Beechfield Tower in northumberland

Beechfield TowerBeechfield Tower includes a fine example of a Northumbrian Pele tower.
8 bedrooms and a price tag of £3,500,000 it’s a stunning building.

Picture 6 is dreamy for me!
The pictures are all fascinating. It’s a beautiful building with some really interesting things inside! The Stag heads are probably what you’d expect in a big house like this. The grounds are so pretty and it has a tennis court!

Peel towers (also spelt pele) are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, intended as watch towers where signal fires could be lit by the garrison to warn of approaching danger. By an Act of Parliament in 1455, each of these towers was required to have an iron basket on its summit and a smoke or fire signal, for day or night use, ready at hand. From the wiki page

Edward Mellor Auction Results

Edward Mellor Auction Results AUCTION 25TH OCTOBER 2011

Info available here at Edward Mellor’s site

27 SOLD

29 AVAILABLE AT

7 SOLD PRIOR

4 NOT OFFERED

LOT 1 9 PARKDALE AVENUE GORTON MANCHESTER SOLD AT £37,000
LOT 2 35 PROUT STREET LONGSIGHT MANCHESTER SOLD AT £58,750
LOT 3 17 HALLSWORTH ROAD ECCLES MANCHESTER SOLD POST
LOT 4 7 CROSSFIELD ROAD ECCLES MANCHESTER SOLD AT £32,000
LOT 5 5 KENDAL GROVE WALKDEN MANCHESTER AVAILABLE AT £46,500
LOT 6 143 GROVE LANE CHEADLE HULME STOCKPORT CHESHIRE AVAILABLE AT £270,000
LOT 7 LAND AT SPATH LANE HANDFORTH STOCKPORT CHESHIRE SOLD AT £5,000
LOT 8 2B MINEHEAD AVENUE WITHINGTON MANCHESTER AVAILABLE AT £68,000
LOT 9 14 THE SPINNEY CHESTER ROAD POYNTON STOCKPORT CHESHIRE SOLD PRIOR
LOT 10 APT. 2154 30 WOODFIELD ROAD ALTRINCHAM STOCKPORT CHESHIRE SOLD PRIOR
LOT 11 17 LONGFORD ROAD REDDISH STOCKPORT CHESHIRE SOLD AT £90,000
LOT 12 274 NEWEARTH ROAD ELLENBROOK WORSLEY MANCHESTER SOLD AT £95,000
LOT 13 41 CHEADLE ROAD CHEADLE HULME STOCKPORT CHESHIRE AVAILABLE AT £275,000
LOT 14 14 LONGSIGHT LANE CHEALDE HULME STOCKPORT CHESHIRE AVAILABLE AT £420,000
LOT 15 APT. 8 8-10 SCAITCLIFFE STREET ACCRINGTON LANCASHIRE AVAILABLE AT £29,500
LOT 16 APT. 8A 8-10 SCAITCLIFFE STREET ACCRINGTON LANCASHIRE AVAILABLE AT £29,500
LOT 17 184-186 STAMFORD STREET CENTRAL ASHTON UNDER LYNE LANCASHIRE AVAILABLE
AT £200,000
LOT 18 FLATS 1-75 ZANDRA HOUSE 73 CARLTON ROAD WHALLEY RANGE MANCHESTER AVAILABLE
AT £1,600,000
LOT 19 125 TRAFALGAR STREET ASHTON UNDER LYNE LANCASHIRE SOLD AT £46,500
LOT 20 12 SILVERSTONE DRIVE NEWTON HEATH MANCHESTER NOT OFFERED
LOT 21 13 PENRHYN ROAD EDGELEY STOCKPORT CHESHIRE SOLD AT £102,000
LOT 21A 42 SPATHFIELD COURT HOLMFIELD CLOSE HEATON NORRIS STOCKPORT SOLD AT
£46,000
LOT 22 LAND AT MINERVA ROAD BOLTON LANCASHIRE AVAILABLE AT £120,000
LOT 23 FLAT 3.05 LANGLEY BUILDING 53 DALE STREET MANCHESTER SOLD PRIOR
LOT 24 APT. 0.06 LANGLEY BUILDING 53 DALE STREET MANCHESTER SOLD AT £105,000
LOT 25 1 VERNON AVENUE STOCKPORT CHESHIRE AVAILABLE AT £88,000
LOT 26 UNIT 5 ALBION TRADING ESTATE MILL STREET SALFORD MANCHESTER SOLD AT £43,000
LOT 27 APT. 303 SKYLINE CHAMBERS 5 LUDGATE HILL MANCHESTER AVAILABLE AT £79,000
LOT 28 407 KING STREET DUKINFIELD CHESHIRE SOLD PRIOR
LOT 29 27 SHELDON STREET CLAYTON MANCHESTER SOLD AT £42,000
LOT 30 4 COTTON TREE COURT REYNOLD STREET HYDE CHESHIRE AVAILABLE AT £35,000
LOT 31 9 HATTON STREET LONGSIGHT MANCHESTER NOT OFFERED
LOT 32 79 SHAKERLEY ROAD TYLDESLEY MANCHESTER SOLD AT £45,000
LOT 33 THE ROBIN HOOD HOTEL 591 CHEETHAM HILL ROAD MANCHESTER AVAILABLE AT £330,000
LOT 34 THE HIGHLAND LADDIE SPOTLAND ROAD ROCHDALE LANCASHIRE SOLD AT £141,000
LOT 35 6 HERSEY STREET SALFORD MANCHESTER AVAILABLE AT £53,000
LOT 36 127 CRAIG ROAD GORTON MANCHESTER SOLD AT £47,000
LOT 37 21 KNUTSFORD STREET SALFORD MANCHESTER SOLD AT £53,000
LOT 38 55 QUEENS ROAD OLDHAM LANCASHIRE AVAILABLE AT £200,000
LOT 39 36 VALPY AVENUE TONGE MOOR BOLTON LANCASHIRE SOLD AT £58,000
LOT 40 3 REDDISH LANE DEBDALE PARK MANCHESTER SOLD AT £55,000
LOT 41 14 WILLIAMS STREET GORTON MANCHESTER AVAILABLE AT £52,500
LOT 42 25 MARKET STREET BACUP LANCASHIRE SOLD AT £120,000
LOT 43 30A SUNNYBANK AVENUE HEATON MERSEY STOCKPORT CHESHIRE SOLD AT £86,000
LOT 44 118 HIGHER DEAN STREET RADCLIFFE MANCHESTER AVAILABLE AT £65,000
LOT 45 FLAT 10 MARTIN HOUSE 4 CONYGHAM ROAD VICTORIA PARK MANCHESTER SOLD AT
£62,500
LOT 46 18 NORTHFIELD ROAD NEW MOSTON MANCHESTER SOLD AT £200,000
LOT 47 1 WALMESLEY COURT WALMESLEY ROAD LEIGH LANCASHIRE AVAILABLE AT £42,000
LOT 48 19 CHRIST CHURCH STREET PRESTON LANCASHIRE SOLD AT £62,500
LOT 49 2 BOUNDARY COURT OLDHAM LANCASHIRE SOLD PRIOR
LOT 50 14 FIR STREET WIDNES AVAILABLE AT £58,000
LOT 51 129 MOSSLEY ROAD ASHTON UNDER LYNE LANCASHIRE SOLD AT £55,000
LOT 52 35 MAUDSLEY STREET ACCRINGTON LANCASHIRE AVAILABLE AT £35,000
LOT 53 86 EVERY STREET BURNLEY LANCASHIRE SOLD PRIOR
LOT 54 67 PORTLAND STREET ELLESMERE PARK ECCLES MANCHESTER SOLD AT £78,750
LOT 55 5 GAWSWORTH ROAD SALE CHESHIRE AVAILABLE AT £107,000
LOT 56 1031-1033 STOCKPORT ROAD LEVENSHULME MANCHESTER AVAILABLE AT £220,000
LOT 57 ARCHWAYS SURGERY 84-86 STOCKPORT ROAD ROMILEY STOCKPORT CHESHIRE AVAILABLE
AT £145,000
LOT 58 4 REDHOUSE LANE BREDBURY STOCKPORT CHESHIRE NOT OFFERED
LOT 59 54-58 VICTORIA ROAD WIDNES AVAILABLE AT £75,000
LOT 60 652 HYDE ROAD GORTON MANCHESTER NOT OFFERED
LOT 61 78 FURNIVAL ROAD GORTON MANCHESTER AVAILABLE AT £71,000
LOT 62 FLAT 41 THE GALLERY 367 MOSS LANE EAST RUSHOLME MANCHESTER AVAILABLE
AT £110,000
LOT 63 73 SCOTLAND STREET NEWTON HEATH MANCHESTER SOLD AT £30,000
LOT 64 27 CAMPBELL STREET FARNWORTH BOLTON LANCASHIRE SOLD PRIOR
LOT 65 12 BRIGHT STREET RADCLIFFE MANCHESTER AVAILABLE AT £47,000
LOT 66 308 BOLTON ROAD WALKDEN MANCHESTER AVAILABLE AT £75,000
LOT 67 84 FURNACE STREET DUKINFIELD CHESHIRE SOLD AT £50,000

 

 

Potter Hill in Yorkshire

Massive conservatoryPotter Hill is a lovely big house with an amazing conservatory. You’ll have to view the other photos to see how pretty it is, but the conservatory really caught my eye. Just think of all the plants you could have in here!
It ticks quite a lot on my list, although I’ve never considered living in Yorkshire before! It’s got an indoor swimming pool, tennis court as well as things not on my list like a gun room!
The house has a stunning observation tower in the form of a lighthouse! Nice house and grounds and 9 bedrooms for £2.6M near Coulton, YORK YO62 4NG

Tudor house – the crutched friars

The Crutched FriarsThe Crutched Friars, Little Whelnetham, Bury St. Edmunds is a 5 bedroom property with a Guide Price of £885,000

The listing says: Grade II listed Tudor house which incorporates many original Elizabethan features including crow stepped gables, a niched buttress and inset Flemish terracotta plaques. Being the former priory of the Holy Cross of Whelnetham, founded in 1274 and suppressed in 1536 it is believed to be one of Suffolk’s oldest monastic houses.

And it’s so pretty! A lovely house!

Home insulation

insulationHome insulation is well worth getting! There are various grants and offers for discounted Home insulation at the moment. Look on your local council’s website.

For the Greater Manchester area there’s a website called Get Me Toasty that gives you information about insulation available

If you want to buy some insulation then B&Q have lots of types to chose from.
It’s well worth adding insulation to your loft space if you’ve not got the full recommended depth of 270mm. You should also ensure your loft trap door is insulated and use clips to make a tight seal.

Housing benefit

It’s not called Housing benefit anymore. it’s called Local housing allowance.

It’s now calculated on how many rooms you’re entitled to. This varies with the number of people in your household, and your age.

You can calculate this yourself if you know:
The numbers of how many people live in your household, including family members, non-dependants, boarders and sub-tenants
to know whether you are entitled to an additional bedroom for someone not living with you, but who provides necessary overnight care for you or your partner
the postcode of the property you rent or want to rent, or the local authority where it’s situated

You should know all these things – they’re not hard. If you’re looking to move to an area use the local authority option. If there’s more than one that it might come under it’ll show you both.

If you’re a couple or single then you don’t need to use the bedroom calculator as for couples and single people claiming under certain circumstances the number of bedrooms you are entitled to is fixed.

Calculate the number of bedrooms you’re entitled to claim houseing benefit (LHA) for
The calculator for housing benefit lets you say what authority or postcode and then they tell you how much help you could have with your rent. For a couple with one child in Oldham it works out two bedrooms and the rate for that is £109.62 per week. To work out how much a month you X52 and divide by 12. This works out at £475.02 a month. It’s useful to work this out yourself as most rentals are advertised on a per month rent basis.

If you want to see all the rent rates for different size propertys in different areas then you can visit this page that allows you to investigate all the local housing allowance rates for different bedroom numbers.
It shows by month so you can research older levels and see if it’s gone down.

The aim of changing the housing benefit rules was to try and bring rents down.

For my local authority for October 2011 the rates are:
Shared Accommodation Rate:
£60.00 per week
One Bedroom Rate:
£92.31 per week
Two Bedrooms Rate:
£109.62 per week
Three Bedrooms Rate:
£126.92 per week
Four Bedrooms Rate:
£173.08 per week

Radical solutions of the housing crisis

BBC is running a sensational piece of writing listing the ways that changes to the housing market could help.
Eight radical solutions to the housing crisis

Encourage elderly out of big houses.
Freestyle planning
Contain population growth
Force landlords to sell or let empty properties
Ban second homes
Guarantee mortgage payments
Live with extended family
Build more council homes

Are any of these really radical? The idea of containing population growth is an interesting one as the world approaches 7 billion. Does this include banning further immigration? What sort of restrictions could you fairly impose on the existing UK population without also stopping additional people coming in to the UK?
Some people already live with extended families. Intergeneratonal living does happen in the UK. Perhaps all the younger relatives of the lonely old people could move in to the big houses they’re accused of having. What is too big? Is a three bedroom house too big for one person? And how could you encourage people to move from their too big homes? Many old people hang on to their houses as they want to preserve the memories they had of living there, the family drama and events thats shape us are steeped into the homes we live in.

The two most sensible and easily achievable ideas are to force empty homes to be used and to build more homes. But genuinely affordable ones where rents are at a level that working and supporting a family without needing government support would be good.