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homemaker.co.uk

Saturday July 3 2010

HOUSEWORK and DIY turned out to be a better bet than watching England flop out of the World Cup last weekend but only just! It was my turn to pitch in and paint the bedroom and I was determined not to be defeated by awkward corners or dreadful dribbling. Unfortunately, I wasnt as on the ball as I thought, and my twists, turns and tricks with the roller won me nothing but injury time. There was huge goal difference too at half-time. After seeing the result of my handiwork, I was kicked into touch on my skills and techniques by my coach/better half. At full-time my woeful performance had won me a red card as Id managed to paint not only the walls, but also the light sockets, the floor and myself too. There was no golden goal moment for me. As central defender, I was left licking my wounds, saying: Well I did everything right, except for the finish. My husband remains man of the match for now... World Cup defeat, however, is not bad news for everyone. Inside homemaker this week, we reveal research that shows buyers are looking to move again instead of being glued to their TV screens. See page 17. House doctor Peter Fall discusses the problem of summer leaks on page 40. While we look at some bright interior ideas from Barker & Stonehouse on page 45. Gardening columnist Hannah Stephenson talks to TV gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh about all-weather plants on page 54. For those seeking a new-build property, theres some fantastic deals, starting on page 64. Enjoy your weekend! Aranda Rahbarkouhi

inside this week

Property of the week
back page

agents this week

4-16: Your Move 18-25: Pattinson 26-34: Reeds Rains 35-39: Rook Matthews Sayer 41-44 Sarah Mains 46-47: George F White 48-49: Strutt and Parker 50-51: Sanderson Young 52-53: Foster Maddison 55: Jan Forster 56-57: Andrew Craig 58: Harrington Brown
www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Fresh ideas
pages 68-69

Turning tropical
page 45

New homes
from page 64

59: Smiths Gore 60: Launchpad Homes

Out in the garden

page 54

move and improve

WITH a lick of paint and new carpets, this three-bedroom property would make a great buy for people looking to get on the property ladder. The property has a spacious lounge and good-sized dining room, which leads into the propertys kitchen. Upstairs there are three bedrooms and a family bathroom. Joanne Tinkler of selling agents Reeds Rains in Durham, said: It is in a very nice village not far from Durham city and I think the property is very realistically priced, though the owner is open to offers. The property backs on to a playing field, making it great for families. Joanne said: Theres not a lot which needs doing, just a good redecoration and new carpets here and there, but its great for first-time buyers. The house in Alston Walk, Sherburn Village, is for sale through Reeds Rains, at 130,000, tel: 0191 384 1222.

The property week

Market is on the up
HOUSING activity in the North East is set to improve, say property experts from across the region. A number of factors are combining to boost the market they say, including the new Governments suspension of Home Information Packs, greater consumer confidence, an increase in the number of instructions, plus Englands failure in the World Cup finals. Full story: page 17

Contact us at homemaker
Editorial
Editor: Karen Overbury, (0191) 201-6265 karen.overbury@ncjmedia.co.uk Reporters: Francesca Craggs, (0191) 201-6444 francesca.craggs@ncjmedia.co.uk Karen Wilson, (0191) 201-6009 karen.wilson.ncj@ncjmedia.co.uk Mieka Smiles, (0191) 201-6249 mieka.smiles@ncjmedia.co.uk Design: Aranda Rahbarkouhi, (0191) 201-6136 aranda.rahbarkouhi@ncjmedia.co.uk

Falling costs for owners

THE cost of owning and running a home in the UK has fallen by 6% over the past two years, according to research by Halifax. In the two years to April the average annual cost associated with owning a home fell 544 from 9,564 to 9,020. Mortgage costs are the most-significant single factor (41%) with electricity and gas charges accounting for the second-highest share (15%), followed by council tax charges and domestic rates (14%).

Advertising
Property manager: Sue Catterall, (0191) 201-6308 Residential sales: Lorraine Bell, (0191) 201-6165 Glenda Losh, (0191) 204-3380 New build: Glen Minter, (0191) 201-6163 Classified and lettings: Claire Dejonge, (0191) 206-7101
C M Y K

Good address has its value

THE address of a property can have a significant influence on its value, according to research. Homes on hills and lanes are worth 50% more than the national average, while streets and terraces have the lowest average property values across the UK. Meanwhile, homes on Church Lane are worth more than double those on Chapel Street. Full story: page 60

Saturday July 3 2010

homemaker.co.uk

HOME SWEET HOME The historic mill conversion provides a house in a stunning area, with all mod cons.

Great mix of old and

By Hannah Layford

new
MORE PICTURES
visit our gallery at www.homemaker.co.uk
literally looking out to your garden and then its open countryside beyond. The dining area has a sash window to the rear and door leading to the garden and patio area. Marie said: The property has an interlinking lounge, breakfast room and kitchen so if youre entertaining you have a very large area. Upstairs, the galleried landing extends to provide a sitting area. Two of the bedrooms have en suites with showers and underfloor heating. There is also a family bathroom. An unusual feature is that Grange Burn runs through the garden. Weve got a footbridge linking the north and south parts of the garden, said Marie. Marie added: The main reason for moving is that my sons have finished university, and are struggling to find jobs here. My daughter, Rebecca lives and works in London, and I think we need to live in a city where therell be more jobs. I havent settled on any area in particular yet. Im going to miss everything about the house. Its a beautiful property and I love the location. 4 Sturton Grange Mill, Warkworth, Morpeth, is for sale through Sanderson Young at 480,000, tel: 01665 600170.

LTHOUGH this historic mill conversion in Northumberland dates back hundreds of years, it offers all the mod cons of a new-

build. The owner of the four-bedroom home, Marie Dunne, moved into the property when it was converted in 2007. I havent needed to do anything to the property since, well, except live here!, she said. Marie, 50, lives in the property with her sons Stephen, 22, and James, 21. Marie, who also has a daughter, Rebecca, 23, said: It is extremely rural, but close to Shilbottle and also Warkworth village. Were only six miles from Alnwick, and were not too far from Alnmouth station either, so its easy to jump on a train and go to Newcastle. The property has a tiled hallway and traditional mahogany staircase. Living accommodation to the ground floor includes a cloakroom, study, lounge, kitchen/dining area and utility room. The study, lounge and kitchen and dining area all have oak wood floors. The lounge has a multi-fuel stove and granite surround and hearth. There are two arched windows, one of which has a door leading out into the back garden. Marie said: Its lovely because youre

Pictures: Iain Buist

Looking for a home to rent in the North East? Turn to our lettings section for available properties from page 61 or go to

HomeBuy
Now Available
www.yuilloffers.co.uk
See pages 64-65

Looking for a brand new home in the North East? Turn to our new homes section from page 64 or go to

Newcastle Auction
Tuesday

27th July
For a free catalogue call 0845 1 461582
www.pattinson.co.uk

See pages 18-25

Saturday July 3 2010

homemaker.co.uk

17

Poor England a boost for market

H
OUSING activity in the North East is set to improve, say property experts. A number of factors are combining to boost the market they say, including the new Governments suspension of Home Information Packs, greater consumer confidence, an increase in the number of instructions and Englands failure in the World Cup finals! Estate agents Your Move says the World Cup could be one of the biggest influences. Area sales director Claire Milburn, based in Newcastle, said the agency has analysed the number of property transactions completed during and after World Cups. According to analysis of Her Majestys Revenue and Customs figures, transactions have risen by an average of 8% following the competition compared to its first month. For instance, in the last World Cup, 2006, in the month following the tournament, property transactions rose by 10% from 160,000 per month in June to 176,000 in August. She said that despite Englands failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, the trend was still evident albeit slightly subdued with transactions rising by 5% following the World Cup. Ms Milburn said: When football fever grips the nation, many buyers are glued to their screens. But, historically, a flurry of buyers hit the streets in the month after the tournament. Consumer confidence has risen this year, and more buyers have been entering the market. She added that housing market activity has never dropped following the competition, but in two of the previous seven World Cup years (1990 and 1998), transactional activity remained steady in its wake. Clive Rook, managing director of estate agents Rook Matthews Sayer, said the suspension of Home Information Packs was one of the strongest influences in encouraging more people to enter the property market. He said that 48% of Home Sale Network members felt this was the strongest influence. A further 19% cited low interest rates as the main influencing factor, and 19% indicated the summer weather was responsible. Mr Rook said: We believe the suspension of HIPs is good news for the housing market. Our business has indeed seen an increase in the number of properties being put on the market since the announcement was made last month. This may have been a result of people holding back, but estate agents have welcomed the suspension of HIPs by the new Government. He added that the Energy Performance Certificate remains mandatory. Mortgage availability is still an issue for many buyers, however. Craig Armstrong, an independent financial adviser from Gordon Brown Associates, said: A mortgage is still a fairly tricky thing to get and I think that banks and building societies are being much more careful about their lending. They are definitely looking closely at applicants with lower deposits. The whole process has slowed down. It may be people find they are accepted for a mortgage but then have to fulfil other requirements, only to find that the building society may at any time decide to retract the mortgage. I think that the process is slowing the market. There are signs of it picking up but I think that recent Budget cuts are also going to impact the market quite a lot. Were going to see families where maybe both partners work within the public sector thinking twice about moving because of the uncertainty about their jobs.

Impressive period property with charm

THIS five-bedroom period home offers space for all the family, set on just under half an acre of land. The property is in Whickham, a sought-after area with great schools, shops, pubs and restaurants. The property was originally built in 1895 and has been updated, but still retains its original charm. With many original features including fireplaces, panelled doors and some of the original leaded and stained-glass windows this is a home has lots of character. Living accommodation on the ground floor includes an entrance hall leading to a reception hall, cloakroom, drawing room and sitting room with open fireplace, large kitchen with breakfast area and dining room. The property also has a utility room and playroom on the ground floor. There is also a rear hall,

which houses a back staircase leading up to the first floor. To the first floor there is a large gym room, which could be used as a study or even converted to another bedroom. There are three bedrooms on the first floor the master bedroom with en suite and there is also a large family bathroom. The second floor also has two more large bedrooms,

one of which has an en suite. The grounds of the building are just as impressive as the home itself, with half an acre of land, and mature borders featuring a range of trees, shrubs and plants, offering privacy. The property in Millfield Road, Whickham, Gateshead, is for sale through Rook Matthew Sayer at 1,200,000, tel: 01661 860228.

SPACIOUS SURROUNDINGS The five-bedroom home comes with half an acre of land.

In a sought-after suburb
THIS beautiful home in Jesmond retains a wealth of period features. Located on one of the suburbs most sought-after roads, the endterraced property offers spacious accommodation over three floors. Original features include marble fireplaces, coving and stained glass windows. Features include a reception hallway, living room with castiron fireplace, dining room with fireplace and spacious kitchen/breakfast room with range-style cooker. There is also a family/playroom, cloakroom and utility. On the first floor there is a master bedroom with en suite, shower room, and two further bedrooms. On the second floor there is a sitting room and study/bedroom.

Mortgage monitor
This weeks best buys include...
Purchase & Remortgage 3 Year Fixed Rate
Rate: 3.69% (APR 5.4%) Variable rate for remaining term: 5.79% Arrangement fees: 495 arrangement fee that can be added Benefits: Free valuation Early repayment charge: 3% before July 31, 2013. Plus 160 discharge fee (Chelsea Building Society/Yorkshire Building Society)

Source Neil Henderson at The Mortgage Line at Rutherford Wilkinson Ltd, Blezard Business Park, Newcastle, NE13 6DS, tel: 0191 217 3340

Purchase & Remortgage Offset Tracker Rate

Rate: 2.79% (APR 2.8%) Variable rate for remaining term: 2.79% Arrangement fees: None Benefits: Free valuation Early repayment charge: 149 closing fee (First Direct)

Good all-round value: Purchase & Remortgage Lifetime Tracker; Rate: 2.59% APR 2.6%, Variable rate for remaining term: 2.59%; Arrangement fees: None; Benefits: Free valuation; Early repayment charge: 149 closing fee (First Direct)

Purchase & Remortgage 5 Year Fixed Rate

The above products are for information purposes only and not to be viewed as recommendations as other criteria will require evaluation for individual needs. Early repayment penalties may apply to the above products.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. There may be a fee for mortgage advice of 1% of the loan, for example, if the mortgage is 25,000, the fee may be 250.

EXTERIOR The house in Jesmond retains many period features.

There is a small town garden at the front of the property and rear yard. 73 Highbury is for sale through Sanderson Young at a price guide of 449,950, tel: 0191 213 0033.

Rate: 3.99% (APR 5.2%) Variable rate for remaining term: 5.79% Arrangement fees: 495 arrangement fee that can be added Benefits: Free valuation Early repayment charge: 4% before July 31, 2011. Plus 160 discharge fee. (Chelsea Building Society/Yorkshire Building Society)