Western Mail

Country Life

Property Market's Pot Now Half Full, Compared to Half Empty a Year Ago ; Nigel Jones, Director of John Francis, Wales' Largest Independent Estate Agent, Takes a Look Back at the 2009 Property Market, and Tells Us What We Can Look Forward to in the Next Year

SOMETIMES it is difficult to comprehend how quickly the property market has recovered to a more even keel from the maelstrom of uncertainty that existed just 12 months ago. Then, banks were collapsing and being bailed out by the government or, in the case of Lloyds TSB and HBOS, being amalgamated in haste when careful thought was more the order of the day.

The Property Doctor

QI am buying a property for pounds 165,000 which I understand will attract stamp duty at 1%, although I thought that no tax is payable on less than pounds 175,00. Is this true? A The exemption from paying Stamp Duty Land Tax, SDLT, on properties valued at pounds 125,000 to pounds 175,000 ends on December 31, 2009. SDLT will once again be payable on properties under pounds 175,000, but over pounds 125,000 as from January 1, 2010.

More Turn to the Bank of Mum and Dad As Duty Break Ends

THE Chancellor of The Exchequer has confirmed that the Stamp Duty holiday on homes worth up to pounds 175,000 ends on December 31. It means that thousands of first time buyers are climbing on the property ladder now to avoid charges, but with deposits hovering in the 25% range, more consumers are turning to the bank of mum and dad for help.

City Living Is Only a Country Mile Away ; the Barns Conversion Combines Rural Charm with the Convenience of Easy Access to the City Centre

BARN conversions have long been a popular way to buy into the country lifestyle, but it's very unusual to find one that combines rural charm with urban convenience. This particular property - which is named The Barns - might just fit the bill, however.

House Price Hopes Fall Flat As Halifax Report Predicts No Growth Throughout the Next 12 Months

WHILE average house prices rose by pounds 2,300 in November, the latest Halifax report claims that property values will not rise next year. The Halifax House Price index showed a 1.4% rise in property prices last month, with the average home up 4.2% so far over the course of the year.

Rich Seam of Housing On Site of Old Betws Colliery

PERSIMMON Homes has launched its second development in Ammanford, on the site of on an old colliery. Gat y Mynydd adds to the homes already available at the builders' Clos Ael Y Bryn development in Penygroes.

Cool Log Baskets to Light Your Fire

Q Where can I buy a really gorgeous log basket? A Log baskets are becoming more and more stylish all the time and for the last couple of years I've been lusting after the likes of Bill Amberg's leather log basket or cute kindling wood buckets from The Contemporary Home. However, in my opinion, log baskets don't get more luscious and tactile than this white wool log bag from online interiors boutique, Useful and Beautiful, www.usefulandbeautiful.co.uk Just the right size to carry enough logs t...

Create a Festive Mood with Outdoor Lighting

CONJURING up the mystery and anticipation associated with Santa's arrival is great fun. Simply lighting some candles, dimming the lights, putting a match to the fire, and playing carols are inexpensive ways of awakening the Christmas spirit. Outdoor lighting helps add to the seasonal drama. But beware of overdoing the theatrics as you could be left with a big electricity bill and an even larger carbon footprint.

New Homes Market Hit by a Two-Thirds Drop in Building Over the Last Three Years

FIRST-time buyers and buy-to-let landlords are still abandoning the new homes market, although reservations by existing homeowners across the UK showed a slight rise in September and October, according to the Housing Market Report (HMR) from the Home Builders Federation. Although new home prices rose in October for the third month, the HMR says any improvements evident in its latest figures emerge only because they are made against "an extremely low base" a year ago.

Real Radio's Dave Brookes Tunes in to His Inner Self in the Lounge ; a Room to Unwind Is the Presenter's Bolt Hole From the Stresses of Work

WHEN Dave Brookes finishes work as a radio presenter, there's nothing he likes better than chilling out in his lounge. The 40-year-old, who also presents the sports phone-in and drivetime show on Real Radio, loves to spend time flicking through the TV channels watching "rubbish" after hosting the four-hour programme.

Interest Rates to Kept at All-Time Low

PREDICTIONS regarding the interest rate set by the Bank of England are encouraging for homeowners. The Bank will keep interest rates at 1% or lower for the next five years, economists said this week. Millions of homeowners are saving a fortune from the massive cuts in their monthly mortgage payments.

Take 3 What Can You Get for Your Money Across Wales Right Now? We've Found Three Properties From Different Price Ranges Which May Suit Your Pocket

Under pounds 140,000 WHERE? Railway Street, Splott, Cardiff WHAT? A traditional mid-terraced two-bedroom house, with a through lounge/ dining room, a kitchen, modern white bathroom suite complete with panel bath, wash hand basin, WC and shower cubicle. Outside there is a secluded paved rear garden. WHY? It's ideal for a first time buyer, being in good shape and a manageable size. HOW MUCH? Darlows are asking pounds 129,950 for the house. Call 029 2046 4447 to find out more.

Dodge the Housing Chain with This Part-Exchange Offer From Redrow ; Save Yourself the Hassle of Selling Your Old Home

ANEW part-exchange scheme at an Aberdare development will save househunters time and money, according to the builders Redrow Homes whom are offering the deal at its Three Oaks venture. Luly Brice, area sales manager for Redrow Homes (South Wales) said: "On average it takes around eight weeks and 11 viewings to sell a property - that's two months of making sure your home looks at its best for potential buyers, which can be a full-time job in itself, particularly for those with busy families. B...

Festive Feast for Toy Collectors

THE final West Wales feast for toy and train collectors in 2009, will take place at Carmarthen on Bank Holiday Monday, December 28 in the usual and popular venue at The Ivy Bush Royal Hotel. Prices at Carmarthen have never been keener as traders strive to bust the recession and the variety and quality of stock remains extremely high; dealers are also very keen to buy and exchange so members of the public are more than welcome to bring along their surplus items, if only for a free valuation.

Make a Date at Winter Market

A NEW antiques event is set to take place straight after the Christmas festivities. The Carmarthen Winter Antiques and Flea Market will be staged at the Carmarthen Showground on Bank Holiday Monday, December 28.

Antique Books Open a New Chapter in Their Lives at Brightwells Auction

ARCHITECTURE and interiors were some of the day's favourite subjects at Brightwells sale of Books and Stamps in Leominster on November 18, when The Carpenters Pleasure, a collection of designs for temples in the Gothic style, and printed by I Taylor, sold for pounds 680. The History and Antiquities of Worcestershire, second edition, published by John White, London, 1799, sold for pounds 680 with an Owen & Blakeways History of Shrewsbury, 1825, making pounds 150.

Small but Beautifully Formed Miniature Portraits Which Date Back 500 Years

THERE was an interesting piece on Flog It! recently when Paul Martin interviewed the portrait miniaturist Elizabeth Meek, the current president of the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers. The portrait miniature shown here, painted in the Middle East in a Western style, illustrates the coming together of two great traditions, that of European portrait miniatures, which goes back 500 years, and that of Persian miniatures which is older still. The first portrait miniatures...

The First Word

ILOVE the cinema. From the first moment you enter the cocoon- like security of the dimly lit space to the time when the credits go up, it's as if the world's suspended. Cats' eyes lighting the steps and the floor-to-ceiling sound proofing add to the impression you've entered another realm.

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