Author: Diane

Cookbury amazing house

CookburyFor only £595,000 you get a lot at Cookbury

I think this is excellent value! It’s a 17th century Devon farmhouse packed with character. It’s got an aga and some wood burning stoves and plenty of space outdoors.

3 RECEPTION ROOMS PLUS ORANGERY
4 BEDROOMS (EN-SUITE MASTER)
1 BEDROOM SELF-CONTAINED ANNEXE
RANGE OF RESTORED BARNS
54FT X 48FT MODERN BARN
7 ACRES OF WOODED VALLEY & PADDOCK
ADJOINS NATIONAL TRUST PARKLAND & FORESTRY
NO ONWARD CHAIN

Cookbury Court, was probably the Home Farm for the nearby Dunsland Manor which sadly burnt down but the land it owned is now owned by National Trust.

House by the sea

beach houseIt’s something I think most people dream of: a house by the sea.
This lovely house is right on the beach. You could watch the sunsets from your house. How brilliant would that be?
It’s a 6 bedroom detached house on at £3,500,000 in Putsborough, Braunton, Devon
To be that close to the sea would be absolutely heaven!
Can you imagine the views every morning and evening? Oh it would be bliss!
Vention House is one of the loveliest beachside houses in England, standing on its own beach which extends to approximately half a
mile in length. Its beach is part of Putsborough Sands which sweep in an unbroken crescent of fine sands to Woolacombe – about 2½
miles of superb leisure and surfing beach

Should councils interfere in the housing market?

This story on the BBC news site says Conwy Council is planning to run a scheme to ‘help first time buyers’.

I don’t think it does help first time buyers at all. It helps people selling houses.

Mr Hughes said the council will be taking steps to keep the risk to a minimum and the maximum value of the property to qualify would be £140,000.
If the buyer defaulted on the mortgage, the council would have to pay back the part of the loan it had guaranteed.

This means the scheme needs to have ultra good vetting on mortgage applicants. And if you can afford to buy a house then do you really need the council’s help?

The council will also need to be open and honest about who buys houses with this scheme so it can be clean of any favouritism.

Of course if this scheme is propping up house prices then it is not helping first time buyers at all.

If no one is buying houses then prices will have to come down. As soon as they have come down enough people will be able to save up their own deposits. Lower prices would also mean mortgage affordability was better, less risk of defaults and less debt! With less money being spent on housing costs it’s easy to see that people will have more money for other things.

EU changes to BTL mortgages planned

Instead, EU proposals would bring Britain into line with Continental practice and force lenders to assess BTL in the same way as mortgage applications by owner occupiers on their prime residence; that is, the main criterion would be the borrower’s earnings.

Telegraph blog for the full story
Article well worth a read if you’ve got any interest in the buy to let market. This would be a huge change for many BTLers.

Interestingly there’s a Buy-to-let bounce with loans up 16% -story at landlord today

The number of new buy-to-let loans shot up by 16% in the third quarter of 2011,…

Crackington Haven Cottage

Crackington HavenThis wonderful house in Crackington Haven is so close to the beach! You’d have to spend every day on the beach if you lived here – and it’s a beautiful pebbly beach with amazing pebbles that are protected! No stealing rocks from the beach!
If you’ve dreampt of a beautiful house in Cornwall by the sea then this could be the one for you. Crackington Haven is at the end of some lovely quiet country lanes and is a lovely place with walks and beaches!

Beautful cottage in Devon

Hatway CottageHatway Cottage is a really beautiful cottage in Devon that is in a great location if you like peace and quiet!
4 – 5 bedrooms
3 reception rooms
2 – 3 bathrooms
Outbuildings and set in the lovelies location ever!

About 4 miles from the beach, 6 miles from the excellent town of Honiton and with 17 acres including 10 acres of good paddocks and the rest being excellent gardens, woods and open areas. Lovely. Such a pretty cottage!
Price? It’s on at £995,000.

Ruling on unmarried couples’ property rights

Court ruling ounmarried couples’ property rights

During a hearing in May, the Supreme Court heard that ice-cream salesman Mr Kernott, 51, and Ms Jones, 56, broke up in 1993 after sharing the house in Thundersley for eight years.

The couple bought the house in 1985 in joint names and took out a joint mortgage. It was valued at £240,000 in 2008.

When Mr Kernott moved out, Ms Jones continued to pay the mortgage.