On the Continent many property values have barely recovered after the steep falls of the financial crisis - and mortgage rates are still low there, too. Here, we look holiday homes and how you can find your place in the sun.
A repossessed cannabis farm, the Profumo affair and Miami fraud...how you can learn from 'My SCANDALOUS house move'
Buying and selling property is always eventful. My own recent experience was no exception but at least it was fast, with just 12 weeks between the date my husband Rob and I put our two-bedroom house in South-East London up for sale and the date we moved into our new home in the Midlands. Confusion, stress and surprise were dominant themes. But the lessons from my experiences could help make yours go more smoothly. So welcome to my scandalous house move, says Laura Shannon (pictured).
A lovely place to put your feet up with a brew: Farmhouse which features in Yorkshire Tea advert up for sale for £500k
The current owners moved to the house more than ten years ago and have completely renovated the house with bespoke fixtures and fittings. They wanted to spend the rest of their lives there, but are moving because an elderly relative is now living with them and they would like more space. Pictured: The exterior (top left), patio area (top right), kitchen (bottom right), sitting room (bottom left), and Yorkshire Tea advert (centre).
Extra room, home office or even a holiday let? What could you do with your garage (if you clear out the junk)
Do you still park your car in your garage? If so then you are in a minority. According to RAC Insurance, 62 per cent of motorists don't feel the need to tuck their cars away every night, preferring to use a garage to store junk, tools and garden equipment. Plenty are now converted into extra rooms. Little wonder - it can make sound financial sense.
Time Team Towers: Unique home that starred on TV has remarkable 1,800-year history
Whitestaunton Manor, near Chard, Somerset, a seven-bedroom Grade I listed 15th Century manor house, is on the market for £6.25million. In 2003, Channel 4's Time Team uncovered Roman ruins in the grounds. It also includes a three-bedroom lodge and outbuildings constructed of stone from Whitestaunton Manor's own quarry, comprising six stables, two garages and a gardener's WC, as well as a workshop.
Want a sea view? You'll pay a premium as the average home within 100m of coastline sells for £25k more - and we reveal the hotspots
Properties which sit close to the sea fetch £25,000 on average more than those further afield, research by Savills has revealed. Homes within 100m of British coastlines typically fetch £230,382 - 12.4 per cent more than those located 100m and 1km away, the analysis of 2014 Land Registry figures by the upmarket estate agents shows.
Double the commute, halve the deposit: Homes £185k cheaper just one hour away from London
People looking for a home could save as much as £185,000 by buying a property an hour away from London. While the average price of a two-bedroom property in London's zone two is around £440,000 in commutable areas such as St Albans or Tunbridge Wells, a similar home can be snapped up for around £254,000, saving buyers £185,456, HSBC suggests.
House hunters starved of choice will soon get more to pick from, as post-Election surge in properties for sale is forecast
House hunters starved of choice should soon be set for plenty more homes to pick from, with a post-Election surge of people putting their home on the market forecast. In the three months after the last election, properties coming to market increased by 17 per cent, Rightmove said. It has tipped a fresh burst of activity this year too.
The great divide: Buy a £165k house on the left side of this road and you own it outright but buy on the right and you don't
These new estates are almost identical in every way - but there is one key difference. If you buy a home at The Sycamores (top) you'll own it outright and take on the freehold. But if you buy at The Edge (bottom), all the houses are leasehold. This means that instead of owning your home outright, you'll essentially be renting the land the property stands on - and have to pay a £150 annual fee.
Avocado bathroom suites, woodchip on the walls, strip lighting... Beware the 10 worst property 'improvements' that turn off buyers
With homeowners living in their property for an average of 14 years, over 50 per cent of respondents said they would choose 'home improvement over making a move'. But over the last 50 years households plumping for the latest artex ceiling fad or pebbledash cladding have run the risk of diminishing the value of their home.
BEST BUYS TABLES
-
Credit cards
Best balance transfers, reward cards and more -
Cheapest loans
See the lowest rates on the market -
Savings accounts
Cash Isas, easy access, fixed rates and more -
Current accounts
Earn interest and rewards on your money -
Best mortgages
Expert advice on the right deal for you -
£12.50 share dealing
Featuring low-cost dividend reinvestment
DON'T MISS: PROPERTY
- Property vs the stock market Can investing in bricks and mortar give you a secure retirement?
- Watch out for the landlord tax traps that could ensnare you and your buy-to-let property Taxes every investor needs to know about.
- How to turn a buy-to-let second home into a pension and secure your financial future What you need to know
- Ten tips for buy-to-let: the essential advice for property investors How to get it right
- Joining a crowd to become a buy-to-let investor and bidding eBay-style for an off-plan apartment Emerging ways to invest
- House prices surge by £1,000 a month and could continue to rise as the number of properties for sale stick at a record low Halifax forecast
- Four in ten homes bought by cash buyers A mark of the UK's divided property market
- Where to go for the best mortgage deals Three reasons to smile if you've been paying off a home loan for years
- Rates on first-time buyer loans are falling and choice has hit a three-year high So where are the best deals?
- London property market running out of steam Number of mortgages for home buyers falls 16% in a year
- Why having a baby could block your chances of getting a mortgage Mums-to-be say they are being picked on by loan firms
- London's most colossal family home, second only to Buckingham Palace Riddle of the £300m House of Secrets solved
- Britain's first £1MILLION council flats Tiny two-bedroom ex-local authority homes in London go on the market for record-breaking price
- Your eight step guide to climbing onto the property ladder We saved £1,000 a month by living with parents
- Not exactly a drop in the ocean! Salcombe in Devon is Britain's priciest seaside town Average home costing £670,000
- Extra room, home office or even a holiday let? What could you do with your garage If you clear out the junk
- Twice the size of Buckingham Palace and FIVE miles of corridors House once owned by the aristocrat who inspired Jane Austen hero Mr Darcy is on sale for £8million
- This is what $40 MILLION gets you in the Sydney property market Opulent mansion 'Mandalay' sells for record price
- I will always love you California lodge used to film Bodyguard movie starring Whitney Houston is put on sale 23 years later for $8million
- Fancy Britain's biggest DIY project? Grade 1 Isle of Wight mansion is up for grabs for £6million
- Last chance for couple to save handmade eco 'hobbit house' they built without planning permission Charlie Hague and Megan Williams used natural materials
- For sale! Family home... and its occupants Landlords cash in by buying properties with tenants living there (that even sell at a premium)
- The best postcodes for buy-to-let revealed Forget London, it's Birmingham that pays off when it comes to rents
- Demand for self-catering properties on the rise : Seven golden rules of buying and renting out the ideal holiday park home
- Where are rents rising fastest? Pace slows in London as landlords across the UK ask for 10% more on new tenancies
- Would you buy a home under the hammer? How to invest in property at auction - or even get on the housing ladder
Mortgage Affordability Calculator
PROPERTY: DON'T MISS
- Sharp decrease in properties available to let And figures reveal Britain is most expensive country in Europe for rents...
- House hunters face smallest cuts to asking prices in five years But buying agent says it's still worth making an offer... and here are his tips
- How seriously should I take Zoopla's valuation of my house? According to Zoopla, my house is worth £283k. How accurate is this?
- Downsizing to a smaller property? How to go about it and what to do with the furniture and possessions of your family home
- Moving on up the property ladder just got a little less painful Demand for first homes and better loan rates make second step easier
- Go with the flow! Mills, water towers, lighthouses - all the options for those who love to live near water
- Estate agent Foxtons risks a legal bill as high as £42MILLION After it charged a landlord £616 to change a light fitting
- Can't afford a spacious home? Make the best of a tiny space and enjoy life on the road
- 'We paid £12k just for a signature' Flat owners advised to keep track of the years left on their lease - and act fast before it slips below 80
- House price growth slows to 5.1% but values now just £1.2k off 2007 peak While Slough is hottest property spot
- Buy-to-let gone mad or a smart way to invest in property? 126 buyers snap up Surrey home in just 35 minutes on crowdfunding site
- Stamp duty calculator How big a tax bill will your property purchase trigger?
- Ten tips for buy-to-let The essential advice for property investors