WATERFRONT HOME WITH VALLEY WALKS

Brier Wood on School Lane, off Blackberry Hill, Stapleton, is a superior and highly rewarding detached waterfront home within a desirable setting close to the River Frome and lovely valley walks.
This stylish and unique 1960s architect-designed and built home, which is on the market with Besley Hill Estate Agents at Fishponds for £350,000, offers dramatic, contemporary accommodation with a high quality finish.
Many rooms have an elevated outlook over the River Frome with views along the valley and immediate surroundings in an area with great local history and forming part of a conservation area known for its outstanding natural beauty.
Situated in an exclusive position reached via a no through road, this impressive home enjoys a host of special features such as a galleried landing, stable doors and extensive gardens.
The accommodation includes a spacious hall, stunning kitchen/breakfast room, conservatory, three bedrooms and a bathroom at hall floor level while on the top floor there is an open landing, formal dining room and large living room with direct access onto a private balcony.
The beautifully presented kitchen/breakfast room has an island Schuller kitchen breakfast bar with a glass top surface and a stylish range of timber grain-effect wall and floor storage cabinets with a built-in Technic brushed steel-effect range cooker with matching splashback and canopy above.
The bathroom includes a white suite of panelled bath, low level w.c. and free standing glass bowl sink with mixer taps over, exclusive Lena steam/shower cabin, black marble effect flooring, concealed ceiling spot lighting, radiator and heated towel rail.
Alongside the pedestrian access to the property is a garage built beneath the foundations together with an internal adjoining workshop storage space and electrically and remotely operated up and over door.
For further details of Brier Wood and an appointment to view, contact Besley Hill Estate Agents at 764/766 Fishponds Road, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 3UA, tel 0117 965 3162, email fishponds@besleyhill.co.uk

OPEN HOUSE VIEWING AT FOXGLOVES COTTAGE

An open house viewing of Foxgloves Cottage, 118 Downend Road, Fishponds, a two-bed semi-detached natural stone period cottage with a long landscaped rear garden, is to be held on Saturday, September 10.
On the market for £205,000, this distinctive home offers ample accommodation including a stylish kitchen, luxury shower room, three reception rooms and two good-size bedrooms, in addition to the outstanding garden.
Exposed timber ceilings and panelled internal doors with brass/china-effect handles blend tastefully with more modern features like uPVC double-glazed and leaded windows, and laminate wood grain-effect floors.
Of particular interest to gardening enthusiasts will be the impressive 170ft long rear garden which has been beautifully landscaped by the current owners.
The 16ft 3ins x 11ft 4ins (4.95m x 3.45m) lounge looks out on to this garden and has an exposed timber ceiling and stone fireplace with a cast iron multi-fuel stove upon a slate-effect tiled hearth while the dining room/occasional bedroom 3, which also allows direct access on to the rear garden, has laminate wood grain-effect floor and twin double glazed French doors.
The second sitting room/study also has an exposed timber ceiling together with natural stone fireplace opening with stone tiled hearth, built-in double floor cupboard, natural timber window sill/display shelf and built-in display/bookshelves.
The kitchen, measuring 13ft x 7ft 8ins (3.96m x 2.34m), comes with a range of Shaker cream-effect wall, floor and drawer cabinets with brushed steel-effect handles, inset enamel sink with a Victorian-effect mixer tap over within natural wood block working surfaces, and Potterton gas-fired boiler for domestic hot water and central heating.
The shower room has a corner enclosure with an Essentials shower unit, low level W.C. and vanity wash basin with double cupboard beneath, slate-effect tiled floor, splashback tiling, heated towel rail and extractor.
The rear garden has an initial decorative gravelled surface and a concrete laid path with a natural stone border to one side with lovely flowering shrubs, roses and climbers. The pathway leads to a timber laid decking surface/patio with inset floodlights with a further stone raised border to one side and three steps to a higher section of extensive and level lawn.
On both sides of the lawn there are well-established and interesting borders with specimen shrubs and carefully selected plants. Midway through the garden there is a decorative slate laid surface within timber edging suitable as a seating area with a decorative timber archway and trellis alongside with flowering climbers.
Beyond the arch there are further lawned areas with additional well-stocked borders, a flagstone-effect laid patio/seating area, two timber sheds, a timber log store, a decorative gravelled storage hardstanding and a section of timber barked surface with mature flowering cherry and evergreen.
Mark Symonds, senior branch manager of Besley Hill Estate Agents at Fishponds, said: “This beautiful cottage is a gardener’s paradise but will suit professionals and those seeking a high quality home with considerable comfort and style.”
To attend the open house viewing, which is by appointment between 10.00am and 11.00am, contact Mark on tel 0117 965 3162, or email fishponds@besleyhill.co.uk

BUYING IS CHEAPER THAN RENTING, SAYS HALIFAX

The latest Halifax Buying vs. Renting Review, which tracks changes in the cost of buying and renting a typical two bedroom flat for a first-time buyer across the UK over the last three years, shows that the cost of buying a home for first-time buyers is more than £100 a month lower than renting.
The cost of buying for a first-time buyer has fallen by 2% over the past year and average rental costs have risen by 6%.
In 2008, the average cost of buying was £212 more than the average rent paid. But there has subsequently been a decline in buying costs for a first-time-buyer due partly to the fall in mortgage rates and house prices.
The average mortgage rate for a new borrower is now 3.84%, a fall of 207 points from an average of 5.91% in mid 2008, while the average first-time house price has also fallen by 14% to £124,378 over the same period.
The average monthly costs of buying a two bedroom flat in the UK for a first-time buyer totalled £567 in July 2011, 16% lower than the £677 a month typical rent paid on the same type of property.
Average buying costs include mortgage payments, income lost by funding a deposit rather than saving and spending on household maintenance and repair and insurance costs.
“The recent decline in the cost of buying a property for first-time buyers compared to renting has been substantial and reflects the drop in both mortgage rates and house prices since 2008 as well as a marked increase in the average rent paid over the past year,” said Halifax housing economist Suren Thiru.

SPACIOUS EXTENDED HOME IN SOUGHT-AFTER LOCATION

A deceptively spacious home on Forest Road, Fishponds, has come on to the market with the local office of Besley Hill Estate Agents.
“There is always a demand for properties in this location because they are close to all the shops and other amenities Fishponds has to offer,” says senior branch manager Mark Symonds.
Number 194 Forest Road, a deceptively spacious four-bedroom three-storey mid-terraced family home, has been developed and extended by the current owners to a high standard of specification.
A particular feature is the roof conversion to form a master bedroom with en-suite shower room. There are three further bedrooms at first-floor level together with a large bathroom with independent shower and feature claw-leg bath.
On the ground floor, the property has two separate receptions, a conservatory and stylish fitted kitchen. Further benefits are a garden and double garage/workshop.
Priced at £205,000, this beautifully decorated home will suit a range of buyers, including a growing family and professionals.
For further details and to view this attractive property, contact Mark Symonds at Besley Hill Estate Agents, 764 Fishponds Road, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 3UA, tel 0117 965 3162, email fishponds@besleyhill.co.uk

HOUSE PRICES SET TO RISE BY 14%

House prices are expected to rise by 14% over the next four years, according to the influential think-tank, the Centre for Economics and Business Research.
The Centre forecasts that the value of the average British home, currently £176,000, will increase to an all-time high of £200,700 in 2015 with hikes of 2.4% in 2012, 3.4% in 2013, 3.6% in 2014 and 4% in 2015.
It says the ongoing shortage of housing, a gradual increase in the availability of mortgage finance and a prolonged period of loose monetary policy will cause the upsurge in house prices.
House building will remain depressed for the next four years and this, combined with population growth, will result in an increasing shortage of accommodation.
The CEBR says this is likely to elevate house prices, making home ownership less affordable and placing further pressure on the rental market. Furthermore, the base rate is unlikely to rise above 2% before 2015.
Shehan Mohamed, economist at CEBR, said: “We forecast an average of 110,000 new homes to be built every year over the medium term.
“This is significantly lower than the 225,000 homes that need to be created every year to keep pace with current housing needs, population growth and the trend towards reduced household sizes.”
Douglas McWilliams, chief executive of CEBR, said: “We do not expect a house price boom, but the housing shortage is likely to push prices gently upwards.
“By 2015, our updated forecast price for the average house is £200,700. The previous peak level was £191,200 in 2007.”

LANDLORDS' CONFIDENCE IN BUY-TO-LET MARKET GROWS

Optimism has grown among landlords for their buy-to-let prospects, according to a new report.

Almost a quarter of landlords are feeling more optimistic about the prospects for their property portfolios, rental income and yields, Paragon Mortgage’s Q2 Private Rented Sector Trends Report reveals.

They are encouraged by the availability of buy-to-let finance, with 22% in the second quarter of this year saying that it was reasonably available, compared with 17% in the first quarter.

Some 23% of landlords feel more optimistic than was the case in Q1, particularly if they are professional landlords, 30% stating they were more optimistic, compared with 15% of smaller-scale landlords.

On average, landlords expect to have 13.1 residential properties in their portfolios in a year’s time, compared with 12.6 properties currently - the first time in two years that landlords have predicted an increase in the number of properties in their portfolios.

Nearly three out of ten landlords (29%) have increased rents during the second quarter, the majority of whom reported an increase of between 2% and 4%, states the report.

Landlords are also more optimistic about the net value of their portfolios, with a growing proportion expecting an increase in value (14% in Q2 against 13% in Q1), and fewer are forecasting declining values (12% Q2 vs 19% Q1). The majority of landlords (74%) expect net values to remain the same.

The report also shows a shift in the types of property that landlords are looking to add to their portfolios during the third quarter. Of those looking to purchase during the quarter, terrace houses are the most popular choice, with more than half of landlords saying they expect to buy this type of property.

There have also been increases in the popularity of semi-detached houses (up from 28% to 41%) and detached (up from 9% to 22%).

Commenting on the report, Adam Offer, managing director of Besley Hill, the South West’s biggest network of independent estate agents, says: “The trend shown by this report is consistent with the increasing number of buy-to-let deals being arranged for landlords by the Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB) representatives at our offices throughout Bristol and Gloucestershire.”

HOUSE PRICES ON THE RISE

Further signs of an improvement in the UK house market have emerged after figures from both the Halifax and Nationwide showed prices rose in July.
The average price of house rose to £168,731, up 0.2 per cent from the previous month, according to Nationwide, compared with a drop of 1.1 per cent a month ago.
Data from the Halifax showed prices rose by 0.3 per cent in July, with prices on a quarter-to-quarter basis up for the first time in 14 months, following a 0.5 per cent rise in the three months to July.
With little change in either the level of house sales or the number of properties on the market since late 2010, both the Halifax and Nationwide said the steady market conditions have helped to stabilise house prices.
Nationwide reported that house prices have risen or remained unchanged for six of the seven months so far in 2011, with the highest increase being 0.6 per cent in February.