Banner

Knowledge Hub

Details
Hits: 1170

Ministers are set to drop controversial changes to planning laws that would have stripped homeowners of the right to object to new houses in their area.

following a backlash from Tory MP's, reforms to build 300,000 homes a year by 2025 will be diluted, according to The Times. 

In a consultation, the Government suggested ripping up the planning application process and replacing it with a zonal system forcing local councils to meet mandatory building targets. But the overhaul - the biggest shake-up of planning laws for 70 years - met strong opposition in rural areas. Tory MPs blamed it for the party's defeat to the Lib Dems at the Chesham and Amersham by-election in June.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick will reportedly ditch mandatory targets and the zonal system. Instead, councils will identify 'growth sites' with a presumption in favour of development so applications are fast-tracked. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: 'We will not comment on speculation. Our response to the consultation will be released in due course.'

Details
Hits: 1128

The record climb in house prices over the past year is not expected to lapse, according to Halifax. New figures published by the lender on Tuesday showed the average cost of a home hit a record £262,954 in August - a rise of 0.7% from July and 7.1% over the last 12 months.

The rise in prices has continued even as the stamp duty holiday tapered at the end of June. According to Halifax's Russell Galley, the 'structural factors' that have driven the record prices - such as a shortage of available properties and continued demand for extra space - look set to persist. As a result, he said, price gains made since the start of the pandemic 'are unlikely to be reversed'.

Daily Mail

Details
Hits: 1136

The cost of building materials for home improvements is rising at the fastest rate since the 1990s, data suggests.

'Unprecedented' demand for extensions, loft conversions and land scaping, amid a supply shortage, has led to prices 'going through the roof'. Builders say they are having to go back to customers almost daily with increased quotes as merchants raise their fees. One builder said that he had been forced to increase his the predicted cost of an extension from £20,000 to "27,000 - up 35%.

The price rises over the summer were thee highest since records began in 1997, according to research group IHS Markit and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. And the high demand has come against 'sustained and severe' disruption to supply chains caused by global shipping chaos and the shortage of lorry drivers, forcing customers to wait up to eight months for deliveries of items such as bricks. The price of some wood products has almost doubled year on year , data from the Office of National Statistics shows.

The cost of a typical 4.8 metre (15ft 9in) length of sawn treated timber has risen from £17 to £29, while the cost of a 2.4 metre (7ft 10in) length of plywood has increased from £34 to £62. The price of tiles has gone up by close to a third, from £1.20 t0 £1.58, with builders facing six month waits for deliveries. The chaos in global shipping has also contributed, with the cost of a container from China reportedly increasing from £1,800 a year ago to £8,640 today.

A long-standing lack of skilled builders is also pushing up the price of labour and forcing householders to wait several months to start projects.

Tom Witherow   Daily Mail.

Details
Hits: 1279

A parking space in a fashionable seaside resort has gone on sale for an astonishing £99,950.

The 15ft by 8ft plot, just wide enough for a single car, is situated inside a garage with electric doors near to the beach in popular St Ives, Cornwall. The near six-figure price is thought to be the most expensive parking spot outside London.

The Sun

Details
Hits: 1148

Simply walking across wooden floors in our homes could soon be used to generate electricity, say researchers.

Scientists sandwiched two pieces of wood, one coated with silicone and the other with 'nanocristals', between electrodes to create an electric current when walked on. An A4-sized prototype could power an LED lightbulb.

Spruce generated 80 times more electricity than other wood in the research, published in the journal Matter. Senior author Dr Guido Panzarasa, from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, said the technology is 'scalable on an industrial level'.

  1. NO SUMMER SLOW DOWN...HOUSE PRICES ARE STILL RISING.
  2. £8BN BID TO BUILD 119,000 HOMES.
  3. HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME MORE SECURE
  4. LACK OF PROGRESS ON REFORMS FORCING LEASEHOLDERS TO GAMBLE

Why Sell Your Home With Fox Estate Agents?

  • Fox Estate Agents have won multiple awards based on extremely high standards of Customer Service.
  • Chris Fox FNAEA has over forty years experience and is backed by a highly experienced, dedicated team.
  • You will have a personal Sales Progressor overseeing your transaction.
  • Fox Estate Agents is an NAEA Propertymark member firm and are also members of The Property Ombudsman Scheme.
  • Our Terms of Business are, No Sale, No Fee and we are here to assist you seven days a week.

Request a Valuation

Dartford Business Award

Customer Reviews

  • We are 100% satisfied and cannot recommend Fox Estates strongly enough. The team were extremely professional, friendly, and approachable from the minute we asked for a valuation right until completion. Their knowledge of the local area was spot on and made the difference on the sale of our house. We are grateful to Chris in particular for his attention to detail, responsiveness to emails and a willing pro-activeness to help keep things moving. I would not hesitate in recommending Fox Estates to my friends and family..

  • Chris Fox put my house on the market on June 13th and advised me to have an open house. 26 people viewed the property and I had 6 really good offers. By 3rd of August we had completed!Chris guided me through the sale with professionalism, integrity, friendliness and his extensive knowledge which can only come from spending 35 years doing a job he is still clearly passionate about.

  • Chris is very efficient and professional at all times. He made the sale of our property effortless and acted beyond the call of duty on our behalf.

  • During my career I have come across many estate agents and Chris really is a true professional, with the highest standards of integrity and professionalism I have seen. As well as having referred him to my own clients and had excellent feedback, I have personally used Chris to sell my property and I have been extremely impressed, and would recommend him to everyone.

  • I instructed Chris to sell my house and when he found a buyer the sale went through in just over 6 weeks. His service was excellent and I would recommended him to anyone. A few months later my mum instructed him to sell her house and again he found a buyer and the sale progressed to completion without a problem. Chris is very knowledgeable and professional and he will give you a very helpful, friendly and attentive service. If you are thinking about buying or selling I would suggest you give him a call

  • I employed Chris Fox to sell my parents home when my mother died last year. He handled the sales with professionalism and respect for my family. He was very eager to secure the right sale and was tenacious on our behalf. He kept us fully informed of all developments during the sale and achieved a very good outcome on our behalf. I would recommend Chris Fox wholeheartedly.

  • AFTER 4 MONTHS OF AGGROVATION WITH ANOTHER ESTATE AGENT I APPROACHED CHRIS ABOUT 2 MONTHS BACK, I EXPLAINED THAT I HATED ESTATE AGENTS, CHRIS HAS GONE A LONG WAY TO REPAIRING THAT IMAGE HAVING DONE A SPLENDID JOB IN SELLING MY HOUSE WITHIN 3 DAYS THE WHOLE PROCESS TOOK 6 WEEKS TO THE POINT I HAD MOVED EXCELLENT ATTITUDE AND A TRUE PROFESSIONAL

Read Our Google Reviews