News Archive - Mar 2007 - Buildstore

Some 36 per cent of Brits are relying on their home as their main source of money after retirement, according to a new study. Research by Rated Trade...

Buy-to-let is a controversially popular way of purchasing a property at the moment but one expert says that it can benefit young people by providing b...

Shopping "with a conscience" is getting more popular as the twin issues of climate change and social responsibility grow in prominence in th...

The green mortgage market is growing because stamp duty exemption on carbon neutral homes is providing the incentive for people to think green, accord...

Despite a dip in profits over the last year, the DIY sector is currently enjoying a return to favour with the home improvement market stabilising and ...

Planning permission is the biggest obstacle which keen self-builders face in what is generally a "relatively cheap option" in terms of housi...

Self-building a property can be a potentially lucrative endeavour as many bespoke homes reach far higher prices in the property market than non-self-b...

Scottish consumers are finding it increasingly difficult to secure an affordable property for themselves, according to the leader of the city council ...

Housing developers on plots of land in Edinburgh are set to face more a more stringent mandate to produce adequately sound-proofed homes. While the S...

A council planning committee is being encouraged to call for the removal of a building near Sheffield last year which it is thought is being used for ...

Previous interest rate rises are starting to bring about a cooling effect in the housing market, economic experts have identified. Interest rates hav...

A not-for-profit company created by the government to deal with waste strategy in the UK has found that off-site manufacture of parts for homes could ...

Providing affordable homes in Scotland needs to be a priority for the government to address, Shelter Scotland has said. According to the charity, som...

Building constructors in Wales need to make the most of the opportunity to regenerate areas of the country. According to Bob Croydon, partner in char...

The first totally sustainable Earthship home has been mooted for development on land in a small village in Normandy, France. The premise of the Earth...

A mooted development in the west of Edinburgh has been urged to be provided with some clarification. According to Pamela Grant, development director ...

Aspirational Britons have plans to spend a collective £153 billion on home improvement projects in the future, according to new research carried ...

A number of new homes in the Hamer district of Rochdale have been fitted with new energy-saving features, a move which could set a precedent for futur...

Council housing tenants in Hull could be set to benefit from a £200 million project to improve homes in the area. Under the partnership between ...

Demand for green energy is soaring so much among the UK public that many of the UK''''''''s biggest firms are apparently running short of supply. Firm...

Investing in industrial property in some parts of Manchester is a veritable gold mine, according to one property expert. John Sullivan, a senior surv...

In a spot of good luck for DIY enthusiasts it seems that not all renovation work needs planning permission, according to property experts. There are ...

The advice is to always check with your local authorities whether your proposed home renovations are allowed before you begin so that you know whether...

A dramatic change in Britain''''''''s housing stock is taking place because local planning authorities are not allowing property developers to build more ...

It is mainly young people who are buying new homes because young city slickers want to live in small apartments, according to one property expert. Th...

The long Easter weekend is coming up and the four days off work are a great opportunity to partake in some home renovation. The Federation of Master ...

Chancellor Gordon Brown provided a series of measures to help encourage the building of low carbon homes yesterday in his 11th Budget speech. First ...

There has been a drop in new home asking prices caused by consumer confidence being battered by interest rate rises, according to one property expert....

One more thing to check before embarking on that pet DIY project of yours is whether you are covered by your home insurance policy for any mishaps to...

There are some 370,000 protected buildings in the UK and many consider it a matter of kudos to buy one and renovate it. However you should be warned ...

Only a listed property has benefits, according to one property expert. Simon French, from independent property consultants Lane Fox, says that the sa...

A £25 gadget has been touted as the answer to saving greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the amount of energy your home uses up. Called the e-...

Chancellor Gordon Brown is expected to outline a new tax called the Planning Gain Supplement when he reveals his new budget tomorrow. Also know as th...

The UK''''''''s property market has seen a rise in confidence since the corresponding interest rate rise, according to the latest figures. Propertyfinder...

When embarking on any DIY work which concerns wood it is important to take some safety precautions because wood dust can cause cancer and is the seco...

More needs to be done to encourage energy efficient housing according to one property expert today. John Mason, the head of policy and communication ...

The Chancellor Gordon Brown is due to unveil his latest budget on Wednesday but changes to stamp duty are unlikely, according to one expert. Colin Ta...

The cheapest street in the UK is situated in Middlesbrough and a house on it costs an average of £21,290, according to a new report. Houseprice....

Chancellor Gordon Brown will be delivering his budget on Wednesday and many are expecting it to contain money for granting microgeneration funds for l...

The estimates for new homes needed in the UK has risen with the number of extra households needed each year expected to rise to 220,000, according to ...

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has announced that the UK property market is showing signs of cooling. The growth of property pri...

If you are a DIY enthusiast who likes nothing more than spending a weekend renovating your home then be careful because new research has highlighted h...

Thousands of Brits may be unsuspectingly hit by a cold snap predicted to occur next week, according to one report. The Met Office is warning of arcti...

Manchester looks to be a lucrative place to build a house, buy some land or purchase a home because lots of important developments have been announced...

Due to the rise in property websites and more people getting online, it seems that selling your home privately is cutting out the middle man and becom...

The proposed England-wide revaluation of properties in new council tax bands has aroused some intense opposition according to one expert. Blair Gibbs...

Council tax bands are expected to be readjusted soon after a new inquiry into the current system is released on March 21st. The bands have not been e...

The government is to put history at the forefront of its planning legislation, according to its latest white paper entitled Heritage Protection for th...

If you want to increase the value of your property by renovating it or adding an extra room then consider a loan which may eventually make you a prof...

Flat pack houses could become a reality in the UK but only if land becomes cheaper, according to an expert. Swedish firms Ikea and Skanska have colla...

Local communities are too often excluded from participating in the property development planning of their areas, according to one expert. Andy Kliman...

The destruction of Britain''''''''s green spaces needs to be stopped because green space equivalent to 2,755 Wembley football pitches will be wiped out by...

A regeneration scheme on the outskirts of Swansea''''''''s city centre has been named runner up in a prestigious national competition for home improvemen...

Water leaks are costing Brits around £1.8 billion every year with some 17 million Brits affected by them in the last five years, according to new...

An area which you might not have yet considered when looking to buy a plot of land or renovate a property is Belfast, but the city is currently enjoyi...

Couples who cohabit their home but are unmarried may be at risk from being stung by inheritance tax if one of them dies, according to a new study. Ad...

Greenbelt land can be a risky investment because it is not yet known whether the government will relax the restrictions which prohibit property develo...

The housing shortage in the UK is an urban myth because there is only actually a shortage of affordable homes, according to one property expert. Paul...

The UK''''''''s vast supply of greenbelt land should be opened for property development, according to one property expert. Pierre Williams is the spokesm...

Micro regeneration schemes where you convert your home to a den of energy efficiency needn''''''''t be the preserve of the rich, according to one expert. ...

If you are a landlord and you want to avoid inheritance tax then you should classify your properties as trade properties in order to get 100 per cent ...

Public awareness of the importance of making homes energy efficient is increasing with more people seeking microgeneration grants, according to expert...

House prices are most speedily rising for terraced properties in comparison to other types of property, according to new research. Halifax Estate Age...

Local authorities are under pressure to plan for new homes under their jurisdiction in order to quell serious housing pressures and new eco-towns may ...

Over the next six months some six per cent of British adults are planning to buy a new home, according to one report. The property website mform runs...

The government should make better use of planning laws so that city living does not encourage the onset of health problems like obesity and asthma, ac...

Privately conducted house sales are on the rise and will continue to increase in number over the next few years, according to a new report. Property ...

A story which may be of interest to DIY enthusiasts is that of the ongoing battle to curb the ambitious plans of property developers to build skyscrap...

One technological innovation which may be welcomed by tradesmen and other DIY enthusiasts is the new iPod and toolbox integration system. Created by ...

The UK will not be able to meet its targets of all homes being zero carbon by 2016, according to a new poll. Research by UCB Home Loans has found tha...

A new eco-friendly development in the centre of Bury St Edmunds has been given the green light. Built by the Havebury Housing Partnership, the £...

Increasing numbers of homeowners are experiencing the burden of stamp duty on the back of increasing house prices, new research shows. Figures releas...

Plots of land in the Welsh countryside are displaying increasing demand from outside investors, new research shows. Figures released by the Royal Ins...

Prospective homeowners who slept overnight in their cars to ensure that they would have first offering on a number of new homes near Aberdeen have not...

The long running BBC TV show''''''''s slogan "Everybody needs a good neighbour" might just be an important priority for many Britons. A new sur...

Revised plans for the Wiltshire town of Trowbridge are set to be unveiled. Following the decision to reject a proposal submitted to West Wiltshire Di...

Plots of land at the renowned Gleneagles hotel in Scotland are selling for over £1 million the first time that the seven figure sum has been bre...

A Plymouth-based regeneration project has won a prestigious award at a ceremony in London for the success of its planning. Devonport garnered the Sus...

Tesco should be made to sell its undeveloped land in UK towns, according to rival supermarket chain Sainsbury''''''''s. The chief executive of Sainsbury''...

Britain is turning into a nation of nomads with the average person swapping homes 16 times in a lifetime, according to a new report. This is about 11...

A handyman in Lancashire has set up his own website of DIY tips to help out people who want to give home improvements a go. Chez Rossi from Darwen wo...

A self-build home which was created in just 12 weeks has gone on show at the new National Self Build and Renovation Centre in Swindon. The house was ...

Landlords who want to sell their properties to key workers or first time buyers should be given tax breaks, according to one property expert. The gov...

Excessive fees for closing mortgages may be coming to an end because the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has told lenders that they must be able to...

Making new builds carbon neutral may take longer than is expected, according to builders in the UK. A report by the Home Builders'''''''' Federation (HBF...