Property Surveys & Valuations News

Buy a property with your eyes open, says Mike
It’s a fact that fewer than 30% of property buyers don’t bother to get a Building Survey of their intended home – assuming that a mortgage valuation is sufficient security. And that, says Manning Stainton’s Professional Services Director Mike Andrews, can lead to major headaches down the line.
15th February 2008

Property News - Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Housing Market Survey - December 2007
Sentiment in the housing market deteriorated further in December with the balance of surveyors turning the most negative since November 1992. 49.1% more surveyors reported a fall in prices than a rise, compared to 40.6% reporting a decline in November. Falls in the price balance are being driven simultaneously by weakening property demand and greater supply.
RICS Economies - December 2007

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Housing Market Survey - November 2007
Sentiment in the housing market deteriorated further in November, with the balance of surveyors turning the most negative since May 2005. For the three months to November, 40.6% more surveyors reported a fall in prices than a rise, compared to 23.4% reporting a decline in October. Falls in the price balance are being driven by weakening property demand, although supply, whilst still contracting, is not falling as quickly as in recent months.
RICS Economies - November 2007

RICS Housing Market Survey - November 2007
Data released this month showed that despite the recent drama in financial markets, the economy ploughed on regardless, indeed it actually accelerated. According to the Office for National Statistics said, the UK economy grew at its fastest annual pace in more than three years between July and September.
1st November 2007

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Housing Market Survey - October 2007
Sentiment in the housing market deteriorated further in October. For the three months to October, 22.2% more surveyors reported a fall in prices than a rise. Falls in the price balance are being driven by weakening demand, though supply remains very constrained in the light of the solid economic fundamentals. Surveyors reported price falls across all regions in England and Wales except for London, where price growth has yet to turn negative. Outside England and Wales, price growth in Scotland cooled markedley though it remains positive, while in Northern Ireland, surveyors also reported large declines.However there is a good deal of property coming onto the market for sale in Leeds and Wakefield with many estate agents.
RICS Economies - October 2007

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Housing Market Survey - August 2007
According to Chartered surveyors house price growth turned marginally negative in August for the first time since October 2005. Demand continued to weaken as rising interest rates weighed on buyer affordability, although supply remains constrained on the back of strong economic fundamentals. In Northern Ireland price growth turned negative, but it has picked up in Scotland. London is now seeing the strongest price growth in the UK, where momentum has abated only slightly since the beginning of the year.
RICS Economies August 2007

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Housing Market Survey - July 2007
House price growth edged up in July, moving just above the moderate pace recorded in June. House prices are increasing slightly faster in Northern Ireland than in London, though in both regions price growth is still very strong. In Scotland, price growth nearly halved.
RICS Economies July 2007

RICS Comment on Interest Rate Decision
This latest increase in UK interest rates will further dampen housing demand going forward as first time buyers find their borrowing constrained, and households who are coming to the end of their fixed rate deals face a big increase in their monthly payments. In fact, someone with a £100,000 mortgage who is coming off a 2 year fixed rate deal in the next few months will face an increase of around £100 in their monthly repayments.
6th July 2007

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Housing Market Survey - June 2007
House price growth eased in June to half the pace of the previous month. The national price balance fell below the property survey’s long run average for the first time since the mini-boom began in early 2006. Supply conditions showed a turn around, with new instructions falling sharply in June as many vendors had brought forward their instructions into May because of the prospective introduction of HIPs.
RICS Economics June 2007

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Comment on CML Mortgage Lending Figures
Although lending has edged up on the previous month the early summer always sees an increase in house sales activity, meaning we should not read too much into the monthly change.
25th June 2007

Property Leeds, Wakefield, WetherbyRoyal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Housing Market Survey - May 2007
Prices of houses for sale reverted back to a slowing trend in May after regaining some momentum over the past quarter, but it is still above the property survey’s long run average. This month’s slowdown in price growth comes amid a surge in new property supply, though underlying demand conditions are holding up in light of a strong economy. Strongest price growth continues in Scotland, Northern Ireland and London.West yorkshire , including Leeds, Wakefield and Wetherby is at the lower end of the scale
RICS Economics May 2007

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Housing Market Survey - April 2007
House prices gained further momentum in April despite increased supply triggered by the forthcoming introduction of HIPs (Home Information Packs), says the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors UK housing market survey published today (15 May 2007).
15th May 2007

RICS Recommendations on Energy Efficiency in the Built Environment
On 19 October 2006, the European Commission adopted its Action Plan on Energy Efficiency, titled 'Realising the Potential'. As a response, RICS has created a list of recommendations.
3rd May 2007

RICS Housing Market Survey - March 2007
House price inflation showed a marginal upturn in March having slowed over the previous four months. The strongest price rises for houses for sale took place in Northern Ireland and Scotland, while London continued to lead price rises in England. In the South East, house prices continued to rise at a strong pace but in Northern England price rises are generally moderate while falling back in the East Midlands.
RICS Economics March 2007

Commercial Property Demand on the Up
There are a million buy-to-let property owners in the UK, but this is set to double in the next three years. That is according to a new report from research firm Mintel, which shows by 2010 there could be two million buy-to-let landlords in the UK.
26th Apr 2007

RICS Comment on CLG House Price Figures
Commenting on today's house price numbers, David Stubbs, RICS senior economist said: Although the raw numbers from the DCLG show a fall, the figures do not take into account seasonal swings. The market clearly has strong momentum with buoyant economic conditions keeping housing demand high and supply limited.
16th April 2007

RICS Housing Market Survey - February 2007
House prices increased for the sixteenth consecutive month in February. However the pace of the increase moderated with prices up at the slowest pace since last may; but still above the survey’s long run average. Most of the country is experiencing modest house price rises with significant increases only apparent in South East England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Demand is showing further signs of weakening in light of recent interest rate rises, although supply conditions are tight due to the underlying strength of the economy.
RICS Economics February 2007

Record entries for RICS Awards 2007
RICS Awards 2007 has received a record number of entries, with an overwhelmingly positive response from locations around the UK and overseas. With an increase on 2006 of 14%, the standard of entries has been exceptional.
22nd February 2007

RICS UK Housing Market Survey - January 2007
A lack of property on the market has driven up house prices for the fifteenth consecutive month, despite cooling demand, says RICS UK Housing Market Survey.
19 February 2007

RICS Housing Market Survey - January 2007
A lack of property on the market has driven up house prices for the fifteenth consecutive month, despite cooling demand, says RICS UK Housing Market Survey. House prices rose for the fifteenth consecutive month in January but the pace of increase eased back to June levels. 28% more Chartered Surveyors reported a rise than a fall in house prices, down from 36.6% in December.
20th February 2007

Record January for Manning Stainton Surveys!
Buoyed by a very resilient property market in West Yorkshire our professional Surveys and Valuation Department achieved a record January in 2007.
5th February 2007

RICS Housing Market Survey - November 2006
Houses prices rose for the thirteenth consecutive month in November. The pace of increase stabilised the first time since March that the survey has not indicated an acceleration in price growth. Price rises are being driven by tight market conditions with limited property on the market against a background of robust demand.
November 2007