House prices in UK's largest cities jump by largest amount in 11 years - with Oxford and Cambridge the biggest risers

House prices in UK's largest cities jump by largest amount in 11 years

The cost of a home in Britain's biggest cities leapt to the highest quarterly level in 11 years, new findings reveal. With demand continuing to outstrip supply, house prices in major cities increased by 4.3 per cent to an average of £227,100 in the three months to July, Hometrack said.

From seagulls to wasps, don't get stung by pests: How to deal with a home menace - and what insurance covers

From seagulls to wasps, don't get stung in the wallet by pests: Seek expert help - and

A plague of pests is descending on homes this summer - wreaking havoc and expensive damage on those who fail to fight back. Due to a mild early summer there has been an explosion of wasps over the past few weeks that have been gatecrashing picnics and causing a nuisance at home barbecues and in pub gardens.

Homes up £12,000 in a year as lack of property for sale pushes up prices - and agent forecasts an 18% rise by 2019

House prices up £12k in a year as Knight Frank tips 18% gain by 2019

House prices rose by £1,000 a month over the past year with the East of England recording the biggest gains, according to new official figures. Property inflation in the East of England hit 9.2 per cent in June, the ONS house price index reported, with the next largest annual gains seen in Northern Ireland, at 9 per cent, and the South East, at 7.7 per cent.

What's in an address? Properties with 'lane' in the title are typically £100k more expensive than those on a 'street'...

House prices vary by £100 depending if your address is Lane or Street

There are some regions where, however, this does not apply, with London's most valuable properties on 'streets' and Scotland's homes in 'closes' carrying the highest prices. Across the UK as a whole, homes on lanes are priced on average at £245,906, which is 22 per cent or £44,600 more than the typical UK house price, at £201,246, according to research for Barclays Mortgages.

Working from home can be a joy provided you have a dedicated and uplifting space 

Working from home can be a joy provided you have a dedicated and uplifting space 

More Britons than ever are working from home. According to the most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics, as of June 2014 there were 4.2 million home workers in Britain - 13.9 per cent of the workforce. While there are many pleasures in working at home - setting your own routine, no office politics, fewer disturbances - there is one great pitfall: you cannot leave your desk behind at the end of the day.

Liz Hurley cashes in on booming price of farmland: Actress triples her money in just 13 years as she sells nine-bedroom Cotswolds mansion for £9million

Liz Hurley sells her Cotswolds property for £9million

Liz Hurley, 50, bought the Grade II listed property (pictured main) just outside Barnsley, Gloucestershire, for £3.3million in 2002. She said at the time that she hoped to live a farmer's life and even bought cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens and geese to prove it. The actress and model, currently starring in the US series The Royals, put the home up for sale for £6million but it languished on the market for nearly a year.

Why have your main living space downstairs when the best views are upstairs? Growing trend for 'upside-down' homes

Growing trend for 'upside-down' homes with bedrooms downstairs

The idea of inverted living - bedrooms downstairs, kitchen and living rooms upstairs - hails from Australia, where properties are designed to take in spectacular sunrises or sunsets. It's common in Sweden and much of Scandinavia, too.

Use yellow undercoat and turn shabby into chic: Five top DIY tips to tackle those nagging jobs that hang over you at home

Five top DIY tips to tackle those nagging jobs that hang over you at home

We all know how easy it is to let things slide at home. Good DIY intentions so often begin and end at the checkout of Homebase. Some might get as far as shifting the furniture, laying dust sheets and even taping off the skirting boards. Those who manage to roll on two coats of Elephant's Breath, congratulate themselves with a cuppa, before packing up and moving on to the next project. Weeks or even months pass. That piece of masking tape taunts; splatters of grey on the white ceiling whisper at failure.

Property values add £9k in a year to surpass November 2007 peak as 'drought of sellers' pushes up house prices

House prices up £9k in a year, says Land Registry

House prices In England and Wales have risen 5.4 per cent in the last year to reach £181,619 on average, latest figures from the Land Registry show. The £9,252 boost in values means the index has overtaken the previous peak of £180,983 set in November 2007.

The piers creating a buzz for homebuyers: Cromer and Bournemouth lead the way as more seaside towns regenerate iconic structures

The piers creating a buzz for homebuyers: Cromer and Bournemouth lead the way as more

Britain's seaside towns aren't just tempting day trippers. Increasingly, homebuyers are drawn to the coast and in many cases they are prepared to pay a premium to be there, says Fred Redwood. The pier in Bournemouth is an action-packed amenity with attractions such as an indoor simulated rock climb and a zip wire, on which thrill-seekers ride over the waves to the beach. There is also an abundance of property ideally suited to younger, first and second-time buyers.

Buy-to-let hotspots revealed: London top of 'buoyant' market for investors snapping up homes - but Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham rise

Buy-to-let hotspots: London top but Birmingham and Nottingham rise

London was closely followed by Birmingham and Bristol in the top 20 areas where buy-to-let properties have been bought in the last year, according to data from Barclays Mortgages. Nottingham, Manchester and Leeds also saw a big jump in demand.

The Bloomsbury set defied convention in their morals - and blazed a trail with their take on design. So here's how you can get the literary look 

The Bloomsbury set defied convention in their morals - and blazed a trail with their take

The Bloomsberries continue to seduce and scandalise - and a new TV series, Life In Squares, following their spider-web love affairs, begins next week on BBC2. You too can get the Bloomsbury 'look'. Colours are muted, fabrics worn and faded. Artist Duncan Grant, who lived with Vanessa at Charleston, turned his hand to textile design.

Top 15 property listing hotspots revealed: Swindon sees 47% boom in homes put up for sale in a month

Top 15 property listing hotspots revealed

Two-thirds of towns and cities across the UK have seen an increase in the number of homes coming up for sale in the past month. Swindon leads the board with a 47% rise, but in Winchester homes for sale are down 18%, data from Rightmove mined by online estate agent House Simple suggests. We reveal the rest of the homes for sale hotspots

Maria Davis says she can make you a buy-to-let millionaire - should you believe her? New tax rules haven't stopped investors seeking get-rich-quick tips

SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: Maria Davis says she can make you a buy-to-let millionaire - should

New tax rules were meant to cool the buy-to-let boom but that hasn't stopped this fast-talking saleswoman giving her get rich quick tips to investors. Maria's website describes her as a sales presenter, public speaker and accredited coach, who was trained in the U.S. by a famous sales school. She was an Avon lady, presented on children's TV and is now, she will say, a highly successful property investor.

Could you live in a tiny home measuring only 125sqft and with a composting toilet? 

Could you live in a tiny home measuring only 125sqft and with a composting toilet? 

Tiny homes capture the imagination, particularly when they are cleverly compact. Indeed, going small seems to have caught on. But while a shepherd's hut, re-imagined water tower or gypsy caravan might sound romantic - how easy are they to live in full time?

How to light the night this summer and create a truly magical garden 

How to light the night this summer and create a truly magical garden 

There's a line in The Great Gatsby which seems to capture perfectly a summer garden party. 'In his blue gardens, men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.'
Clandestine, magical, full of promise. But no matter how blue your garden or how starry the sky, you can still create atmosphere in your outdoor space that might just bring to mind the mood as described by Scott Fitzgerald in his famous opus.

Reading is UK's top property hotspot - but house prices post surprise dip in June sending annual growth to lowest level in two years

House prices show a surprise dip in June says Nationwide

Mortgage lender Nationwide said house prices dropped by 0.2 per cent on the month in June - well below economists' forecasts of a 0.2 per cent rise - pushing the annual rate of growth to a two-year low of 3.3 per cent from 4.6 per cent in May. A year ago, house prices across the UK were surging at an annual rate of 11.8 per cent. The average UK house price is now £195,055.

The luxury flats in the heart of London's financial centre... where British buyers get first refusal

Luxury flats in London's Canary Wharf where British buyers get first refusal

British buyers will get first bite of the cherry on new apartments being launched in London's financial district. Canary Wharf Group's move has turned on its head the controversial practice of heavily promoting London developments to wealthy overseas buyers - particularly in the Far East.

How to buy a whole village: Johnny Depp puts his in the South of France up for sale for £16.5m but there are others that cost less than you'd think

Johnny Depp sells his French village but some cost less than you'd think

You may not be able to afford Johnny Depp's £16.5m estate but villages come on the market more often than you might think - and at not totally silly prices. In mainland Europe, it is not uncommon for dilapidated villages, deserted for years, to come on the market for next to nothing - although there are often strings attached.

Would you rather have a shoebox in London or a mansion in Wales? One square metre of space hits £12k in Kensington, as Britain's property divide spreads

£12,000 for a metre of space in Kensington & Chelsea

The gulf in property prices between London and the rest of the UK means that for the price of a 40 square metre one-bedroom flat in Kensington and Chelsea, a buyer could instead opt for a 512 square metre mansion in Wales.

Home cinema, gold leaf plasterwork and even a hair salon: Principal House goes on sale

Sam Malin and Irene Major's Principal House in Essex goes on sale for £1m

Sam Malin, a geophysicist who has set up several oil and gas exploration companies, and Irene Major, a former Miss Cameroon, bought Principal House in 2006 for £565,000. At the time it was being used as offices by developer Persimmon Homes, who had built the estate of detached clapperboard homes that surround it.

Go with the flow! Mills, water towers, lighthouses - all the options for those who love to live near water

Go with the flow! Mills, water towers, lighthouses - all the options for those who love to

Water mills have been around since Roman times - so it's no wonder they evoke thoughts of a different era. Gordon Miller looks at all the options for people who like to live near water.

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