-time buyers in England to step onto the property ladder and purchase their first home. The scheme offers equity loans on new-build homes, although the property prices are capped and are based on average house prices in the buyer’s region.
What is an equity loan?
The government’s equity loan, which is granted as part of the Help to Buy scheme, is expected to be repaid. Anyone entering the scheme should also take the time to consider how they will make this repayment – perhaps by re-mortgaging, saving throughout the loan period or selling the property. The options for repayment are explained online as many people target help to buy redemption options.
How is the Help to Buy scheme going so far?
Whilst the scheme looks good on paper, questions have arisen as to whether it is working as well as it should, as analysis seems to suggest that there is a lack of eligible properties available. The situation in Tyne and Wear clearly demonstrates the problem. At the point of analysis, only 9% of listings in the area were new-builds, and of those, only 14% were within the Help to Buy price cap. This translated into 51 properties being eligible for Help to Buy across the whole of Tyne and Wear, which has over a million residents. In comparison, Merseyside showed 13% of listings to be new-builds and 71% were eligible, giving 476 properties to choose from.
What are the drawbacks?
A lack of availability is not only making it difficult to acquire a property under the scheme, but the imbalance in supply and demand is causing a house price increase. As the equity loan to be repaid is not what was borrowed but instead a percentage of the value of the property at redemption time, those buyers who are reaching their target help to buy redemption may find themselves further away than they expected. Pros and cons of the scheme are discussed online: https://www.nerdwallet.com/uk/mortgages/pros-and-cons-of-help-to-buy-schemes/
The scheme comes to an end in March 2023. It will be interesting at that point to see how many have benefited from it and what the impact has been on the housing market as a result. The analysis carried out in these early stages may cause the government to reconsider the scheme or potentially adjust the rules to enable it to be further-reaching and of wider benefit. Restricting the scheme to new-builds, for example, affects areas where there isn’t a great deal of new building occurring.
Perhaps you are preparing your house for a viewing or you dislike your house’s current appearance and want to make a change. There are several things you can do and simple changes you can make to improve your house’s appearance. Read on to find out what you can do. Continue Reading
If you have never owned a car before, it may seem that the benefits of a car immobiliser are somewhat trivial. After all, why would anybody wish to purchase a device that would cause them to pay extra money? However, there are a number of reasons why people need to consider getting an immobiliser, whether they have previously experienced car theft or not. For instance, if you want to reduce the amount of insurance you pay, many insurance providers offer special plans for vehicles fitted with additional safety features such as an immobiliser. For information on a Ghost Immobiliser, go to https://www.mphvehiclesolutions.co.uk/ghost-vehicle-security
If you own your own home, the days when you would be calling up your landlord to solve problems with the plumbing are long gone. Whether you are a new homeowner or you have been living in your home for many years, there are many plumbing tips for homeowners which you ought to always bear in mind. Plumbing is something that you cannot live without at any point of time. This is because it keeps your water clean and prevents any kind of accidents like leakages, burst pipes, etc. The most important part about the plumbing system in your house is the drainage system that helps your household to get rid of all kinds of harmful particles and liquids which are present in the pipes. Continue Reading
You may not think that an entire home improvement project is necessary, but if you’re improving the exterior, don’t forget the garage door! An updated exterior can add thousands to your property’s value, and it can help to improve the safety of the house and of the people living in it. Continue Reading
The septic tank is a static sewer, which requires certain interventions to maintain efficient operation. The septic tank is equipped with an inflow and outflow pipe. In particular, the latter favors the conveyance of the effluent towards a final destination. In very simple words, the waste, solids and liquids coming from the drains accumulate inside the septic tank. Continue Reading
If you are considering upgrading your boiler then this is why you need to know all you can about your home’s heating system. While it may seem like a simple task, most people neglect their boiler system until they have to deal with a problem such as a broken gas line, a faulty thermostat or unsatisfactory service. The last thing you want is to come home one day and be in the middle of an emergency situation because your boiler has not been tested for safety during the winter. This means that if you were to have a safety test conducted today you could ask Tewkesbury Boilers the Combi Man to have a look at it. Continue Reading
