Buying a property in the countryside

There are lots of things to consider when buying any home, but especially so if you're thinking of purchasing a property in a more rural area out in the countryside.

The obvious benefits are that there's generally less noise, less pollution and often more of a sense of community. But, you may want to consider how close your house will be to the nearest town as there will be fewer big supermarkets and large shops and things may be more expensive in highly sought after areas.

Country houses can be quite expensive as they often come with a lot of land and are in high demand as they are less readily available than terraces and flats in city centres.

In Hungerford, there are currently only 68 houses for sale. This is great if you're looking to sell your property as you will have less competition in the area. But if you're looking to buy, this could push the prices up a bit. The average price of properties in Hungerford is £255,953 compared to £234,837 nationally.

For more information on buying or selling your property in Hungerford or the surrounding areas, please visit our website: http://www.nyeandco.co.uk or give us a call on 01488 683334

House prices will rise 5.3% this year

Is this just an optimistic estimate from the Centre of Economics and Business Research (CEBR)? Or will we see a rise in house prices this year? The first quarter certainly seems to point to an increase.

There seemed to be a bit of a rumour going around that we were coming out of the recession a couple of months ago so that might have had an effect. But in the most part, I think it's probably due to a combination of a shortage of new homes and a low mortgage borrowing rate- if you can get one.

If house prices do rise by 5.3% this year, it will push the average house price in the UK £172,500. This all sounds very promising for property owners wishing to sell. But it's actually lower than the CEBR's original growth prediction of 6%. Good news for buyers though. Get in there quick!