Further to my earlier blog post asking you to have a look at Peter Fall’s piece about solar PV panels in last Saturday’s Journal. Before diving into an agreement to have them installed there are a few major things things to consider;

– The panels must face south to take advantage of light.
– Anything obstructing full light will diminish effectiveness. (Think trees and buildings etc, that create shade).
– The angle of the roof is critical – the further north, the less energy will be generated, the less return on investment.

There was a report a few years ago that stated anything north of East Anglia didn’t get enough sun to warrant the installation costs.

Finally, any build up of dirt will also reduce the efficiency of panels.

Lots to think about eh?

Excellent piece in Journal on solar PV panels by Peter Fall.

Check it out in Homemaker, 28th April 2012 – Page 41.

More than half of landlords can no longer afford to rent to housing benefit tenants because of cuts to allowances, with seven in ten saying they will not have housing benefit tenants in three years’ time.

The claim has come from the National Landlords Association after it surveyed its members.

The survey showed that 53% of landlords believe Local Housing Allowance cuts have made it unaffordable for them to rent to those on benefits.

Nearly half of landlords (46.9%) believe tenants aged under 35 will be hit hardest by the changes and almost 69% of landlords say they can’t see themselves letting to LHA tenants in 2015.

The LHA cuts have seen maximum rent benefit payments reduced to the 30th percentile of local average market rents rather than the previous 50th percentile.

The age at which a tenant on benefits qualifies for any more than a single room in a shared house has also been raised from 25 to 35, forcing many more people into shared accommodation.

David Salusbury, NLA chairman, said: “It’s concerning that so many landlords appear to be planning to withdraw from the LHA market within just three years, as they can no longer afford to let their properties to tenants at the reduced benefit rate.

“In view of the pressures on housing, the private rented sector will inevitably play an increasingly important role in providing housing to LHA tenants, particularly those aged under 35, who aren’t able to access other housing.

“It is vital that local authorities work with landlords to provide the support services needed to help this demographic, as many are forced to move into shared accommodation.”

pommes dauphinoises in oven. first attempt!

I’ve got it! said Shapps

What have you got Minister?

Igloos!

Igloos Minister?

Yes Humphrey , solve the housing shortage.

But it’s Spring Minister, the snow’s melting.

Tents then.

Tents Minister?

Yes Humphrey, tents.

But we’ve sent them all to Japan Sir, Tsuname you know.

Caravans then Humphrey.

Caravans sir?

Yes Humphrey, contact Butlins.

Butlins Sir, but they’re £1,000 a week in high season.

Builders then Humphrey.

All gone back to Poland Sir.

What are we going to do then Humphrey?

Why don’t we talk to the Estate Agents Sir?

Estate Agents! Can’t trust those buggers.

I’ve been on telly a few times over the years. I get the odd phone call when a property related matter comes up and there is a need for a comment or interview. It can be a bit nerve racking to start with but you get used to it.
We had a property featured in Homes Under The Hammer on the BBC so they rang to see if I was prepared to appear on the show. Anything for a bit of publicity as far as I’m concerned so, naturally, I agreed.

They film the show about six months in advance and they do a “before and after” sequence.

The first time involves the selling agent, which was me, and the second involves me again and another local agent asked to give their opinion on the improved value.

The other firm sent two girls; one who knew the area who didn’t want to appear and one from another office who didn’t but had more nerve.

Well, they must have been up early as they were very well turned out. All lacquered up with blonde hair and the odd bit of cosmetic improvement.
I don’t bother myself. It’s not as easy being a bloke so I just made sure that I had brushed my teeth and generally looked cleanish.

It’s a bit of a faff having to do a few takes while trying to look sensible on camera. It’s so hard trying to just look normal. ” Just go from room to room and generally look around without turning your back”. ” Can you stand on that spot so we can check the light”. Etc..

Anyway, the girls from the other firm tried to put their highly polished company car (emblazoned with their logo) directly in line of the camera to get their product placement spot on, only to be asked by the producer to remove it before filming could take place, as advertising isn’t allowed.

Hee hee.

I think that the show is on around September. I normally watch myself on TV from behind a cushion as it’s a bit scary to see what I really look like. I then promise myself that I must diet as I couldn’t possibly go out again looking that overweight.

Anyway I’ll let you know when it’s on.

• Four Bedrooms – Master with Ensuite
• Extension/Family Room to Rear of Property
• Modern Kitchen with Bosch built in Oven and Hob
• Downstairs Cloakroom
• Integral Garage (Currently used as an Office)
• Popular Residential Estate

House prices are falling again annually as the temporary boost delivered by the stamp duty rush vanished and property values dipped one per cent in March.

The renewed downturn, reported by building society Nationwide, saw house prices fall 0.9 per cent year-on-year on its index – the first annual fall in six months.

Nationwide’s chief economist Robert Gardner said the slowdown seen in March was to be expected, as the removal of the stamp duty break up to £250,000 for first-time buyers hit, although if the economic outlook improved this dampening effect may fade.

But he sounded a word of caution to those expecting any dramatic improvements in a moribund property market.
He said:

‘In our view the challenging economic backdrop is likely to continue to act as a drag, with house prices moving sideways or modestly lower over the next twelve months.’

The monthly decline was the most substantial recorded by Nationwide for two years, however, the significance of this is limited as it was driven by statistical massaging in the form of seasonal adjustment (explained below) and the artificial effect of the stamp duty break ending.

Nationwide said that the stamp duty holiday, which expired on 23 March, ‘had provided a temporary boost to house prices in early 2012 as buyers brought forward purchases that would otherwise have taken place later in the year,’ seeking to save up to £2,500 in tax.

The tax now charges one per cent of the purchase price for all properties costing more than £1250,000 and up to £250,000, when a punitive three per cent levy kicks in, taking the stamp duty bill up to at least £7,500.
Nationwide estimated that around 65% of first-time buyers would pay stamp duty in the coming tax year, meaning they must raise this extra sum on top of already high mortgage deposit requirements.

Nicholas Ayre, director of home buying agents, Home Fusion, said the fractured property market is seeing prices in popular areas supported by a shortage of stock, while elsewhere suffers.

He said:

‘Annual prices are back in the red for the first time in six months but, hand on heart, that’s probably where they belong.

‘It’s a fair assessment that overall prices will move sideways and modestly lower over the course of the next year. But as ever, certain areas will defy economic conditions and prove robust, while other areas will go into freefall.’

Nationwide has also released figures for the first three months of 2012, which showed house prices rising annually in seven out of the 13 UK regions.

The North saw the strongest growth, with a 0.6% rise taking the average house price to £114,828.
Wales saw the biggest drop, with a 3.1% dip dragging typical prices to £129,682.

Meanwhile London, which recorded the strongest year-on-year price rise at 2.3%, saw a 0.7% dip in house prices over the three months, taking average prices to £293,375.

Nationwide said the return of an average £1,800 stamp duty bill for first-time buyers would, ‘pose a further headwind to housing market activity in an already challenging environment.’

It added that the new seven per cent stamp duty levy for homes costing more than £2m introduced in the Budget would also have an effect, albeit modest, given the small number of properties hit. It said that in 2010 there were 4,000 such transactions, accounting for just 0.5% of total residential property transactions in the UK.

Source: The Guardian

Surprise, surprise… http://t.co/aZDGFAjE