The report from Lloyds TSB Insurance showed homeowners spent an average of £894 on outdoor furniture and decorations for their gardens over the past 12 months.

And with 15 million homeowners (85%) having some form of outdoor space around their property, £14billion was spent on gardens in the last year alone.

With the average UK garden now worth £1928, one in 10 Britons admits to spending money on their gardens as they can’t afford to move home, while a third of homeowners say spending a lot of time outside is the main reason for splashing out.
Garden Values is the first part of the bi-annual Britain at Home report from Lloyds TSB Insurance, designed to build a comprehensive picture of British home life and spending priorities by shining a light on how we fill and use our homes and gardens.

It revealed that while luxury outdoor items and garden furniture increase in popularity, sales of outdoor plants have declined, indicating that the nation’s gardens are becoming more about leisure than landscaping.

Britons are increasingly choosing to ‘make over’ their outside spaces, with homeowners buying luxury garden lifestyle items such as hot tubs (10%), trampolines (22%) and summer houses (8%), as well as fixing up their current spaces (4%) instead of putting their homes on the market.

Frances Tophill, presenter of ITV’s Love Your Garden, said: “We don’t often get a chance to peek over the garden fence of the nation, but as homeowners become too time-poor for gardening, features like decking, summer houses and leisure items have moved into prime position in our back gardens. While it is positive that we are valuing our outdoor spaces more, I hope the traditional image of the flower-filled Great British garden is not beginning to wilt.”

Yet despite investing heavily in our gardens, nearly half of homeowners aren’t taking appropriate steps to protect the contents within. When it comes to cover for their garden contents, 12.5 million homeowners (44%) either have no insurance or are unsure whether or not they are adequately covered.

Tim Downes, senior claims manager, Lloyds TSB Insurance, said: “While many are now prioritising their outside spaces, it is a false economy to invest in luxury garden items without ensuring they are covered. As our gardens grow increasingly expensive, homeowners are realising that they no longer own just a few pounds worth of petunias, but hundreds of pounds worth of leisure items. Garden-proud homeowners should check their insurance policies to ensure their beloved outdoor luxuries are properly protected.”

The report showed that we are a garden-proud nation, with Britons spending just over half an hour outside each day and a third (31%) wishing they could spend even more time outdoors. However, it is clear that this time is not spent planting flowers or pruning rose bushes, with over half of homeowners (57%) using the garden simply as a place to relax.

For one in 10 (9%) homeowners, the garden is where the family spends the most time together, and in a bid to make our gardens more child-orientated, over a fifth of us have invested in a trampoline and playground features such as swings and slides to sit alongside the more traditional flowerbeds.

This penchant for fancy garden accessories would appear to indicate that the trend for al fresco dining and entertaining continues apace. An increasing number of Britons are now adopting a more continental lifestyle despite the chillier climate, with one in 10 households owning a hot tub. According to the British and Irish Spa and Hot Tub Association, sales have risen steadily every year, with last year’s cold weather only helping to boost the number of hot tubs sold.

As one in five claims to use the gardens for entertaining friends, it perhaps doesn’t come as a surprise that 29% now own a barbecue, with over a third (35%) confessing to using the barbecue in the winter. However, 1 in 10 has invested in patio heaters to stay warm outside.

The post Cash In The Garden appeared first on .

Get rid of clutter - Throw out the stacks of old newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make wardrobes seem roomier. Clean out the garage.

Clean your windows - and frames to let more light into the interior.

Keep everything extra clean - Wash fingerprints from light switch plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the cooker and refrigerator. A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the home has been well cared for.

Get rid of smells - Clean carpeting and curtains to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows.

Make minor repairs-  that can create a bad impression. Small problems, such as sticking doors or a dripping tap, may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well maintained.

Higher wattage bulbs - to make rooms seem brighter, especially basements and other dark rooms. Replace any burnt-out bulbs.

Tidy your garden - Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and edge the walks. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway. (just cutting the grass improves a gardens overall appearance)

Patch holes - in your driveway and reapply sealant round the bathroom and kitchen if needed.

Polish - your knob – your front doorknob and door numbers, remove any no soliciting and other stickers from front facing windows and doors.

Clear out the loft -  If you have one. Storage space is very important and if you have a large loft space buyers will be keen to see the available space, and make sure you have easy access to the loft.

For upto date appraisal of your home and how much it is worth in the current market, please contact your local Martyn Gerrard branch

The post 10 Ways to Make Your House More Sellable appeared first on .

The scheme is designed to help the availability of mortgages for buyers who are struggling to raise the size of deposits typically required by lenders.

The Government will look to provide £12billion in guarantees to people with as little as a 5% deposit looking to buy new build or an existing property

Help To Buy mortgage guarantees will be open to both first-time buyers and home movers. You won’t be able to get a Help to Buy mortgage guarantee if you’re planning on renting out the property.

To qualify for a Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee you don’t have to be a first-time buyer and there’s no limit on your level of income. The property you want to buy must be:

• Up to £600,000 in value
• Intended to be your main home – You can’t use Help to Buy for a second home or a buy-to-let property.
• Owned fully by you – You can’t use Help To Buy for shared ownership or shared equity purchases

Full details of exactly how the scheme will work will be given later in the year.

https://www.gov.uk/affordable-home-ownership-schemes/overview

The post Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee Scheme appeared first on .

Registered users of the Wi-Fi services will be offered 30 minutes of free access a day, as well as unlimited access to council websites. The move follows this week’s announcements by Camden and Hammersmith and Fulham that they would be offering residents the same deal, also through a partnership with Arqiva.

The post Barnet and Islington councils to offer free Wi-Fi in the next six months appeared first on .

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has issued a press release officially endorsing a report by the London Finance Commission – established by the Mayor in May 2012 to look at improving London’s tax and spending policies – that recommends greater financial freedoms for the capital.

The report’s recommendations include proposals for devolving all property tax revenue streams – including council tax, stamp duty land tax and business rates – to London. The report also proposes that which should have devolved responsibility for setting the rates for these taxes, as well as having authority over all matters including revaluation, banding and discounts.

The devolution of stamp duty powers to London is something that the Mayor has expressed interest in before, previously arguing that this is a tax that affects London disproportionally and collecting it locally would allow this money to be used to boost London’s housing sector.

The Mayor has welcomed the findings of the report in full, stating that the measures would bring London’s tax structure in line with the funding structure of other comparable global cities.

Responding to the publication of the report, Mayor Boris Johnson said:

“This excellent report sets out the case for a fairer deal for Londoners, one that gives residents and businesses a closer say over where their hard-earned taxes are spent. It recognises the acute need for London to be able to better plan and finance the infrastructure needed to prosper and maintain a great quality of life, in the face of a decade of expansion. Crucially, we can see that providing London with fiscal freedoms does not come at the detriment of other regions but can in fact help London to generate more jobs and growth across the country. 
 
“The current system is simply not fit for purpose and is out of step with the funding settlements enjoyed by cities of comparable size and stature. Furthermore, Londoners will increasingly question why London government cannot enjoy similar fiscal freedoms as those afforded to the devolved governments in Scotland and Wales. London’s key bodies are agreed that the capital’s financial future lies in greater devolution. We will now be taking this case to Government.”

The full report can be found here .

source: naea.co.uk

The post Boris Johnson endorses report calling for stamp duty to be devolved appeared first on .

Last month we were waiting the first quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) results for theUKeconomy and the outcome was positive with, as expected, theUKposting a 0.3% rise in GDP following the fourth quarter 2012 decline. This meant that theUKhad officially avoided what was potentially a “triple dip recession”.

Following the publication of the positive GDP data, we are not surprised that at this month’s meeting of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), the vote was once again to refrain from further monetary stimulus keeping it unchanged at £375bn.  It also decided to maintain the base rate of interest at 0.5% this month and this marks the 50^th month that the Bank Rate has remained at this all time low level.

The Bank of England has recently announced the appointment of a new Bank Governor, Mark Carney, former Governor of the Bank of Canada, an economy that fared far better than many other Western economies following the global financial meltdown. Mr Carney is said to favour other forms of central bank intervention, so it will be interesting to see if Quantitative Easing (QE), the current Governor’s preferred method of direct intervention, will stay, or if we will see a new policy direction.

Following the recent budget announcements in relation to the Government’s Funding for Lending scheme (FLS), it has now been confirmed that the scheme will be extended at least until 2015. One of the objectives of this policy was to reduce the cost of borrowing for Banks and Building Societies, and, thereby offer mortgage borrowers and small and medium sized enterprises access to cheaper mortgages and loans for businesses.

The policy appears to be having the desired effect as at the beginning of May 2013, average 2, 3 and 5 year fixed rates had once again all fallen further to 3.82%, 4.13% and 3.96% respectively. Not surprisingly with rates at these historic low levels, borrowers continue to be firmly committed to fixed rate mortgage products with 9 in every 10 transactions during April being conducted on a fixed rate basis.

In addition to reducing the cost of mortgage products, lenders have continued to steadily increase overall product numbers, with the number of mortgage products typically available to intermediaries rising once again in April to 6,742, a further increase of 1% over March.

For further information on how the above affects you, please call 020 8883 2631 or email http://www.martyngerrard.co.uk/mortgages

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

There will be a fee for mortgage advice.  The actual amount you pay will depend upon your circumstances.  The fee is up to 1% but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.

The post Cheaper borrowing set to continue? appeared first on .

Get rid of clutter - Throw out the stacks of old newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make wardrobes seem roomier. Clean out the garage.

Clean your windows - and frames to let more light into the interior.

Keep everything extra clean - Wash fingerprints from light switch plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the cooker and refrigerator. A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the home has been well cared for.

Get rid of smells - Clean carpeting and curtains to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows.

Make minor repairs-  that can create a bad impression. Small problems, such as sticking doors or a dripping tap, may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well maintained.

Higher wattage bulbs - to make rooms seem brighter, especially basements and other dark rooms. Replace any burnt-out bulbs.

Tidy your garden - Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and edge the walks. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway. (just cutting the grass improves a gardens overall appearance)

 Patch holes - in your driveway and reapply sealant round the bathroom and kitchen if needed.

 Polish - your front doorknob – and door numbers, remove any no soliciting and other stickers from front facing windows and doors.

 Clear out the loft -  If you have one. Storage space is very important and if you have a large loft space buyers will be keen to see the available space, and make sure you have easy access to the loft.

The post 10 Ways To Make Your Property More Saleable appeared first on .

Renting can offer a more affordable way to live and actually offers a number of benefits in terms of household maintenance. There is, however, often the question of responsibility; is it yours or the landlord’s responsibility to maintain the property?

So…as a renter, do you know your rights?

Household Maintenance and Repairs

Let’s say that the boiler breaks down or the drains are blocked; whose responsibility is it to pay for the repairs?

- It is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure that the property is safe at all times.
- It is your responsibility to make repairs that have come about as a result of the usual wear and tear.

Areas such as decoration, furniture and gardens are usually the tenants responsibility but it’s important to check this in your agreement.

Access to Your Home

What would you do if you came home to find your landlord in your property? Would you ask him to leave or accept that it’s his property so he can access it whenever he wants?

- Your landlord is NOT allowed to enter your home without giving notice; the length of notice that will be given should be set out in your tenancy agreement.
- If your landlord consistently enters your home without your permission, this can be classed as harassment.

It may be your landlord’s property but it is your home and you should not tolerate them accessing your property without your knowledge.

Withholding Rent

If your landlord has promised to carry out work or repairs but has failed to do so, should you withhold your rent until it is done?

Many tenants are tempted to use this tactic but you should NEVER withhold your rent.

Refusing to pay your rent can result in your eviction from the property or legal action being taken against you. Similarly, the landlord cannot refuse to accept rent from you.

Martyn Gerrard: Find Your Perfect Property to Let

Here at Martyn Gerrard we are dedicated to helping you find your perfect home regardless of whether you’re looking to rent or buy. We have an impressive range of properties available for rent in a variety of areas.

Our expert teams have extensive local knowledge and can offer valuable and honest advice to make finding a property as stress free and simple as possible. Please visit our website if you’d like more information about our services or contact us directly if you have any questions.

The post Renters: Do You Know Your Rights? appeared first on .

The economic news over recent weeks has suggested there is plenty of cause for optimism.

Economic forecasters are now suggesting thatBritainis likely to avoid a triple dip recession and are also predicting what is described as “modest growth”. Expectation is that, at least in the short term, theUK’s gross domestic product figures should return to positive territory when published later this month.

With this clearly in mind the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) have refrained once again from further economic stimulus at their April meeting, voting to maintain the base rate of interest at 0.5% and keep the programme of Quantitative Easing unchanged at £375bn.

March has once again witnessed strong competition amongst the major protagonists in the mortgage lending arena, with almost all changes witnessing further reductions right across the loan to value range.

In the recent budget, the Chancellor announced that further discussion was to take place as to the future shape and longevity of the Funding for Lending scheme. There will be many arguing in favour of an extension as the scheme certainly seems to have reduced borrowing costs. However, critics have commented that in its current format it is not effective enough in ensuring that lenders support specific borrower sectors, in particular first time buyers and those home movers with low levels of equity. We can only await the outcome of these discussions that will no doubt involve the Government, Treasury, Bank of England and the lenders to see what changes if any are made to the scheme.

Stats from the start of April are positive for potential borrowers, with the average 2, 3 and 5 year fixed rates falling further to 3.83%, 4.17% and 4.00% respectively.  In addition, borrowers continue to be firmly in favour of fixed rate mortgage products, with nine in every ten transactions during March being conducted on a fixed rate basis.

 The Bank of England in their Credit Conditions Survey report that mortgage borrowers are set to continue to benefit in the second quarter, with further competitive pressure on interest rates as lenders look to increase market share.

This is reflected in a continuing increase in the number of mortgage products typically available to intermediaries, with product numbers in March rising by 4% over February to more than 6,600 products, the highest number since December 2011.

To find out if you could take advantage of the continued competition in the mortgage market, whether buying for the first time, moving house, or remortgaging, you can contact Michael by calling 020 8883 2631 .  Alternatively, click on the mortgage tab above for more information.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

There will be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual amount you pay will depend upon your circumstances. The fee is up to 1% but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.

The post Average fixed rates continue to fall as lenders battle for business appeared first on .