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Homeowners selling their properties will no longer be required to produce a home information pack (Hip), after the government announced they will be scrapped. Hips, which were launched in 2007 and have since become mandatory for anyone selling a home, have been dogged by criticism....
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The £22 fee homebuyers must pay to find out about issues or restrictions that may affect a property is being abolished, the government has announced. Until now, legislation stated that a £22 fixed fee should be charged for this information when an individual inspects the records in person....
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The Lib Dems – whose leader Nick Clegg easily outshone Cameron and Brown in last night`s televised debate – have set the cat among the pigeons by including a promise to ditch HIPs in their election manifesto. The surprise inclusion means that in the event of a hung parliament where the Lib Dems hold the balance of power, HIPs are reasonably likely to be abolished....
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House prices rose again in March, by 1.1%, according to Halifax, following a 1.6% dip in February. House prices are now 9.1% above last April, when they were at their lowest. Nationwide also reported a rise in house prices last month, of 0....
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Several letting specialists are reporting a resurgence of interest in buy to let in the South, with an increase in enquiries from landlords considering buying a property to let for the first time and those wanting to extend their portfolios....
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As I am sure you are all aware, there are two changes to stamp duty in the Yesterdays budget. Purchases of properties at over £1 million have been announced to have a 5% stamp duty rate. Please note that this does not come into force until April 2011....
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Public say house prices will keep rising this year with only 13% of people thinking that the prices will fall. In comparison to January 2009 this figure stood at 69%! Miles Shipside, Commercial Director of Rightmove said `Given the looming election and the talk of pending austerity packages ahead, this consumer survey highlights a surprisingly positive price outlook....
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A major project is underway to promote jobs and transform an area of rundown woodland into a wildlife park for protected species. A scheme has begun in Thamesmead, off Waldrist Way, to plant more than 1100 trees and 3200 shrubs in an area that has seen historic unlawful horse grazing, vandalism and partial water logging during wet periods....
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A Minister met with community leaders and police chiefs to discuss the problems faced by people living in one of the capital’s most deprived towns. Barbara Follett MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, came to Gallions Housing, Harrow Manor Way in Thamesmead on Tuesday....
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Every household under a Tory government will be entitled to claim at least £6,500 in retro-fitted energy improvements. The scheme, which has attracted the support of Tesco and Marks & Spencer, would cover energy-efficient lighting, modern boilers, and cavity and loft insulation....
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The Conservatives would scrap HIPs `in a matter of weeks` after coming to power, shadow housing minister Grant Shapps has said. Nothing unusual in that: he has been saying it to the trade press, including EAT, consistently and for some time....
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As you can see from our Certificate, Able Estates raised a Fantastic grand total of £2,144.02 !!! All of this goes to the British Heart Foundation. Able`s would like to thank everybody who made a contribution and to say a BIG WELL DONE to the riders who represented Able Estates....
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The Conservatives’ promise to scrap HIPs immediately, if they get into power it is to be in the party’s general election manifesto. The news was revealed by shadow housing minister Grant Shapps in a meeting with the chief executive of the NAEA, Peter Bolton King, and president Gary Smith....
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Prices fell by 0.5% in June, with the average price of a property now standing at £157,713 – 15% down on this time a year ago. According to the Halifax, house prices have fallen every month of this year apart from January and May. This is roughly in line with Nationwide, which reported a 0....
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Some London Agents have put up Sold Out signs as prices soar 12% in a month. Asking prices for properties new to the market have shot up 2.8% from last month, Rightmove reported today, making it the largest October rise for six years. The trend is almost right across Britain, although price rises are the most pronounced in London....
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Are the public finally beginning to love estate agents? Or at least, not hate them so much? According to a survey by the Co-operative – haven’t they got better things to do, like sell Mother’s Pride, Angel Delight and digestive biscuits? – agents now come only sixth in the list of least respected professions....
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Please note that both Able Branches are open all over the coming Easter Bank Holiday Weekend, our opening hours are : Good Friday - 10 am - 3 pm. Holy Saturday - 9 am - 6 pm. Easter Sunday - 10 am - 4 pm. Bank Holiday Monday - 10 am - 3 pm....
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Fellow Estate Agents and Independent Financial Advisors (IFA) are feeding us with positive news and to enable us all to share in this feel good factor we would like to pass this positive information onto you `The Public` This week an IFA in South East London was over the moon, he said, ‘one lender has introduced a fixed rate of 4....
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The Council of Mortgage Lenders has reported that loans for house purchase climbed 23% from 36,500 in May to 45,000 in June. But the CML warned that this was less than half the average number of loans recorded for June over the last seven years....
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Rents across the UK are finally showing signs of stabilising, after prolonged falls because of saturated supply. Average monthly rents went up 0.3% in June to £641 – a rise of just £2 from May. But this was after a continuous monthly drop, altogether amounting to a decline of 11%, since their high in August 2008....
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Able Estates staff are now officially TV stars - You may have spotted our Director Paul Servis on BBC London News last Friday 15th May on the 6.30 local news and also the News @ 10 that night. Paul was asked whether he thought the money being spent on the new highspeed ` Crossrail ` link going in to Abbey wood was worth it - he gave a definate Yes it is - great for the local Area, Business`s & most importantly improves this areas transport links for you the Public !...
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We are delighted to say Able`s will be entering a team in the bike ride for the 2nd year running.If you would like to sponsor us please log on to: www.justgiving.com/paulservis Its very easy to do and all donations go to The British Heart Foundation which i am sure you will agree is a fantastic charity....
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LAUNCH OF HOSPICE LOTTERY - We are delighted to announce that we have launched a Lottery that will support our on going work. This will be a new and important income stream for us and in time will raise significant amounts of money that will support our very special care....
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AS NORMAL ABLE ESTATES WILL BE OPEN ALL OVER THIS COMING BANK HOLIDAY !! SATURDAY 2nd MAY - 9am - 6pm. SUNDAY 3rd MAY - 10am - 4pm. MONDAY 4th MAY - 10am - 3pm. Either call us on 0208 306 2020 or pop in to see us, we may have a property you may want to buy or let....
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Hospice 15th Anniversary Sponsored Walk Our anniversary walk takes place on Bank Holiday Monday, May 4th. Are you joining us for our special walk? If so thank you for registering, if you have yet to decide, please think about it now....
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The latest survey from online portal Rightmove has revealed that sellers who are putting their homes on the market this month are raising the average asking price by 1.8 per cent - the biggest rise in more than a year - and this, coupled with a smaller annual decline, has given new hope that the UK market is recovering....
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The national rental market is looking much more healthy than it did six months ago. The clear out of stock is continuing in fairly dramatic fashion as the sales market improves and a seasonal surge in demand helps mop up excess supply, particularly at the lower end of the market....
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The staff of Able Estates are once again taking part in the London to Brighton Bike Ride. They sucessfully took part in 2008 and raised around £500 and are hoping to beat that figure this year. Any sponsorship would be greatly appreciated for this worthy cause....
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We are pleased to inform you that you can also find Able Estates on Facebook. It is an open group which means anyone can join. Please feel free to invite your friends and family to join our group. In the meantime, if you are considering selling or renting your property, please contact either of the Able Offices for some free, professional advice....
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The new Woolwich Arsenal Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Station has now opened. It is the terminus to a new £18 million extension providing another vital north-south link to the capital. The extension also links DLR King George V Station on the north of the river with Woolwich Arsenal in the south....
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Able Estates were contacted by the BBC as they were looking for a property that needed a little freshening up for a Property Program they were doing in 2009. They chose this lovely 2 Bedroom End of Terrace house to have a professional makeover for that program....
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The downward trend in asking prices continues, with new sellers now marketing at 4.9% less than 12 months ago, the largest year-on-year fall ever recorded by Rightmove. At the same time, `property vultures` are circling, looking harder and longer for a good deal....
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Borrowers who are now `Quids in` Friday 7th November 2008 So, what does the 1.5% cut in base rate mean for those with mortgages? Undoubtedly, the real winners are those with tracker mortgages, which follow the movements of the Bank of England’s base rate....
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The number of loans granted to first time buyers declined in August to 15,600, according to data released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), whose members provide 98 per cent of all UK mortgages. The number of loans granted, is the lowest since the CML began compiling the information back in 2000, with the first time buyer average approved loan at £106,754....
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Propertylive.co.uk, the new portal from the National Federation of Property Professionals, finally went live yesterday (Wednesday), good news for the many member agents rooting for its success. NFOPP chief executive Peter Bolton King said that it had been hoped to launch the portal over the weekend but a couple of glitches had forced the delay....
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Are you getting the best service from your Agent? If not give Able Estates a call! Competitive management fee including full management, tenancy agreements, inspections, rent guarantee, legal cover, subscription to tenancy deposit scheme. No hidden extras....
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THE NAEA URGE CONSUMERS TO BE PATIENT AND CONTINUE TO SEE BUYING A HOME AS A SOUND INVESTMENT. Peter Bolton King, Chief Executive of The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), the residential sales arm of the National Federation of Property Professionals (NFOPP), comments: `The property market has been unsteady since the start of the year and quite an unpredictable one....
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Todays Daily Express front page quoted that Britains struggling housing market received a huge boost yesterday as the country`s biggest mortgage lender announced a rise in property prices. The Halifax bank says its figures for December show that the market grew 5....
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Market Overview and Monthly Update In spite of the credit crunch resulting in a more stringent mortgage environment, sellers are testing the market at prices still remarkably close to the peak of last year’s boom. Most sellers coming to the market seem to be ignoring the increased competition from other unsold properties and the challenge buyers now face in obtaining a mortgage....
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First time buyers are beginning to return to the property market, new figures from the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) suggest. According to the organisation during June its members reported that the proportion of sales involving novice homebuyers hit 11....
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It was announced this week that the government are considering suspensions to the existing stamp duty levels in order to help first time buyers and those at the lower end of the property scale through the credit crisis. An official government spokesman stated that talks were being held to find a way top relieve the burden felt by the current financial state as a whole, and to boost the property market....
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The average rate on two-year fixed rate mortgages has fallen below seven per cent, bringing a modicum of respite to cash-strapped borrowers. According to Moneyfacts, just ten days age the typical rate on these deals peaked at 7.08 per cent - its highest rate in a decade However, signs of an easing in conditions in the money markets mean that lenders have been able to cut the cost of deals, with the average rate now standing at 6....
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Nationwide Building Society has cut rates on selected mortgage products, it has been announced. Under its new pricing system, rates on its two year fixed rate offer with maximum loan to value (LTV) of 75 per cent will be cut from 6.55 per cent to 6....
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Home sellers’ expectation of the price they will be able to obtain when selling their property is lowering, shows the Rightmove House Price Index. In spite of the lowest housing transactions for 30 years, new sellers had been coming to the market asking record prices....
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Peter Jones, one of the Able directors recently visited Greenwich & Bexley Hospice to present Jim Bennett & Peter Butler with the final payment from our Aniversary year wher Ables had pledged their support to the hospice throughout this year....
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In an ever changing Mortgage market, many potential buyers may find that their hard saved deposit just doesn`t secure them the advance that they need and, ultimately, keep them off of the housing ladder. This can be a frustrating situation for both buyers and sellers alike....
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New-to-market sellers, not facing financial distress, are testing the market at prices now in excess of the peak of the boom and ignoring the consequence of ever-tightening mortgage availability. New sellers can see the storm clouds overhead but seem to believe it’s only raining on other people....
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Please note both Able Estates branches will be open all over the Spring Bank Holiday and we will be delighted to see you and see if we can find your dream home. Our opening hours are as follows: Saturday 24th May - 9.00am to 6.00pm Sunday 25th May - 10....
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Home owners received a double dose of good news yesterday as experts dismissed predictions of a property crash - and Britain`s biggest mortgage lender cut its rates. Despite doom-mongers` gloomy forecasts, house prices remain up on last year with annual growth at 1....
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House sellers have finally recognised that a decade of rising prices has come to an end. With average asking prices rising below the level of wage inflation and Bank of England interest rates of 5% compared to 5.75% a year ago, buyers with cash or reasonable deposits are now able to get more home for their money....
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Able Estates are extremely proud to confirm that Peter Jones one of our directors completed this years London Marathon in a fantastic time of 4 hours, 35 minutes. Peter`s chosen charity that he ran for was ` The Lymphoma Association ` who help by providing information and emotional support to anyone with lymohatic cancer and to their families, carers and friends....
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Able Estates would like to wish all of our clients past, present and future a Happy & Prosperous New Year. If you are thinking of Selling, Buying, Letting or Renting a property then please make us your 1st port of call, we would love to help you with your property matter....
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Able Estates are delighted to announce that they will be entering a team in to this years London to Brighton Bike Ride which will take place on the 15th June 2008, the same day as Fathers day. Details of donations / sponsorships will be announced soon, the bike road supports the British Heart foundation....
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For all up and coming news and future events to do with Greenwich & bexley Cottage Hospice please log on to www.cottagehospice.org.uk for full details. Have you ever thought about volunteering for the Hospice? Again you can check out the website for more details or you contact the Volunteers Manager on 020 8320 5812 or email barbaraoakes@gbch....
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THE NATIONAL Association of Estate Agents are calling on Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling to use this month’s Budget to ease the immediate problems facing people in the housing market. Their three-fold appeal to Mr Darling covers a revision of Stamp Duty threshold, a new look at how Capital Gains Tax affects the buy-to-let market and the VAT-free ‘green’ policies....
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Throughout their 10th anniversary year Able Estates have been sponsoring The Greenwich and Bexley Hospice by making a donation from every sale or let that they agree. Pictured here is Dawn Servis one of the directors and Adam Burton the Sales Manager from Able Estates presenting the Chief Executive Jim Bennett and Peter Butler of the Greenwich and Bexley Hospice with a donation cheque of £3,630 for the third quarter of the year, the running total of Able Estates donations so far is £12,000 quite an achievement....
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U.K. house prices rose in February for the first time in four months after two interest-rate cuts by the Bank of England encouraged sellers to demand more for their homes, Rightmove Plc said. The average asking price climbed 3.2 percent to 237,856 pounds ($466,000) from January, compared with a 0....
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Mortgage lenders match rate cut The majority of the rate cuts will take place in March Major mortgage providers have been quick to announce that they will pass on the latest UK interest rate cut. Most will wait until early March to cut standard variable rates in line with the 0....
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Homebuyers will not have to pay stamp duty on properties costing £175,000 or less for the next 12 months. The current £125,000 threshold will be raised as part of a package of measures aimed at boosting the housing market. Someone buying a home for £175,000 will save £1,750 under the scheme, which is likely to cost the Treasury £600m....
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Thursday 31st July 2008 The cost of fixed-rate deals is falling, offering a "glimmer of hope" to borrowers amid the downturn in the housing market, according to Moneyfacts.co.uk. Research conducted by the personal finance site showed that the average cost of a two-year fixed rate as of July 11th was 7....
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We are pleased to confirm that all 6 represenatives of Able`s completed this years London to Brighton bike ride. After 54 taxing miles up and down many hills they all arrived safe & sound in Brighton where they were met by friends & family....
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In January 2007 I started training for the London Marathon.After several months running in all types of weather(usually the wet and cold type)and with only a couple of weeks to go I unfortunatley got an injury that forced me to pull out. In January 2008 I started training again for this years Marathon and have been pounding the streets ever since....
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All homes marketed for sale from 14th December 2007 in England and Wales will need a Home Information Pack (HIP) This was announced by Housing Minister Yvette Cooper on the 22nd November 2007 and extends HIPs to residential properties of all kinds....
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On Thursday 15th November 2007 Peter Jones one of Able Estates Directors and Lynn Randall the sales manager at the Abbey wood branch proudly presented the hospice with our second donation of the year - a cheque for £3,090. If you had missed previous news items and newspaper articles Able Estates are supporting the Hospice throughout this year to celebrate 10 years of selling and letting houses in the London Borough of Bexley & Greenwich....
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Able Estates are very pleased to announce that they will be sponsoring 7 Acres Under 16 Football Team whose home ground is in Church Manor Way, Abbey wood. 7 Acres will be playing their games in newly supplied Red & Blue Nike kits with the distinctive Able Estate Logo across the front....
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10 years ago Peter, Paul and Dawn opened the doors to their Abbey Wood branch. Back in those days they were the only staff employed by the company and were breaking into a market which was then suffering from a property recession. Since then Able Estates now employ over 20 members of staff and have a second successful branch in Northumberland Heath plus have further plans for a third branch within the London borough of Bexley....
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The goverment has given the go-ahead for the £10bn Crossrail project. Crossrail will improve train services to and from Abbey Wood Station by providing journey time savings and a greater variety of journey opportunities. With Crossrail operational,the total number of seats available on trains to central London from Abbey Wood would almost double as a result of longer,more frequent trains....
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Following the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIPS) on 1st August 2007, for properties with 4 bedrooms and above, the next stage of HIP implementation is with us. As from today, Monday 10th September 2007, the Goverment is rolling out HIPs to 3 Bedroom properties, this will obviously have more of an impact on the market as basically there are more 3 bedroom properties than 4 Bedrooms....
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If you instruct either of the able estate branches to sell your property before christmas we will give you a luxury hamper for you and your family to enjoy over the festive season . Terms and Conditions Apply please call, e-mail or pop in to either branch for more details...
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This month... Modest monthly increases continue as average asking prices rise by 0.6% (£1,473)...
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House prices jumped 12.1 per cent in the year to June, the biggest annual increase since March 2005. According to the Department for Communities and Local Government, house price growth doubled in June, with prices jumping by 1.6 per cent....
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Interest rates were left on hold yesterday amid signs that four increases since August are starting to bite. The Bank of England`s monetary policy committee left borrowing costs unchanged at 5.5% after rates hit a six-year high last month. The decision came after Halifax reported that house prices rose only 0....
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Every Year Greenwich & Bexley Cottage Hospice hold a sponsored Walk from either Bostall Heath, Charlton Park and new for 2007 from Eltham Park South.They shall be holding this year`s event on Monday 7th May 2007. The route will go along Green Chain Walk and Thames Path....
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The Tour De France succesfully passed through Abbey wood on Sunday 8th July and as you can see from the picture our chosen charity ` Greenwich & Bexley Cottage Hospice ` the charity we are supporting for our aniversary year were out in force with there very own Sunny man....
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If you fancy a family afternoon packed full of fun, entertainment and arena events including a Fun Dog Show organised by Bexley Dog Training Club then please feel free to come along. If you would like to come along then make your way to Bostall Heath Playing Field, Bostall Heath, Abbey wood....
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A recent survey came up with the following findings: 70% of people in the UK beleive the property market will continue to increase in value. 62% of movers plan on buying a more expensive property. 25-34 year olds most confident and ambitious age group....
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Home information Packs including Energy Certificates will be implemented on a phased basis from 1st August. From then the Packs will be required for the sale of four bedroom properties and larger,with smaller properties being phased in as soon as sufficient energy assessors are fully qualified....
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Able Estates were delighted to attend Greenwich & Bexley Hospice`s Charity Auction Dinner at the lovely Blackheath Golf Club. We took this as an ideal opportunity to present them with our first contribution in our aniversary year, as you can see we presented them with a rather BIG cheque in every sense of the word....
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Children growing up in Bexley enjoy a better quality of life than their counterparts in all other London boroughs, according to a national poll by Reader`s Digest magazine. Bexley came out top in London and among the top 50 local authority areas across the country....
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Crime rates are dropping faster in Bexley than anywhere else in London. The borough has seen an overall reduction of more than 3,000 crimes in the year to March 2007 compared to the previous 12 months. The total number of crimes stood at 16,997 compared to 20,011 - a drop of 15....
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The Bank of England kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a six - year high as policy makers assessed the effect on the economy of higher credit costs and a run on Northern Rock Plc. The Monetary Policy Committee,led by Governor Mervyn King,left the bank rate at 5....
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Able Estates are pleased to announce that they will be sponsoring Erith Town Football club. As part of Ables 10 year aniversary year they have supplied kits to the Under 16 team and you can see the distinctive Able Logo emblazoned across their shirts....
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To mark our 10th year aniversary we recently ran a campaign appealing for local charities and worthwhile causes to get in touch with us with a view to discussing how we may help them financially by way of supporting one such cause throughout our 10th aniversary year....
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The countdown begins to the biggest annual sporting event in the world, as the official route is announced. The race for the Yellow jersey will begin in London on July 6 and reach our local areas for the first time in its 100-year history on Sunday, July 8....
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The controversial home information packs (HIPS) comes into force today the 1st August 07, initially only for properties with Four or more bedrooms. The packs, to be provided by sellers for their potential buyers, contain key information about a property, including title deeds, local searches and an energy performance certificate....
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We are pleased to inform you that Lynn Randall our Sales manager is now working back at our Abbey wood office. Lynn has been working in the Abbey wood and Thames mead areas for many years and has extensive knowledge of both areas. So if you have dealt with Lynn before or would like to discuss your property matters then please contact her as she would be delighted to hear from you....
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Despite new hotspots popping up all over the world, France is again the number one destination for a healthy return on your investment. According to Assetz, the UK`s leading property investment specialist, France recently toppled Bulgaria from the top of their tracker table to become the premier destination for foreign investment for the first time in a year....
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Just a quick note to all of our clients past, present and future. Paul Servis and Peter Jones the directors of Ables have swapped branches, so you will now find Paul @ Abbey wood and Peter @ the North-Heath branch.If you would like to speak to either of them you now know where they are....
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The bank of England yesterday increased interest rates by 0.25% to 4.75%; this is the first increase for approximately 2 years. The bank of England insisted the increase was designed to curb inflation, which rose to 2.5% in June....
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From June 07 all homeowners in England and Wales will need to arrange for a Home information pack (HIP) to be prepared before putting their home on the market. This is a major change in the way houses are sold but it is felt that it will bring greater transparency and certainty to the house buying and selling process....
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On 27th February 2006 Able Estates completed 9 years of trading and are pleased to say they are still going strong.Paul, Peter and Dawn the directors of Able Estates are still based in the Branches and still strive to satisfy their clients needs....
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Stamp duty levels rose to £125,000, putting 400,000 buyers below the threshold.In laymans terms this means if you purchase below £125,000 you do not have to pay stamp duty....
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Ten days after the bombshell, the dust is still settling as the property industry considers the full ramifications of the Governments decision to make Home Condition Reports voluntary. Prior to this from July 07 anybody looking to sell their property would have had to fork out somewhere in the region of £700-£1000....
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More than 2,000 jobs could be created in Bexley by the Thames Gateway Bridge. That`s the verdict of a leading economist giving evidence at the project`s public inquiry. Professor Bridget Rosewell said a report by economic specialists, called by the Thames Gateway Bridge (TGB) and North Bexley Study showed that the bridge could bring up to 2,200 more jobs....
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