Thinking about buying a listed property? From getting to know your local conservation officer to undertaking a background check, Chris Davey, Luscombe Maye Estate Agency, gives his top tips on getting the best out of listed properties, as well as things to consider before purchasing. From the humble thatched cottage, to grand period homes, and even a bus station, listed properties are of great significance and beauty. With over 376,099 listed building entries in England, they are the jewels in the property crown, and are a marked sign of the country’s heritage and history. Laws and...
A new survey carried out by Reeds Rains estate agents has found that in Britain, 47% of people take between 1-5 minutes to form an impression of a property which they are viewing while others take less than 30 seconds. The study of 244 people looked at the ways they judge a person’s house when first entering and found cleanliness, smell and fresh flowers are crucial in forming a good impression. The study also revealed that ‘how modern and bright the kitchen is’, ‘tidiness’ and ‘the state of decorations (paintwork and wallpaper) are also evident in the minds of people judging a home. John...
Fourteen families have moved into new ecologically friendly, high tech homes built by Exeter City Council as part of a project to make the most of underused spaces in the city and create affordable housing for local people.
Silverberry Close and Barberry Close provide a total of 14 new three-bedroom properties, including two fully wheelchair accessible homes.
These rented houses are now providing comfortable living space for families who were waiting for a suitable place to live on Exeter’s Housing Register.
The buildings are designed to be as ecological, low energy...
It’s all in the view. Luscombe Maye Estate Agency reveals that South West waterside properties are continuing to dominate the region’s property market, selling on average up to one month faster than those in urban or inland locations, according to its sales data from the past year.
Experts at Luscombe Maye state that both quantity and quality of a sea view play a vital part in the lure of South West waterside properties, potentially adding between £50,000 and £200,000 to a property’s value.
Direct beach access, picture windows, private balconies and patios are just some of...
Landlords and letting agencies are being encouraged to contact Exeter’s recently established Private Renting Support Service which is working to improve access to affordable accommodation in the city.
Path - an independent homelessness charity now working in partnership with Exeter City Council - is looking for landlords and letting agencies that are happy to accept tenants in receipt of Local Housing Allowance and have properties which meet all the legal requirements and are free from hazards.
Path offer reference-checked tenants, tenancy related support, property...
Alarming new figures from housing charity Shelter have revealed almost 500 people in the South West were put at risk of losing their home every week in the last year. In an analysis of statistics from the Ministry of Justice, the charity identified how many people are at risk of eviction and repossession as well as the ‘home threat hotspots’ across the South West where people are most likely to face the risk of losing their home. Gloucester topped the list in the South West, with as many as 1 in every 115 homes under threat of eviction or repossession, followed by Bournemouth (1 in 119),...
Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service is reaching out to deaf and hard of hearing communities during Deaf Awareness Week (4-10 May) to ensure they have effective smoke alarms.
An estimated one million adults in the UK are unable to hear an ordinary smoke alarm because of hearing difficulties or removal of their hearing aid at night1. So as part of Deaf Awareness Week, Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service is reminding residents within Devon and Somerset to make sure they fit and test the right smoke alarms for those who suffer from hearing loss in their homes....
Members of an Exeter drugs gang, intent on flooding the streets of the South West with amphetamines, have today been jailed for more than 18 years.
Bret Seldon, Shaun Greenham, Marc Smith and Gary Turley, all from Exeter, plus Richard Armitage from Holsworthy were sentenced to a total of 18 years and 10 months imprisonment by Exeter Crown Court.
The five men were all convicted of conspiracy to supply amphetamine and Armitage and Turley were also charged with conspiracy to supply cannabis.
Seldon (also known as Bret Burgess), aged 33, of Briar Crescent, Exeter, and...
New research identifies emerging social tribes –‘first time flyers’, ‘first time triers’ and ‘renting lifers’
Families in the South West who are never able to get on the property ladder will be more than £603,800 worse off over their lifetime than those who can buy a home in their twenties, new research from Shelter shows.
The unique study by the housing charity paints a picture of the huge financial, social and psychological implications of England’s housing shortage on people left locked out of a home of their own.
By analysing the income and assets of ‘first time...
Today’s new Fuel Poverty Strategy sets out a revolutionary approach to identifying and targeting England’s energy inefficient homes.
Future Governments will now, for the first time, be required by law to tackle fuel poverty by making the coldest, leakiest homes in England more energy efficient.
This new Fuel Poverty Strategy – the first for over a decade – outlines challenges and actions for the next 15 years to ensure future Governments take the right steps to tackle fuel poverty and get help to those who need it most.
