Nicknamed “Little Cyprus” thanks to its strong Greek Cypriot community, Palmers Green, a north London suburb on the wrong side of the North Circular road, has a place in pop history. It is where a very young David Bowie first entertained audiences, in mime. Only 20 minutes from Moorgate, today this district is the capital’s favourite location for “second steppers” — mostly couples and young families moving on from their first-time buyer flats to find more space and a garden. […]
Fundraising for Great Ormand Street Hospital
In June 2016 Tower Estates attended the Cypriot Wine & Buisness Expo held at Alexandra Palace, over the weekend we were rasing money for Great Ormand Street Hospital by taking donations, we raffeled 6 childrens bouncy castles, had a ‘lucky dip’ and were selling cupcakes donated to us from DC’s Cupcakes! Overall we rasied £1,000! We would like to thank everyone that supported us over a very successful weekend, we grately appreciate it!
House prices pushed up by lack of supply, say surveyors
A further drop in the number of people putting their homes up for sale is pushing house prices higher, according to surveyors. A report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) says new instructions by sellers have fallen “deeper into negative territory”. Meanwhile the number of inquiries from would-be buyers remains unchanged. As a result, most of the 308 Rics members who took part in the survey said house prices were now rising. The monthly survey showed that the […]
Mortgages: Borrowers warned over fees on low-rate deals
Homeowners wanting to take advantage of tumbling mortgage rates are being warned to look out for high fees attached to them. It follows news that the Co-op is launching a two-year fixed mortgage at 1.09%, said to be the lowest rate ever. Two weeks ago HSBC announced a five-year fix at a record low of 1.99%. But experts say borrowers need to look closely at the fees involved, and the rates people will be charged when the fixed-rate period is […]
Rent controls and mansion tax off the agenda as Tories win
The prospect of rent controls and mansion tax receded this morning as general election results continue to come in with David Cameron on his way back to Downing Street. Shares in estate agency firms shot up this morning, with Savills leading the pack along with Foxtons, followed by Countrywide and Rightmove. Estate agents have been quick to express their relief at what many see as salvation for the housing market, during an extraordinary day in which Labour, UKIP and the […]
Election 2015: Ed Miliband plans ‘to curb rip-off rent’
Rent increases would be capped at inflation and tenants given standard three-year contracts under Labour plans to stop tenants being “ripped off”. Leader Ed Miliband said his party would also give tenants the right to know what rent their predecessors had paid. Conservative London mayor Boris Johnson said it was a “disastrous policy” that would reduce housing supply. Mr Miliband also ruled out any post-election “deals” between his party and the SNP to get into power. Speaking on the BBC’s […]
The home buying process for first time buyers
How do you buy a property? If you’ve never done it before the process can be daunting. Buying a home means a lot of paperwork, procedures and different people getting involved. Understanding roughly who does what and when before you start can make it less stressful. These are the basic steps to becoming a home owner in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Do your homework Buying a house is a massive investment and getting it just slightly wrong can be […]
Cash buyers and first time buyers dominating UK property sales market
Cash buyers and first time buyers in the UK are more active than any other buyer groups and are driving growth in both housing market transactions and prices, new research shows. The fact that number of cash buyers grew by 33% and the number of first time buyers with a mortgage grew by 23% means that fewer homes are coming onto the market, increasing supply demand anomalies, according to residential agents Hamptons International. It points out that in 2013 some […]
UK house sales set to keep on rising, banks say
The UK’s property market is likely to keep on growing strongly, mortgage lending figures suggest. The British Bankers’ Association (BBA) said total mortgage lending by its members was 38% higher in January than a year ago. The number of mortgages for home buyers which were approved, but not yet lent, was up 57% on a year earlier. The BBA said the revival in activity had been helped particularly by the government’s Help to Buy scheme. “Mortgage borrowing continues to rise […]
UK property sales continue to pick up, says HMRC
UK property sales were 19% higher in March than the same month a year ago as buyers continued to return to the market, figures show. There were 94,080 transactions in the UK, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which also signalled a steady rise in sales during the year so far. Transactions increased in England, Scotland and Wales compared with February. The first months of the year are generally a slow period for sales. However, the seasonally-adjusted data published […]