Budget gets Britain building while record property prices get buyers buying

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom

In light of the news that average property asking prices in the UK have risen to a record high of £255,962 in March, according to Rightmove, the Chancellor’s 2014 budget announcement last week was eagerly awaited by all those with a stake in the UK’s property market.

Record price rises
The Rightmove data shows a month-on-month increase of 1.6% in the average asking price for properties within England and Wales, which represents a rise of 6.8% when compared with prices this time last year. Across the wider UK, figures from Halifax reported an average property price of £179,872 in February – 7.9% higher than a year earlier.

While the figures mean that many buyers have been priced out of the market and decided to rent instead, savvy investors have stepped in as buy-to-let landlords, choosing prime city centre investment properties for their high yields and excellent potential for capital growth. Buy-to-let investment properties are increasingly popular with both domestic and foreign investors, despite Chancellor Osborne’s Autumn Statement commitment last year that foreign investors in the UK property market will be subject to capital gains tax.

A cautious budget
The Chancellor reconfirmed the capital gains tax levy in his March 2014 budget announcement, as part of a cautious raft of measures designed to create an environment conducive to steady long-term growth in the UK’s property sector. The emphasis was on preventing the formation of a housing bubble.

The budget announcement included a number of other elements designed to assure the stable future of Britain’s housing market. The equity loans part of the Help to Buy Scheme, which government figures suggest has been responsible for the purchase of homes by 15,000 buyers since April 2013, was extended to 2020.

The Chancellor stated that a further 120,000 new homes would be built as a result of the extension of the Help to Buy Scheme – in addition to the 74,000 already scheduled to be built by March 2016. The budget also provided £500 million of additional funding to address the 15,000 housing units that have been stalled due to financing issues, helping to unlock the projects and get them moving again.

Getting Britain Building
The push to Get Britain Building is certainly timely, as demand across the UK property market continues to outstrip supply. This is one of the main drivers behind this spring’s record price rises. Leading property investment specialists Property Frontiers have been at the forefront of the initiative to increase Britain’s housing stock for some years. Chief Executive Ray Withers comments,

“The UK’s cities desperately need new, high quality housing developments in order to cope with expanding urban populations. Thriving economic hubs such as  Liverpool,  Birmingham  and  Bradford  continue to attract increasing numbers of young professionals and their families, resulting in a keen shortage of appropriate accommodation. Property Frontiers is proud to be offering high-end, new-build apartments to investors in all three of these fantastic locations.”

Property Frontiers’ investment opportunity in Birmingham is exactly the kind of development that the budget’s measures have been designed to promote. The studio, one and two bedroom apartments will be available from £95,000, with a pre-launch discount of 10% for those purchasing before 1 April 2014. Projected realistic yields of 9%, with developer underwrites available, mean that the properties are already proving extremely popular. Withers continues,

“It’s an exciting time for the UK housing market and the cautionary measures in the Chancellor’s budget are extremely welcome. Nobody wants to return to a boom and bust cycle; a stable fiscal background that enables investors to achieve high yields is the perfect environment.”

For more information on high yielding buy-to-let opportunities in Birmingham, Bradford and Liverpool,contact Property Frontiers today on +44 1865 202 700 or visit www.propertyfrontiers.com.

Property Inspector: Are there too many UK property portals?

by Georgina United Kingdom

TheMoveChannel.com´s Property Inspector. Taking a closer look at global real estate each month.

  •  Growing number of UK portals reflects UK housing market recovery
  • UK listings up 50% y-o-y on TheMoveChannel.com
  • “Hard to shake” the dominance of Rightmove and Zoopla
  • New portals “have to do something different”
  • Enquiries on TheMoveChannel.com up 23% y-o-y

The UK housing market is on the up. It´s no secret. Sales, lending and prices are all rising. The biggest sign that UK real estate is recovering, though, is the industry´s response: new property portals and estate agents are popping up all over the internet, from the announcement of easyProperty to even Poundland´s founder starting EstatesDirect.com.

At the top are Rightmove and Zoopla, enjoying rising traffic levels. As new agent-backed portals launch to combat the dominance of the big sites, TheMoveChannel.com´s podcast discusses the state of the UK property portal industry.

Are there too many portals? Will it ever be possible to end the dominance of the big websites?

We interview Ian Spencer, Marketing Manager of real estate lead generation specialists Lead Galaxy.

Click here to listen to the full investigation. An abridged transcript follows:

House prices are up. But is the biggest sign of the UK housing recovery the number of new portals and estate agents?
Yes. I think it´s important to remember these portals don´t appear overnight. Months of planning and swarovski sets discount development have gone into them – people noticed the recovery last year and started work, knowing that a year later they´d be even stronger. Certainly, the UK economy is going to be reflected by what happens in terms of online property portals.

Confidence among homeowners looking to sell is improving too. There is certainly a market for places to advertise…

A lot of sellers have held off. If you go back two years, you wouldn´t really have been thinking about selling your house. TheMoveChannel.com on its own has seen a 50% increase in UK property listings in the last year. It follows the trend of the economy and what´s happening out there – that´s only going to be reflected by the number of sites coming online helping people to sell.

Is it possible to have too many property portals?
You can have too many anything! That´s where the internet has shone through – if you had too many people doing the cheap Oakley sunglasses, Oakley goggles,Oakley ski goggles same thing on the high street, they would go out of business. Online, it´s unlimited.

With so many portals focussing on the UK, SEO competition for the first page of Google is bound to be high, isn´t it?
It´s going to be interesting to see how that pans out. You have to look at the top three at the moment – Zoopla, Rightmove and Prime Location – which dominate a phenomenal amount of the traffic and listings within Google. But if you´ve got the money, you can compete. That´s for sure.

Zoopla and Rightmove have both seen traffic climb in 2013. How dominant are they?
You have to bear in mind that even though they´re online, they have a massive offline campaign too. You see them on TV, in the majority of the estate agents they work with. Without the high street, there wouldn´t be that many listings on Rightmove.

Several agent-backed portals, such as Property Mutual and Agents´ Mutual, are launching with the aim of tackling what they perceive to be unfair market dominance. How easy is it to do that?

In terms of organic traffic, it´s going to be hard to shake what´s there at the moment. The ones that are launching in the coming months, we don´t know what they´re doing. Is there going to be a wealth of content? Are they going to do something new? New portals have to do something different, going back to our previous podcast about SEO. TheMoveChannel.com, for example, ranks well, but we´re 15 years old and we have a lot of different kinds of listings compared to other portals.

Agents´ Mutual has a rule that clients can only advertise on one other portal, which some have speculated will only increase the dominance of market-leading sites…

With about 1,000 listings that´s quite controllable but when they get to five or six million, how would you stop someone going elsewhere?
Look at it like this: if you had a magazine charging you a lot of money to get in front of a lot of people and another magazine charging you less to get in front of fewer people, which do you choose? Maybe some people feel aggrieved, but you pay to get results.

Will we ever see the death of high street estate agents?
Without the high street, there´s no Rightmove and there´s no Zoopla, if we´re being honest. The majority of the listings on those portals are from estate agents with a presence on the high street. There are some reports that say online estate agents will provide 60 per cent of those listings in a couple of years, but these are theories and guesses. I never see the end of the high street because there are always people who want to go in and talk to someone in person, especially for selling.

With so many portals and agents, is it better to focus on a niche sector or location?
There are two aspects. If you go for something niche, you´re going to have fewer people looking, so you might not get the figures you´re looking for but it might be easier to get in front of them.

The other option, like TheMoveChannel.com, is to be more comprehensive. Does that work?
Comprehensive, but well thought out and planned! Now, compared to this time last year, our enquiries are up 23 per cent, so having a wide range has worked. It goes back to the planning phase, changing to what your user wants. If you do that, you can go for a lot of things under one umbrella, but you´ve got to give people an easy way to find them, otherwise they´ll go somewhere else.

Does the future look bright for the property portal industry? Will there be more portals to come?Yes. And as competition comes along, new ideas come along and the audience grows. So if you´re looking to sell a house it´s going to get a bigger audience, and if you´re looking for a house, it´s going to be easier to find one.

Notes to Editors
Founded in 1999, TheMoveChannel.com is the leading independent website for international property, with more than 800,000 listings in over 100 countries around the world, marketed on behalf of agents, developers and private owners.

The website address ishttp://www.TheMoveChannel.com and the office address is 24 Jack’s Place, Corbet Place, Spitalfields, London, E1 6NN.
Contact Dan Johnson on 0207 952 7650 for further information.

Expat investors turn back to the UK, tempted by its buoyant buy-to-let market

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom

The UK buy-to-let market has been attracting an increasing amount of attention from investors both within the UK and overseas of late. Now, new data released by Lloyds Bank has revealed that even those Brits who’ve left the UK for a new life overseas have a strong appetite for investing in their former home’s buoyant buy-to-let sector.

Huge demand
Britain’s well-documented accommodation shortage has led to rapidly rising house prices and the substantial growth of the private rented sector, which accounts for some 3.9 million households across England and Wales, according to the CBRE Regional Letting Outlook.

Combined with the latest figures from the Move with Us rental index which show rental rises in nine of 11 regions in the UK in the third quarter of 2012, the buy-to-let market in Britain has rarely seemed more attractive – a fact which has not been lost on British expats.

Expat excitement

Although happy to remain overseas themselves, the newly released Lloyds Bank data shows that 38% of British expats who plan to buy a property within the next two years will be looking to rent it out as a means of income generation.

The research also showed that Britain topped the list of favoured countries when it came to where British expats are buying, with 25.8% choosing the UK. Richard Musty, Director, Lloyds Bank International Banking, explains,

“Confidence in the UK property market is very strong. Our recent Investor Sentiment Index in March showed that consumer sentiment for UK property had grown by 50 percentage points since March 2013, so it´s not a surprise that Brits abroad are looking back home.”

City focus
Within the UK, it is the cities that are attracting the most attention from buy-to-let investors, with urban areas such as Birmingham, Liverpool and Bradford leading the charge. Ray Withers, sector expert and Chief Executive of award-winning property investment company Property Frontiers, comments,

“There’s a huge amount of regeneration activity underway in some of Britain’s leading cities currently, which is having a significant increase on property prices and which will continue to do so over the coming years. Thus we are seeing cities such as Birmingham and Liverpool attracting buy-to-let investors – including a high number of expat investors – due to their strong rental potential and the longer-term attractions of capital growth.”

Investors’ choice
From off-plan buy-to-let opportunities such as Property Frontiers’ prime waterfront apartments in Liverpool (from £82,500 with 8.5% gross rental yield guaranteed in year one), to city centre dwellings such as their apartments in Birmingham (£104,500 with 7% NET annual return guaranteed), the range of buy-to-let investments available in the UK is impressive.

Since the Barker Review of Housing Supply report was issued over a decade ago, Britain has been building houses at an average rate of 95,000 homes per year fewer than projected need demanded. The result is that many young professionals and families have been priced out of the market, turning instead to the private rented sector to fulfil their accommodation requirements. With supply seemingly set to lag behind demand for years to come, it looks like the strength of the UK buy-to-let property asset class is unlikely to fade anytime soon.

Investors wishing to take advantage of a range of buy-to-let opportunities in the UK’s leading cities are invited to contact Property Frontiers or call +44 1865 202 700 for further details.

Millgate set to give new lease of life to Woolley Hall

Millgate set to give new lease of life to Woolley Hall

by Viv United Kingdom

Luxury homes builder Millgate has announced that it has acquired the magnificent Woolley Hall on the outskirts of Littlewick Green in Berkshire.

The house and land have a rich history that spans several centuries from their first mention dating back to the beginning of the 13th century. Over the years since then, Woolley Hall has passed from the hands of the Forester family through a fine selection of the British aristocracy.

The most recent notable to have resided in Woolley Hall was George Dunn, a bibliophile and keen student of palaeography and early printing. Dunn lived there from 1886 until his untimely death in 1912, aged just 47. Mr Dunn was an expert on no less than four different subjects: astronomy, arboriculture (the trees he planted are one of the hall’s fascinating and unique features), horology and antique books.

Throughout his life, Dunn built up an impressive library at Woolley Hall, collecting early English law books, medieval manuscripts, early printed editions and stamped bindings. He was one of the first British collectors to notice and preserve these artefacts, a tradition which Berkshire has proudly carried on since through its leading library service, which this month sees the popular LibraryFest 2014 event draw to a suitable close with World Book Night at West Berkshire’s Newbury and Theale Libraries.

No doubt Dunn would be proud to see his literary heritage carried on in such a way. After his death in 1912, Dunn’s library was broken up and sold off to collectors worldwide, realising over £30,000.

In his personal life, it was rumoured that poor George Dunn suffered from a broken heart; the story goes that on the morning before his wedding day, his bride-to-be ran off with his brother! The wedding breakfast, which was laid ready for the celebration, was left untouched for the remainder of his life in an eerie yet somehow fitting echo of that of Miss Havisham in Dickens’ Great Expectations.

But quite unlike the gloomy ending of Miss Havisham’s Satis House, Woolley Hall is having new life breathed into it.
Millgate’s plans for the Woolley Hall seek to quietly reflect and continue prolong the proud grandeur and tradition of the original buildings. The fabulous development will see Woolley Hall converted into luxury apartments, while the original stable block will be skilfully transformed into highly desirable mews houses. Within the grounds, a small selection of discreet, luxury country mansions will be added to complete the overall development.

Jonathan Cranley, Sales and Marketing Director for Millgate, comments,
“We are so excited here at Millgate to have been able to purchase this wonderful ancient estate. Turning this grand country seat and parkland into a selection of the finest homes will be one of the most exciting projects we have undertaken to date. The team is keen to get to work on such an energising project and to build some of the UK’s most stunning homes as part of the Woolley Estate legacy.”

For more details on the work to be undertaken at Woolley Hall contact Millgate on 0118 934 3344.

Luxury homes for green fingers: Celebrate RHS National Gardening Week with a Millgate mansion

by Viv United Kingdom

This week, 14th to 21st April is National Gardening Week. Launched three years ago by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), this annual event has grown into the country’s biggest celebration of gardening.

  • 14th – 21st April 2014 is RHS National Gardening Week
  • 2014 marks 50th anniversary of RHS Britain in Bloom
  • Millgate spend £240,000 on the gardens for Wargrave project

2014 also sees the RHS celebrating the 50th anniversary of RHS Britain in Bloom, the UK’s largest volunteering project which encourages anyone from a complete novice to a green-fingered expert to get involved and breathe life back into green spaces, neighbourhoods and communities all over the UK.

One business that does not need any encouragement to get their gardens in bloom is Millgate, the multi award-winning Berkshire based luxury homes developer. 

When Millgate complete on the purchase of a new development plot, the first aspect they start work on is the garden. Whilst one might expect developers to turn their attention to demolition and ground breaking to tee off any project, this is not Millgate’s style at all. Breaking with normal construction tradition Millgate turn their initial attention to the natural surrounds and how to maximise their appeal.

Matthew Brazier, Senior Sales Manager for Millgate, explains:
“Working on the landscaping at the early stage of a development pays enormous dividends later. As a priority we look at the established grounds of any development and then shape, tailor and update where necessary. This gives established plants the time they need to re-grow and shape as we want them prior to launch.

“Our award-winning garden contractor is Berkshire-based Treetop. We work with the experts to produce the landscape plans for planning submission with Treetop consulting closely with us at every stage, deciding together which existing mature trees, hedges and ornamental plants should be retained as well as where new flora will be introduced.

“The Millgate philosophy is simple; if someone is looking to buy a beautiful home then it must be set within a beautiful plot. Focusing on the landscaping from day one allows us the maximum amount of time for the foliage to flourish as desired resulting in stunning grounds well before the Show Home launch takes place. Aware that we will be working on the site for up to a year or sometimes longer, 25 years of construction experience has taught us some brilliant tricks of the trade, of which investing time in the garden early on is definitely one.”

Closer to launch Millgate introduce final planting to give the grounds that wow factor. This phase is common in the construction industry butMatthew Brazier explains what it is that sets Millgate apart:

“I have worked in residential industry for 10 years and yet I have never seen the level of attention, detail and funds that goes into a Millgate garden. For instance we had a recent project in Wargrave of small mews homes.  The external garden costs came to almost £240,000.  Needless to say the houses sold quickly!”

Sales and Marketing Director for Millgate,Jonathan Cranley, adds:
“At Millgate we work in hand in hand with Treetop who, like us, have a desire to stand out from the crowd. They understand what we want and they deliver exactly that; it makes our job so much easier when we have like-minded partnerships of this nature. Treetop have created numerous medal-winning gardens and attended at all the major RHS shows like Chelsea, Hampton Court Palace and Tatton Park, so there is no denying they are at the top of their game.”

The latest project that Treetop assisted Millgate on was a luxury development Trevereux, just outside Oxted. Here the gardeners were challenged by the houses sitting on the edge of an escarpment, meaning steep slopes down to stunning infinity pools with views stretching dozens of miles out to the South Downs.

Fiona Bruce, an RHS Chelsea Flower Show medal winner from Treetop, comments:
“Everyone was in awe of the views at Chart Ridge, Trevereux, they are completely stupendous but it was very challenging to work on this project due to the original gradient. With some careful terracing and sculpting of the land, it is now much easier to get about on. For privacy we planted six metre high Thujas (evergreen conifers), which had to be guyed and staked in place because of the slopes – and that was during the wettest winter for years, which was certainly challenging! We also planted specially grown trailing evergreens into the retaining terrace walls so that they would be green very quickly.”

Fiona goes on to explain how Treetop select plants for each individual development:
“We generally focus on low maintenance plants, as everyone has such busy lives. We also try to ensure that nearly everything is evergreen, partly to help reduce maintenance (no leaves falling in autumn) and partly to provide year-round colour and interest. We import many large specimen trees and shrubs from European growers to create an ´instant´ maturity to complement Millgate´s properties. It´s very important to make each garden as flexible as possible, since you don´t know whose garden it is going to be or for what purposes they will be using it. Very often we are asked by purchasers, after they have bought their new homes, to further develop their new gardens with them, which is a wonderful opportunity to take the landscaping to the next level.

For more information on Millgate and their wonderful gardens contact 0118 934 3344 or visit www.millgatehomes.co.uk. To talk to Fiona at Treetop contact 0118 934 4132.

Keeping the family together – forget a Google hangout, try a kitchen hangout!

by Viv United Kingdom

According to the latest Halifax Insurance Digital Home Index, 31% of 7-8 year olds now own a mobile phone, with the figure rising to 88% for 12-14 year olds. Meanwhile, the study found that 60% of parents are concerned that technology is fragmenting family time together.

  • Technology found to threaten family relationships (Halifax)
  • Resurgence of family values leads to promotion of the ‘kitchen hangout’ (Barton Wyatt)
  • Todays’ average child owns £924 worth of electronic devices (Halifax)

The worrisome report goes on to say that today’s average child owns some £924 worth of electronic devices, with 33% checking their phone for messages several times every hour. 64% of children also admit to using their devices in bed, including mobile phones (30%) and tablets (19%). The findings have raised concerns amongst parents that their offspring are finding it increasingly difficult to switch off and rest properly at the end of the day.

Estate agent James Wyatt holds some strong views on the subject:

“I have three children of my own, all approaching their teens, and fighting the technology war is like taking on your own version of ‘Game of Thrones’! You end up battling with your children instead of nurturing them, which is obviously what any parent really wants to achieve.”

Wyatt is Partner of leading estate agent Barton Wyatt, based in the millionaire paradise of Virginia Water. He is also the Chairman of the Surrey division of the NAEA and feels that homebuilders should be taking a more positive role in keeping the family unit together when constructing new properties. He is not alone in his views and has been pleased to witness the recent resurgence of family values in Surrey where Barton Wyatt is based.

“Creating the correct environment in the home is the key to family cohesion and happiness” believes James. “In the homes I have built for my family, I create welcoming and child-friendly kitchen hangouts, providing an alternative to the solitary ‘Google hangout’ of their bedrooms.

“Local developers too have embraced this idea. We’ve seen them adding more space into the kitchen instead of favouring a downstairs snug which used to be where the kids ‘stuff’ was.  In the modern houses being built in Virginia Water, the children are likely to have to go up to the second floor to find their games room, which can seem rather remote from Mum and Dad. We believe that instead they will prefer to hang out in a modern kitchen that provides sufficient space for the family to interact together.”

Some key areas that James thinks homeowners, parents and builders looking to create the ultimate family home should consider whenever possible are:

  1. Create a kitchen hangout – somewhere comfy for all the family to be. An easy chair or two and a flat screen TV on the wall work very well.
  2. Install Sonos or similar.  In the old days families might have sat around a piano – integrated surround sound systems such as Sonos are the modern day versions. These new music devices are brilliant for family entertainment.
  3. Say no to TVs in bedrooms – keep the televisions close to the hub of the house so you can sit and watch something together without losing the children to isolation upstairs.
  4. Consider a cinema room – not for all budgets, obviously, but another great way of having an easy family activity on hand for rainy days.
  5. Beware where you put the Xbox or PlayStation.  If you can bear to keep it close to your kitchen hangout, you will end up spending more time with your children even if they are killing zombies whilst telling you about their day.

“Taking smartphones and digital technology away from children is not the answer for family harmony,” continues James. “We need to learn to live with this equipment and embrace it into our lives but show our children that this is just one aspect and not the entire world. There is still room for a game of Scrabble or Monopoly – andnot the online version!”

For more information on making the most of family life through a house with a perfect kitchen hangout, contact Barton Wyatt on 01344 843000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.

Investment Watch: Student property investment goes global

by Georgina United Kingdom

Student property investment went global in February 2014, according to new research from TheMoveChannel.com. The property portal´s Investment Watch report reveals that student housing continues to dominate activity on the site, with buyers now turning to opportunities in the USA as well as UK.

Student property in Florida received the highest number of enquiries on TheMoveChannel.com in February 2014, the first time this has ever happened. The tenanted condos in Tallahassee are located five minutes away from two universities and start from $48,900, offering guaranteed rental returns of 8.5 per cent, enough to attract over twice as many enquiries as a student property listing in the UK.

Bolton´s The Cube development has been a subject of consistent interest from buyers, appearing in two of the past three months´ top 10 most popular listings. The units, priced at £39,950 and advertising NET yields of 10 per cent, offer a combination of low cost and high returns that is typical of the student housing sector.

The second most popular investment in February featured buy-to-let apartments in Manchester. The luxury three-bedroom flats in the city´s Trafford Mill development cost £115,000 for cash buyers, with 8 per cent NET annual rental returns assured for one year. Confidence in the UK´s recovering real estate also saw buyers turn to Wales, where a £25,000 hotel room assured 10 per cent returns for 10 years.

Investors were willing to look outside of the UK for income, though, with a hotel room in Picardie receiving the third highest number of enquiries. This is the second time in five months that the discounted French resort has appeared in TheMoveChannel.com´s top 10 listings, a sign that investors are heading back to France thanks to attractive prices as well as accessible financing.

The Bahamas remains popular among buyers too, with January´s number one listing – a building plot on Long Island – sliding to sixth place in February. Demand for alternative investments is also strong, driven by two oil investments in the bottom half of the Investment Watch top 10. Both are priced below £7,000, an indicator of continued buyer interest in low cost opportunities.

The student housing sector remains the most popular overall, providing the affordability of alternative products but with the reliability of real estate investment. A Bradford project (seventh place) offers 10 per cent returns for £55,000 and another UK student development (ninth place) promises 10 cent returns for £44,950, taking the total number of student property listings in the top 10 to four.

Florida´s student condos generated the biggest response, though. With the US property market recovering over the past 12 months, the demand for investing in student property at a much cheaper cost proves that the sector´s strength is not just limited to the UK.

Director Dan Johnson comments: “Student property continues to be the most widely sought-after asset on TheMoveChannel.com. Investors are increasingly concentrated on affordable opportunities, such as alternative products, that can deliver strong returns. The student property sector combines that affordability with reliability unmatched by other assets – it is no surprise that, according to CBRE, investment in UK student housing totalled more than £2 billion in 2013 for the second year in a row!

“While the UK property market is booming, though, demand for accommodation at universities is universal. In America, where house prices are more affordable and the economic recovery is boosting confidence, the sector is even more attractive. This is the first time a student property in Florida has been listed on TheMoveChannel.com. The overwhelming response shows that investors are not afraid to go back to school, no matter where that school might be.”

Click here to see the 10 most popular property listings in February 2014.

Notes to Editors
Founded in 1999, TheMoveChannel.com is the leading independent website for international property, with more than 800,000 listings in over 100 countries around the world, marketed on behalf of agents, developers and private owners.

The website address is http://www.TheMoveChannel.com and the office address is 24 Jack’s Place, Corbet Place, Spitalfields, London, E1 6NN.
Contact Dan Johnson on 0207 952 7650 for further information.

Multi-generational living more attractive than ever before as ‘granny flat’ Council Tax halved

by Viv United Kingdom

Last August 25th, Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles announced new government plans to remove an unpopular Council Tax surcharge on family annexes or so-called ‘granny flats’ in an effort to support the housing needs of extended families.

  • Council Tax rates for lived-in annexes to fall by 50% as of April 2014
  • Tax break expected to knock £500 a year off total household Council Tax bills
  • “Does an live-in au pair qualify?” asks James Wyatt, Partner of Barton Wyatt

This reduction of 50% in Council Tax is due to come into effect in April 2014 with many households containing annexes welcoming the estimated £500 annual saving.  The reduction will only be applicable to annexes however which are supporting a family member – so grandparents or young adults most likely.

James Wyatt, Partner of Barton Wyatt, the leading estate agency in and around Wentworth, Surrey, where almost every house has an annexe whether it be for the granny, the nanny or the chauffeur, comments:

“In our neighbourhood we are unlikely to benefit from this Council Tax reduction which is a great pity.  In Wentworth these annexes are almost exclusively used for housing staff, whether it be an au pair, a house keeper or a cook.  The reduction only comes into play when ‘family members’ are residing in the annexe, achieving slightly divorced living arrangements, a sort of family apartheid!!

But Wyatt goes on to say, “there is a good argument to say that an au pair is part of the family and not an employee in the traditional sense, therefore anyone with an au pair should be entitled to this reduction.  The UK government website states that an au pair should be treated as a member of the family they live with and get ‘pocket money’ instead of a salary – usually about £70 to £85 a week. We will definitely be looking into this further.”

With an already estimated 24,150 family annexes present in the UK, it is hoped this tax break will encourage more families to build so-called ‘granny flats’ further boosting the construction industry and enabling more older people to live independent lives.

James Wyatt goes onto suggest a possible alternative to this double taxation if you are building a new home:

“The current legislation is all to do with kitchens! If you are building a new home and you only install one kitchen then I believe only one Council Tax will apply.  The moment you start adding a second kitchen you are in trouble. Obviously the very nature of an annexe means you need a kitchen. There’s little point having granny or nanny squirreled away if they need to appear in the family kitchen every time they want to make a sandwich!”

For more details contact Barton Wyatt on 01344 843000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.

On the Market: Homes with annexes

Waterford House, Wentworth Estate
£4,250,000

Five bedrooms, five bathrooms, five reception rooms, cinema room, games room, three car garage with studio annexe over with shower room and kitchenette, beautifully landscaped gardens.

Waterford House was built in 2005 for the current owners, a house of considerable charm and character and individuality. No expense was spared in the construction of the house using the finest materials and construction methods. Of particular note is the amount of technology within the house with Crestron and Lutron systems controlling the audio visual, curtains, blinds and even the running of the bath via IPhone technology. Throughout the house there is a feel of sophisticated luxury with attention to detail and design.
The property is approached through wrought iron gates on brick piers with a driveway that has ample parking for many cars.

The gardens were designed and created by Urban Red Landscape Architects who have managed to achieve a wonderful variety of changing colour throughout the seasons. An extensive terrace spans across the rear of the property to a slightly raised dining area off the concertina doors from the kitchen. A pathway leads around the perimeter of the rear garden to a sun terrace in the north west corner of the garden with an attractive pond and water feature. In the centre of the garden is a very attractive Rill which can be seen as you come through the front door of the property. The gardens are really quite a feature of the property and should be viewed to be appreciated.

Park Place, Windlesham                                                                                                              £6,250,000

This is a magnificent country house which stands impressively within a mature woodland setting and approached via a private road.  Wrought iron gates open onto a gravelled drive flanked by mature trees and rhododendrons which leads to a central fountain in front of the house.

Built in 1995, this Georgian style property has been built to an exceptionally high standard.  The imposing reception hall with a central staircase, marble and granite floors with under-floor heating, a hand-made kitchen and custom made furniture in many parts of the house all blend to create a unique and wonderful home.

Ground floor includes: reception hall, dining room, cinema, drawing room, music area, kitchen and utility, sitting room, study and cloakroom.

First floor has the master suite and 4 further bedroom suites.  Second floor – another 4 bedroom suites.

The ample garage will house 3 cars and has a staff flat over.  A generous cottage in the grounds offers further accommodation with kitchen, living area, 3 beds and bathrooms.

St Christopher, Virginia Water
£3,750,00

St Christopher is an elegant and impressive family home built in approximately 1994. The main reception rooms are laid out in a formal fashion, yet the kitchen/breakfast room which incorporates a generous conservatory overlooking the rear garden offers a comfortable living space, ideal for family and formal gatherings.

Set well back in a mature and established gardens, the property has an air of elegance and grace but also provides a good degree of privacy and security behind the electric wrought iron gates.

Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and separate dressing room, guest bedroom with en-suite bathroom, four further bedrooms, entrance hall, cloakroom, drawing room, dining room, study, kitchen/breakfast room incorporating conservatory, family room, utility room, one bedroom annexe with en-suite bathroom, triple garage, gardens.

For more details contact Barton Wyatt on 01344 843000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.

Celebrate National Bed Month and catch 40 winks in a magical Millgate master bedroom

by Viv United Kingdom

The Sleep Council, the consumer education arm funded by the National Bed Federation, the trade association for British bed manufacturers has designated the month of March National Bed Month.
The Sleep Council’s longest standing awareness campaign, started in 1990, promotes the importance of getting the very best from your night’s sleep and the role that a good bed plays in achieving this.

  • March is National Bed Month (The Sleep Council)
  •  The human brain needs sleep to survive (University of Rochester, USA, 2013)
  • Millgate work with Alexander James Interiors to create magical master bedrooms

Historically lack of sleep has been used as a form of torture and there is good reason for this as many new parents can relate to! Sleep is vital for mental and physical health and wellbeing; for without this precious commodity, an individual will eventually encounter long-term health problems.

At the end of 2013 scientists at the University of Rochester (US) found that the human brain actually NEEDS sleep to survive. It is during sleep that the brain cleans out the junk that we accumulate during our waking hours.

The scientists found that unlike the body which has waste cleared out by the lymphatic systems, the brain is disconnected from that and needs another way to remove waste. This essentially happens during our sleep, where space is cleared for a new day. And it transpires that ‘brain cleaning’ is 10 times more efficient during sleep than when we are awake so, yes sleep is a necessity.

The Sleep Council has a plethora of useful and practical advice on how to maximise your sleep, from kitting out your bedroom with the right bedframe, mattress, lighting and temperature, introducing specific ‘wind-down’ procedures to combat stress and worry as well as diet and exercise tips.

Luxury house builder Millgate is equally passionate about creating a perfect night’s sleep for their home owners with the team drawing upon their 25 years building experience to create magical bedrooms.
The master bedroom in a Millgate home will, if possible, be located at the rear of the house away from any potential road noise. Famous for their softened feature walls which are often seen within a Millgate master bedroom suite, these beautiful curves create a flow through the room, eliminating any harsh corners. Many of their master bedroom suites will also afford an exterior terrace or balcony, wonderful for enjoying the morning sunrise but also useful for allowing fresh air into the room by throwing the doors open.

A dedicated seating area is always incorporated into a Millgate bedroom, somewhere to read or wind down before sleep catches up with you. The bathroom areas are set away from the bed and unlike many constructors Millgate do not install lights that automatically turn on as you enter the bathroom which could disrupt a light sleeper. The wardrobes in the dressing rooms have soft close doors to keep noise to a minimum and create a feeling of calm and wellbeing.

As with everything they do, Millgate takes things one step further working with Alexander James Interiors to dress their Show Homes. Creating bedrooms that are both functional and conducive to sleep is a crucial part of the work carried out prior to launch.

No ordinary beds will be found in a Millgate home. Indeed, each product is hand selected from a varied range of specialist suppliers. It is very important that each bedroom looks unique and in no way resembles anything that might be found in a conventional new home.

The furniture will have been hand-selected to mirror the ‘feel’ of the room and create something to capture the imagination of the prospective buyer. The bed itself will be a work of art. Almost every master bedroom will feature a super king sized bed with a handmade headboard which ties in seamlessly with the design theme. The finest Egyptian cottons and exotic silk throws dress the bed, with plump feather filled pillows and a plethora of designer’s guild style cushions to add the final touch of indulgence.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) did a study aptly named ‘Case for Space’. Their study looked at the room required for comfortable living within a home. The results found that the minimum size that a bedroom for two people could be is 11 square meters. A master bedroom in a Millgate luxury country mansion is likely to boast 25 square meters – all very conducive to a better night’s sleep.

The detail, care and attention which goes into every single magical Millgate bedroom should be seen to be believed. Visit www.millgatehomes.co.uk and see for yourself luxury at the top of its game.

A winning combination from Millgate as Ascot penthouse with grandstand view is revealed

by Viv United Kingdom

Freshly dressed and key ready is the brand new luxury penthouse suite which tops Westbrook House in Ascot. With just a road between your terrace and the race track, this is surely a winning combination for someone with a passion for horse racing or looking for a home with a grandstand view.

  •  65% sold and all to downsizers in under 2 months

The desire to experience an affluent lifestyle has led to an increasing demand for such a classic high class homes. Owners have come to demand more from their properties and today’s premium penthouse is likely to be adorned with avant-garde modern luxuries that serve as a status symbol for well-heeled individuals. The penthouses in Westbrook House from premium house builder Millgate do exactly that, but there is nothing gauche within, here you will find traditional luxury features that are timeless and will not date.

These luxury apartments boast three en-suite bedrooms and are enhanced with well-designed touches. Hand-painted cabinets in the kitchen, top quality kitchen and bathroom wear, beautiful fitted wardrobes with soft close doors, air conditioning and pre-wiring for audio installation are just a few of the features. Other touches include under-floor heating, security systems, acoustic glazing to the front elevation windows and hardwood decking on the roof terrace. Each penthouse also boasts a hot-tub with views towards the racecourse – the perfect spot for relaxing, whatever the weather.

Matthew Brazier, Senior Sales Manager for Westbrook House comments:
“Since opening the penthouse apartment last week there have been a further two reservations at Westbrook House.  This means that we are almost 65% reserved since initial launch in late-January.  The reception that our luxury apartments have received has been extraordinary.  To date every purchaser is a downsizer which is incredible.  It is nice to know that Westbrook House will be full of like-minded people who will undoubtedly have a terrific time living here.”

Ascot itself possesses a unique atmosphere, where well-to-do suburbia meets relaxed, rural life.  For many it is important to be seen hob-knobbing in the highly sought after Royal Enclosure at Ascot week, mixing with the great and the good at the polo and being seen at the Wentworth PGA golf championship. But the gentler side of Ascot is more about donning your wellies to explore open Berkshire farmland, crossing fish-filled rivers and streams, discovering hidden woodland areas and getting in touch with nature.

For those looking for a lifestyle that offers such fantastic diversity, Ascot has it all. The town also features a boutique High Street, which bustles with local amenities, offering trendy bars, elegant restaurants and chic clothing stores. And as a backdrop to this stage, local residents can enjoy the 5,000 acres of deer park which makes up Windsor Great Park, while Virginia Water and Chobham Common are just a stone’s throw away. The area is awash with essential ‘things to do and see’ such as Savill Gardens, the Discovery Centre at Bracknell, Legoland, Thorpe Park and Alice Holt.

Guide price £1,650,000.  For more details on these beautiful penthouses, contact the appointed selling agent Edwards & Elliott on 01344 87 6363 or visitwww.millgatehomes.co.uk