Meet The Team: Gregg Cave
We are proud to have Gregg on our team here at Carpenter Surveyors as a trainee surveyor. Welcome to his employee spotlight. How would you summarise what you do at Carpenter Surveyors? My role here is trainee surveyor. I am currently working on a number of...
What happens after your offer has been accepted?
After your offer has been accepted, there's a lot to do, including hiring a conveyancer and planning your move. Here's where the real work begins! When your house offer is accepted, it brings so much excitement and relief to you as a buyer. The day you've been waiting...
What is included in each property survey?
Whenever you purchase a new home, you should have a qualified surveyor inspect the property. Even when the property appears to be in good condition and has been built to a high specification. Although surveys are not legally required in the UK, every conveyancer will...
Tax cuts, tax reforms, and investment zones: Industry responds to mini-budget
In a budget described by JLL UK chief executive Stephanie Hyde as anything but mini for real estate, Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng promised the government would introduce a planning and infrastructure bill to reform and “unpick the complex patchwork of planning...
A rate increase of 2.25% by the Bank of England is the highest rate in 14 years
Since the Coronavirus pandemic two years ago, the bank has raised the rate seven consecutive times. Someone with a £200,000 mortgage will have to pay an additional £50 a month in repayments. There are approximately 850,000 people with tracker mortgages and 1.1...
How to identify and remove damp in your property
In your home, mold or mildew around windows and doors, musty smells, and discoloured patches on wallpaper and walls are all signs of damp. In this article, we look at how to identify the different types of damp. We also look at how to treat damp, damp proofing costs,...
How will the new prime minister affect the housing market?
The newly-elected prime minister resides in the flat above Number 11 Downing Street, which had a controversial makeover by Liz's predecessor Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Symonds. Liz Truss' top priority in the coming weeks and months will be finding ways to...
How can first time buyers handle rising interest rates?
First time buyers are the largest buyer group in the country but they’re about to be hit with higher interest rates. Here’s what’s happening and how you can offset the rising rates. Interest from first time buyers is up a huge 46% year on year as they drive the market...
Cost of living impacts homeowner climate efforts: Rics
The looming cost of living crisis is causing homeowners to think again about making improvements to ease the impact of climate change and rising energy costs, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. It found that while 34% of homeowners said they...
What will home-buyers of the future look for?
Smart tech has transformed our homes in ways we couldn’t have dreamed of a decade ago. And moving forward, the future for our homes, without question, is greener. Making homes greener is a critical part of helping the UK to reach Net Zero by 2050. The government wants...
Moda and Sisk completes high jump with Birmingham’s tallest residential tower
Moda and John Sisk & Son have completed Birmingham’s tallest residential tower, Moda, The Mercian. The 42-storey high tower was designed by Birmingham-based award-winning Glenn Howells Architects and delivered by Sisk at a cost of £260m. Moda, The Mercian will be...
How to prepare for your home survey?
When a buyer shows interest in your property, their mortgage lender will send a surveyor to confirm its value. To identify potential structural problems with the property and to check areas that the valuation survey does not cover, it is likely that your buyer will...
What does the latest house price data mean for you?
Will your home keep rising in value? Should you hold off from moving? And will there be a housing crash? Here’s what the latest data from Zoopla's House Price Index means for you. There’s a lot of noise around the UK housing market. And it can be hard to know when to...
What does a building survey look for in a garden?
A well-kept garden can add thousands of pounds to a home's asking price, according to studies. Some types of trees and plants, however, can cause damage to the property, so buyers should be careful. There are many factors that could affect a property's structural...
Brum goes for gold and green
Over 4,500 athletes from 72 countries will compete in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham over the next two weeks. But once medals are awarded, what will be the legacy of the games on the property market in the UK’s second-largest city? Birmingham was not the...
New innovative plans to deliver up to 350 new all-electric homes on historic MG Rover site
St. Modwen, a leading developer of new communities and high-quality homes, plans to deliver up to 350 new all-electric homes on the historic MG Rover site that was once home to the MINI in Birmingham. Powered by a dedicated ‘smart grid’, electricity will be supplied...
Housing market cooling off but rents likely to keep rising in latest RICS report
Surveyors across the UK say interest from new house buyers has slipped for the third consecutive month, but prices are still rising. Surveyors say they are seeing evidence that the housing market is starting to cool. In its monthly survey, the Royal Institution of...
Selling your home? Here are the top home improvements buyers could be looking for
If you’re thinking of selling your home, you’re going to want potential buyers to love it as much as you do. Preparing your home to sell is so much more than plumping the sofa cushions and making sure the aroma of freshly baked bread is filling the kitchen. Often the...