It is a fairly obvious statement and most houses that I visit are fitted with them but very often they are not in working order. Quite often the batteries have been removed to prevent false alarms when the toast burns. Alarms should be tested regularly in accordance with the manufacturers instructions and you must ensure that they are installed in the correct position.
Detectors do not last forever and some should be changed at least every 10 years. Ideally install new detectors when moving into a new home – it is only a very small cost on the scale of things. Also consider having linked
Sir Mervyn King, the outgoing governor of the Bank of England warns that a government plan to boost the housing market should not become permanent, saying there “was no place in the long run” for Chancellor George Osborne’s Help to Buy scheme.
The scheme whereby the government will guarantee up to 15% of a mortgage on properties worth up to £600,000 is due to run from Jan 2014 for three years. The idea is that it will provide help for buyers that cannot afford a big deposit in order to get a mortgage.
The Council of Mortgage Lenders says that the buy-to-let sector now accounts for a record portion of mortgage loans in the UK according to data from mortgage lenders.
Property investors have been attracted by low interest rates and high rents thus fuelling the demand for property suitable for letting.
More families are shunning full building surveys so they can raise enough cash to buy a home
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) warns that that purchasers are risking nasty surprises and huge repair costs by not obtaining a pre-purchase survey.One in five of those who did not bother obtaining a survey later uncovered faults, according to research involving more than 1,000 buyers conducted by ComRes for the RICS.
Remedial work cost £5,750
Increase In First Time Buyer Activity , says CML
A more stable and “positive” year in the UK housing and mortgage markets can be expected in 2013, a lenders’ group has said. Increased activity in the number of first time buyers has been reported in Wales, London and other areas of the UK. Data showed that first time house buyers are regaining their confidence and re-entering the housing market.
Customers Comments
Below is a selection of comments that clients have kindly provided following surveys.
