Online House Hunter: Spotlight on prime markets

A four-bedroom property on the market with Savills in Weybridge

THE expected wisdom is that the revival in the housing market in London will spread out to the regions and within a year or two everything in the UK housing markt will once again be rosy. So with the prime London market increasing over the last quarter (according to Savills) by 8.7 per cent it’s a tad worrying that UK prices fell by 3.3 per cent.

The growth in London is due in part to London being seen as a good investment by international buyers who are also wooed by the weak pound.

“We would normally expect to see a flow of equity out of London in the wake of price recovery in the capital, but that is not yet happening,” says Lucian Cook, director of Savills residential research. “It’s not that domestic owners have stopped trading up, but they are trading up within London and the flow of City money that would normally be the lifeblood of markets such as Guildford is staying put in Parsons Green.”

Cornwall, for example, saw values fall by around 16 per cent during the course of 2011 but even the south east as a whole lost around two percent. Savills also highlight the north-south divide playing its part with prime residential prices in the Midlands and the North 24 per cent below their 2007 peak. And they expect this “under performance” to continue throughout 2012.

The plus-side of this, of course, is that prices in the country prime market should represent good value for money. And Savills also expect prices in the prime property market to outperform mainstream house prices over the next five years – not least, of course, because this market has less reliance on mortgage finance.

A few areas outside London did see price increases during 2011 – these include Sunningdale, Weybridge and Henley with rises of about two per cent.

USEFUL LINKS:

• Independent Property Search Engine
• Independent Property section
• Properties for sale in Sunningdale
• Properties for sale in Weybridge
• Properties for sale in Henley
• Savills prime regional report

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• Daniel Johns

  Is BMV properties a Scam?

  There are ways to save money and one of them is “not to lose due to greed”.

  Now a days there are various companies offering you to take advantage of recession and provide you with “below market value / BMV properties”, some of the names are Choices Acquisitions part of bigger group and also operate as choices co uk estate agents, fasttrackproperty, Axis etc (google bmv properties).
  Most companies have free or reasonable membership fee (below £100) should you decide to become their member but some are over the top!!

  Over the TOP would ask you for 2 levels of membership, to get Auction listings you pay £250 and to be their so called “retained client” you pay £1800, yes £1800!!

  You will be made aware of lots of below market value property deals which can earn you or save you money and the aim is to get you on board as a client with positive feedback from (internet) clients you do not know or have any reference of. When you are up for the membership, you will be asked to provide your account or credit or, debit card details. Now be very careful here, sales people will be very fast, enthusiastic and quick enough to want you to confirm or “activate the membership” over the phone the moment you’ve given your financial details. 

  Remember, once you have paid the “membership” money and activated your account you can never ever claim it back, “better think it’s lost” or stolen if you can live with that

  What are the real benefits in becoming a paid member, none!, Why?

  1. Auction properties: You can get them for free from any auction site, it’s simply free. 
       Call the auctioneers and they will be happy to provide you with the list via email or mail they have to sell their stuff to you and make commission, don’t they.

  2. Some will tempt you as their retained client:- If by any chance you decided to become their retained client (where you are promised the listing of property 1st) by parting with £1800, you will be asked to “commit” to the property you have never seen in your life so that can be taken off the market. 
      
  The moment you said yes, you are obliged to pay them their 2.5% commission upfront + any deposit required to secure the property (normally 10 percent).
      
  Now who in their right minds would agree to even commit to buy a property not viewed and give the fees upfront, which again cannot be “claimed back” !!
     
  What if the property you bought has major repair works OR     
     
  Annoying neighbours, you might need some kind of insurance to protect you for few BMV deals. This could be the reason it was sold at less value in the first place. 
     
  Leasehold flats in London unless in high profile areas of Kensington etc are very hard to sell if lease is below 80 years so beware on that too, properties are normally 15-20 percent cheaper already because of this.

  So few rules to remember when you are dealing with any company who asks you for membership fees and their commission or any form of payment upfront without the facility of viewing.

  Stay away from companies who asks for fees to be their client.

  Do not commit to anything over the phone!! In some and you can lose all your money paid!
  Only ask for written invoice and then decide should you get tempted for this money loosing “adventure”. Companies have “cooling off” period but if the invoice you receive is later then “cooling off” period? 

  Do not give your account details over the phone, once gone, they are out of your hand.

  Do not pay upfront anything. If they want you as a client they can show you the property and give you a timeframe of 24 hrs to decide to put offer.

  Do not commit to or pay their fees upfront to BUY the property, only on exchange of contracts as that might never happen if the vendor decided to back out!

  All the above points are only for you to be safe and how to save money in current climate and put it to better use. 

  You can search about some companies by googling their name and on sites like: moneysavingexpert and singingpig and newspaper site guardian, observer and property-system.

  Take care