News Archive - Nov 2008 - Buildstore

When it comes to selecting a plot for a self build it has been said that "location is everything". David Bates, business development ...

It is wrong to suggest that Home information Packs (Hips) are responsible for the slowdown of the housing market, an industry website has claimed. ...

It has been suggested that in the current economic climate, zero per cent interest rates are "not impossible". Potential self builders who ...

Fresh from being selected as the best place to live in Britain, the Mayor of Elmbridge, Surrey, continues to champion the area as a "first-class ...

Interest rates could fall to at least one per cent by the end of 2009, analyst group Defaqto has forecast. Economist at the group Michael Baxter has...

A leading economist has claimed that many people with a self build mortgage will benefit from the Monetary Policy Committee''s recent interest rate...

Despite news from Nationwide this week that house prices falls are moderating, a leading expert has suggested that there will be no quick upturn. F...

November saw house price falls begin to ease, according to Nationwide. The UK building society''s monthly index has revealed that prices fell by 0.4...

Home building company Barratt has reported a massive slowdown in the demand for mass-produced homes. The company''s £817.7 million forward order...

A new study has found that despite the economic downturn, ethical home expenditure is bucking the trend and rising steadily. Research by the Co-opera...

Self build enthusiasts may be interested in an unusual new site coming onto the market on the Isle of Wight. On Monday, December 8th, 2008, esta...

While the prospect of recession might not be good news for everyone in the property market, it could be good news for those who want to buy a plot ...

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said it is in talks with the prime minister over possible cuts to VAT for maintenance and renovation wor...

An innovative approach to self build is to take an existing home, knock it down and build a larger one, it has been suggested. The Mail has sugges...

Self building is a great way for people to reveal their creative side, it has been suggested. The Daily Mail has pointed out that the cost of self ...

Households should be given the equivalent of a car''s MOT to establish their energy-efficient credentials, it has been suggested. Government scienti...

Potential self builders who are concerned about the impact they have on the environment could save tonnes of CO2 by installing efficient insulation in...

A competition to see how architects would tackle the problem of building on flood plains could offer insight to prospective self builders. Four winn...

A new survey has revealed that 24 per cent of people in the UK want to sell their home and move somewhere else. Brits that choose to embark on a se...

A sustainable housing project in the Norfolk is set to utilise the latest technology in its construction. The Suffolk Housing Society project in Thet...

A family who built their own home into a hill are starting to reap the benefits of their seven-year self build project. Phil and Charlotte Newby an...

Injecting elements of self build into property construction projects could kick-start the flailing housing market, one expert suggests. Speaking ...

New research has found that British households use around 40 per cent of their annual energy over the winter months. However, over half a million Bri...

The mortgage market is returning to normality after being too eager to lend money over the past two years, an expert has claimed. Barney McCarthy, ...

An energy-efficiency expert has suggested that it is not rocket science to save energy in a home. Simon Church of eaga, a leading provider of residen...

Self builders could be glad to hear of a new report that is urging for a cutting of red tape in the planning process. The Killian Pretty review - led...

Now could be the best time for people to take on a self build project, according to one expert. David Snell, author of Building Your Own House, su...

The dark cloud of falling property prices could have a silver lining for people interested in what self build has to offer, according to one exper...

New research has found that 22 per cent of over-55s sell their homes and downsize to boost their retirement funds. Almost half of Britons are worrie...

One expert has claimed that things are looking up for first-time buyers. The current crisis in the property market is a boon for anyone looking to ...

Self builders who are looking for a plot of land for their project could take a peek at Elmbridge in Surrey. Residents in Elmbridge enjoy the bes...

A new housing scheme in Nottingham includes roofs that have been layered with plants, which could provide inspiration for self builders everywhere. B...

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has revealed that 1.44 per cent of home loans were a minimum of three months in arrears, as at the end of Se...

New figures reveal that the number of homes being repossessed has increased by 12 per cent. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has released qua...

One couple has reportedly spent £150,000 building their own home, which is now worth £300,000. Nicky and David Abraham, a pair in their la...

New statistics have revealed that the number of housing starts in the September quarter is down by almost half, compared to last year. There were ap...

The British Insurance Brokers'' Association (BIBA) has urged the government to work with the insurance industry to ensure households are protecte...

One way to free up space in a home is to build a conservatory and use it as an open-plan kitchen/diner, it has been claimed. By building a south-fac...

Partially underground homes are reportedly in fashion with self builders in the UK. Subterranean homes are discreet, energy-efficient and are full o...

New figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) show that gross mortgage lending totalled an estimated £18.7 billion in October. T...

The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) has proposed a number of initiatives to strengthen the domestic property market. According to t...

Builders cutting down on the supply of housing will only increase the need for new properties, according to one expert. The self build sector coul...

A new study has revealed that many borrowers have very few ideas regarding how they are going to pay back their loans . This lack of financial plan...

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is calling on Alistair Darling to reduce VAT from 17.5 per cent to five per cent on repairs and maintenance wo...

A recent survey found that 44 per cent of women are paying a mortgage , compared to 37 per cent of men. The Fairinvestment.co.uk survey found that ...

The average asking price of a home fell again in November to £229,979, according to Rightmove. This figure is down 7.1 per cent year on year an...

Greig and Kathleen Munro have designed an ecohome with sheep''s wool insulation and solar-heat collector panels, it has been reported. The pair buil...

Anyone considering creating extra space could remove one of their home''s walls, it has been claimed. Representatives of the South West Homebuilding...

Half of the 50 most expensive streets in Britain are located in Kensington and Chelsea, it has emerged. Any self builders looking to pick up a cheap...

The self build sector is one that could benefit from the property slump and economic decline, according to theHousePlanner. Chris Martin, an arc...

Converting a loft is reportedly the most economically viable way to create space in a home. Properties built before the 1960s usually have a timber ...

A self build home can say a lot about you so a lot of time should be invested in making it more bespoke, it has been claimed. According to interio...

The worst of the London property market slump is over, FindaProperty.com has claimed. Michael O''Flynn, content editor for the site , said that a...

Despite the credit crunch, families still grow and situations change, which puts pressure on the size of your home, it has been claimed. One way to ...

An environmentalist has managed to grow bananas in his ecohome, which he believes is the most energy efficient house in the world, it has been reporte...

The property sector in the UK is never motionless as it is always a buyers'' market or a sellers'' market, Briffy.com has said. David Amstell of t...

Homeowners that live in a listed building who want to extend and upgrade the property could save on VAT, according to theHousePlanner. Chris Marti...

Lenders can repossess a borrower''s home if they miss two monthly payments, the High Court has ruled. The ruling allows lenders to sidestep reposses...

In its UK housing market survey, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) says expectations that sales will improve over the next three month...

Two in five Brits fail to regularly check for fire hazards in the home, according to new research from Halifax Home Insurance Self builders have t...

The city of Bristol has been selected as the most sustainable in Britain in the second annual Sustainable Cities Index. Anyone considering a green ...

Potential buyers looking to climb up the property ladder should act right now, says David Amstell of Briffy.com. According to Mr Amstell, anybody ...

Home improvers looking to increase the size of their property should consider a loft conversion, according to one expert. Adding a loft conversion...

According to the House price index by Halifax, house prices fell by 2.2 per cent in October. Year on year, the value of a typical property has red...

It is important that self builders and architects employ sustainable design features on their new properties, MBM Arquitectes say. David Mackay, par...

When the housing market recovers there is likely to be a significant recovery, according to one expert. Celebrity property expert Phil Spencer sug...

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has today voted to reduce interest rates by 1.5 percentage points. This cut to three per c...

The self build sector is a vital element of the housing market with self builds accounting for approximately 12 per cent of all completions, accordi...

The current property market is a "buying moment" and represents a good opportunity those who are embarking on a self build to pick up a ...

The London housing market could be helped by realistic house prices, according to the latest Haart London Index. In October, the average London house...

There are a myriad of reasons for the current economic predicament and irresponsible mortgage lending just one of these, according to the Money Advi...

The Campaign to Protect Rural England is calling for the UK''s ecotown programme to be reduced. According to the CPRE, the government should focus on...

Last month''s 0.5 per cent base rate cut has not been passed on fully to the standard variable rate (SVR) customers of 34 lenders, it has been reporte...

British Eco Energy has advised that homeowners need to balance their costs when it comes to energy saving features. A spokesperson for British Eco En...

In today''s market, location is paramount and the site of your home can add thousands to its value, or take thousands away, it has been reported. ...

There were 279,281 empty private homes in England in April 2007, according to the fifth annual Halifax survey. Although this figure is nine per cent...

A recent survey from FindaProperty.com revealed that 28 per cent of chain property transactions in the UK fell through last year. Close to half (4...

Homeowners looking to sell should take affirmative steps to deal positively with the property slump, suggests an expert. Miles Shipside, commerci...

Deciding to build your own home could help you avoid the trap of negative equity, it has been suggested. Laura Howard of the Times said that people w...

With mortgage products drying up, building your own home could lead to substantial savings, it has been reported. The Scotsman has claimed that a ...

Large areas of Britain''s green and pleasant land are under threat because of the government''s rigid plans for housing developments, warns the Camp...

There is a "reasonable" possibility that interest rates could hit zero per cent next year, according to Defaqto. Mr Baxter, economist at De...