Tag Archives: Housing Market

MOVING HOUSE TO CANTERBURY? LEARN ABOUT THE CITY

9 February 2018 Colin Batt Removals Comment

Are you thinking about moving to Canterbury, Kent or have you just moved there? This beautifully historic city has much to offer. In fact, some call Canterbury the jewel in Kent’s crown. It has some amazing history, combined with a youthful vibrancy that is hard to match. Whether you’re into café culture, architecture, education or an energetic nightlife, Canterbury is hard to beat.

Canterbury Tales

The heart of the historic city is obviously the Cathedral. You only have to walk around the grounds, through the cloisters and view the stain glass windows to realise why this city is ranked as a World Heritage Site. Other cultural attractions you should visit include the Marlowe Theatre and Canterbury Museums and don’t forget to visit Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales .

Canterbury is the second most visited city in England. This brings lots of benefits and money into the area but the downside is overcrowding at times. Over 160,000 vehicles enter the city every day, creating lots of congestion around the ring road and feeder routes. The good news is there is a plentiful supply of museums, shops and entertainment for all to enjoy. If you are into shopping check out the cobbled streets around The King’s Mile, the Millennium Shopping and Leisure Centre or you could visit the refurbished Marlowe Arcade.

Cost of Moving

At the time of writing the average property price in Canterbury, according to Zoopla, is £341,219. Semi-detached properties were selling for £280,825 and terraced houses achieved an average value of £275,336. Over the last year the city has seen house prices increase by 4.42%, period properties demand a premium. If you can afford it, check out the areas around St Dunstan’s or Old Dover Road. Moving out of the city – check out Chartam or Wye.

Education

If you are worried about education, the city has 11 schools rated good or above by Ofsted. The primary schools Blean and St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic and secondary schools Simon Langton’s Boys’ Grammar and Barton Court Grammar are all rated as ‘outstanding’.

Don’t forget that Canterbury is also served by a great family removal company, us – Colin Batt Removals. So if you like what you’ve read, give us a call and we’ll come and give you a free no-obligation quote for your move. Click here to read more about our removals services.

Leave us a comment and let us know what you think of this great city and what it is like to live there.

House removals

Where can you afford to live?

2 June 2015 Colin Batt Removals Comment

Thinking of Moving House? Not sure where you can afford to live? Well the BBC have put together a very handy calculator to show you where your budget could take you. By entering in some basic details like the size of house, your available deposit and your monthly mortgage budget the tool will show you where you can afford to live in the country. It will also show you whether it would be cheaper to rent or buy.

As we all know the affordability of housing varies greatly across the UK and also depends on your preference to rent or buy. The calculator factors your selections and produces a result based on data compiled from the Land Registry, Bank of England, surveyors and landlords. The house prices and rental data are taken from the period October 2014 to March 2015.

The results from the calculation are presented in graphical form, using a map of the UK, highlighting all the local authorities where you could afford to live. The mortgage calculation assumes that you have a house deposit of 5%, thus the calculator will be pessimistic if you have managed to save up a deposit greater than 5%.

House prices vary greatly across the country but also within areas. Factors such as education catchment areas, transport links and job opportunities. Remember that this calculator uses the averages for each local authority, you may find that there are variations within each district which would make the area more or less affordable. This calculator is a great broad guide but each house in the country is priced differently and so do not give up hope if your dream area appears too expensive.

Remember to get professional financial advice to check that you can truly afford the mortgage you want. This tool does not replace the need for sound finical planning when making a large decision like buying a house or flat, a change in the interest rate can dramatically affect your monthly mortgage payments. Also bear in mind that there are extra costs, other than mortgage payments, to consider when moving house. Please read our ‘Cost of Moving House’ article to learn more.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23234033

Property News

First Time Buyers on the Rise

16 February 2015 Colin Batt Removals Comment

The number of first time buyers has risen to its highest level in the UK since the beginning of the recession in 2007. According to Halifax the number of first time buyers topped 326,500 in 2014, an increase of 22% compared to the previous year. Experts say that this increase has been the result of an improving economy and governmental polices such as the Help to Buy Scheme. Good signs if you’re looking to move house in 2015.

House Price Affordability for First time Buyers

Although house prices have continued to rise, first time buyers are finding house purchases more affordable. They are benefiting from low mortgage rates and reduced deposit requirements, Halifax say average deposits have reduced by 7% last year.

Whilst house prices have on average increased by 9% first time buyers now spend 31% of their disposable income on mortgages, down from 47% in 2007. Overall mortgage affordability has improved since the recession and is helping first-time buyers to get on the ladder. More people entering the market means more movement everywhere, more home moves and more house removals. Good for us all.

It is an interesting to see that the average age of first time buyers has risen from 28 in 2009 to 30 in 2014, with the average being 32 in London. The average house price paid by first-time buyers rose 9% to nearly £172 000 and about 80% of those using the Help to Buy scheme are first time buyers. This obviously means that people are either renting or living with their parents for longer. Hopefully we will see a reversal in this trend allowing more people to move into their own homes earlier.

The data produced by Halifax has shown that the growth in the number of first-time buyers has steadily increased for the last 3 years. All of this points to growing confidence in the current housing market and the overall economy, first time buyers are essential for a healthy and properly functioning housing market.

This is all good news if you’re looking to move home in 2015. With more potential house buyers entering the market, there will be more house moves all round. We are here to help with any aspect of your house removal if you do plan to move house in 2015.

More Homeowners Moved House in 2014 than have since 2007

1 February 2015 Colin Batt Removals Comment

More people moved house last year than have in the last seven years, according to the latest Lloyds Bank Homeowners Review. In total an estimated 365,400 people moved house in 2014, up 8% on 2013. This is good news for the housing market and demonstrates the growing levels of confidence.

Moved House Prices Up

Lloyds report that house prices also rose 8% in 2014. This is good news for people previously in negative equity and it also makes it easier for people to make their next move up the property ladder. As Andy Hulme, Lloyds Bank mortgages director, said:

The resulting higher levels of equity in their property are providing homeowners with more funds to finance the purchase of their next home.

The number of people who moved house has grown by 16% since the bottom of the housing depression in 2009. Even though the number who moved house has increased over the last few years, it is still way below the record set in 2004 (886,700) and just above the average between 2004 and 2007 (717,025).

Lloyds predict that house prices will continue to rise in 2015 allowing those people who bought properties at the peak of the housing boom to move back into positive equity. This should all help to keep the housing market moving and allow people to continue to climb the property ladder. The expectation is the 2015 results will show more people moved house yet again.

Whilst that is all positive, there remains a regional pricing divide for those trying to get on the second rung of the housing ladder. In the South East house house prices have risen by 33% in the last 5 years and London has seen 50% growth, vice price changes of 16% and 14% in the North and in Wales respectively.

The report provides an indication of how busy the housing market is again becoming, as well as all the associated businesses, such as estate agents, solicitors and, of course, removal companies. Therefore anyone looking to move home should plan well ahead and book the services of their preferred agents and house removals firms as early as possible. The earlier you contact your removal company the sooner they can begin to help you manage your move, even if you haven’t got a moving date.

Were you one of the lucky ones that moved house in 2014? If so we’d love to know what your 3 top tips are for moving house. We’ll collate the results and pass them on to future house movers.

www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/globalassets/documents/media/press-releases/lloyds-bank/2015/150117-homemover-review-2015-final.pdf

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Kent Ranked Highly as ‘Best Places to Live’ by The Telegraph

30 August 2014 Colin Batt Removals

KENT RANKS HIGHLY AS ONE OF THE ‘BEST PLACES’ TO LIVE IN ENGLAND AND WALES

Kent has scored extremely well overall in a recent ‘Best Places to Live’ index produced by the The Telegraph. The index was constructed using average weekly incomes, crime rates, health, home ownership, and economic activity.

We know that when moving house local crime rates, health chances and incomes play a big factor in your decisions. This index provides a simple ‘at-a-glance’ overview of the areas where you live. The good news is that Kent has at least 6 areas in the top 10% of best places to live from Tonbridge & Malling to Maidstone and Medway. The table below shows the highlights but he full index can be found at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11041812/Mapped-the-best-places-to-live-in-England-and-Wales.html

Area	Ranking (Out of 7137)	Ranking %
Ashford	903	13%
Canterbury	1182	17%
Gravesham	907	13%
Maidstone	651	9%
Medway	245	3%
Sevenoaks	380	5%
Tonbridge & Malling	77	1%
Tonbridge Wells	119	2%
Wealden	347	5%

Figures accurate as of 19 August 2014.