Scottish bungalow costs on the rise

Bungalows and detached houses might be the best kind of properties for Scottish home buyers to invest in, a new survey has revealed.

According to figures from the house price data of the

Bank of Scotland, the average cost of a bungalow in Scotland now stands at 178,701 – an eight per cent rise from the second quarter in 2009 to the same period this year.

Detached houses are not far behind, with their values having increased by seven per cent during the same one-year period to 257,462. The average Scottish house price is now 75 per cent cheaper than the cost of a detached house.

The average cost of flats has remained the same during the period. Terraced and semi-detached properties have witnessed a five per cent and one per cent decline respectively.

Over the past decade, the average detached house has seen a 128 per cent rise in price – making it

Rent arrears figure remains low

New research has shown that the number of people falling behind with rent payments remained at a low level despite the pressures of the economic downturn.

In a study carried out by lettings agent network LSL Property Services, just 16%of landlords in the UK reported an increase in rent arrears over the last 12 months.

The remaining 84% of landlords revealed the number of tenants unable to pay their rent remained unchanged or had fallen.

According to LSL, the majority of the landlords reporting a rise in late payments said the number had increased a minimal amount.

And figures show that those living in cheaper accommodation were more likely to run into problems than those with higher rents to pay.

The research showed that those in rent arrears paid an average of 472 a month – 30% less than the national average.

The group estimates that the total amount of rent that remained unpaid in

Third of smokers ‘lie to rent home’

A new survey has found that 38% of landlords will throw out tenants caught smoking in their properties, indicating a strong shift in attitude towards smokers.

With only 7% of landlords agreeing to allow tenants to smoke in their properties, more than six out of 10 smokers are living in non-smoking accommodation, of which over a third lie about their habit in order to rent the home.

According to flatshare website

Easyroommate.co.uk nearly a third of smokers say they have considered giving up the habit as restrictions are being ramped up.

Only about one fifth of fellow tenants are prepared to share a home with smokers, while more than a third do not want their housemates to smoke inside the property.

Jonathan Moore, the director of Easyroommate.co.uk, said: “With smoking in pubs and restaurants off the cards, the last refuge for smoking – at home – is being eroded now, too.

“There’s

Average home price slips by 0.9%

The property market continued its downward slide during August, a report has revealed, with figures showing an 0.9% drop in the average price of a home.

Nationwide said the picture had been exacerbated by a 0% quarter-on-quarter growth rate for the three months to the end of August, backing up the widely-held impression that the market’s traditional summer bounce had gone missing.

The annual rate of change also weakened for the fourth consecutive month to stand at 3.9%, the lowest year-on-year rise since November last year.

The stark figures come after Bank of England statistics earlier this week suggested that the housing market could be heading for a double dip, with the number of loans approved for house purchase sliding to just 48,722 during July.

Nationwide warned that, barring a strong resurgence in September, the quarterly growth rate was likely to turn negative next month.

Copyright Press Association 2010