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According to Halifax Home Insurance, increasing amounts od homeowners are opting for open plan living space.

Research has shown that apparently nearly three million rooms have disappeared in the last five years as homeowners knock down walls to create more space. According to recent estimations another 2.1 million homes could follow the trend this year.

The dining room seems to be the prime candidate for knocking through, as many claim that a formal dining room isn’t needed or used and homeowners would rather use the space to create a bigger lounge or kitchen. Other popular rooms to be knocked through include living rooms and utility rooms, and studies are also being combined with other rooms to create larger bedrooms or bathrooms.

David Rochester, head of underwriting at Halifax Home Insurance, said: “Britons have clearly fallen for open-plan living and are looking at ways in which they can make better use of the space inside their homes.” Source:   http://www.moveorimprove.co.uk/Project.aspx?Action=1887186931&ID=72ca9d34-1116-494a-9471-03abbddd85fa

If you decide to or already have created a more open plan living area it is important to store all furniture and additional belongings in clean, dry & secure self storage room.

Persimmon, Britain’s biggest housebuilder by market value and No.3 by homes built, said it saw signs of hope for Britain’s housing market, with fewer cancellations and more visitors.

After worrying times throughout 2007 it seems the market has since steadied, with data showing on Monday that mortgage approvals in January picked up from near record lows and underlying net mortgage lending rose by 6.1 percent.

Source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/business/2008/February/business_February776.xml&section=business&col=

“Business use storage facilities as a cost-effective way to free up space. Individuals do it for a variety of reasons… Self Storage facilities are springing up all over the UK and the market looks set to expand. In the US, there are 30,000 facilities serving population of approximately 285 million. Five Years ago there were just 100 such facilities serving the UK population of around 60million. Today there are up to 450. Modern container self storage is simple and convenient.” Paul Swindon (British Association of Removers)
Source: www.bar.co.uk/Document/Download.aspx?uid=9bf7f7f8-5e9e-4136-b771-38f466b0434f

Make sure that when you choose your Self-Storage company that they are safe and reliable such as Smart Storage. Smart-Storage have several storage centres across the North West offering a huge range of sizes at great rates.

The average cost of a home in England and Wales is now £174,400, according to property information group Hometrack.

The group have said there were signs demand was improving. The number of new buyers registering with estate agents increased by 7.9% during the month, compared to an 11.5% fall in January. It said there was also a slight rise in the number of sales agreed.

Richard Donnell, director of research at Hometrack, said: “In the wake of the credit crunch, demand for housing fell by 45%.

“But the latest Hometrack survey shows a small yet important turnaround in demand over February.”

The market was strongest in the South East, Wales and the North.

Source: http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/25022008/140/house-prices-sales-rise.html

Minimalist interiors don’t necessarily mean everything is stripped down. It means everything serves a specific function. Aesthetically, you will notice emphasis placed on a building’s envelope by reducing dividing walls to create open floor plans. Not always are structural changes your option or desire but, if you have a space whose openness lends itself to Minimalist decorating you have a head start. If not, you will want to work toward creating a Minimalist illusion and feel by applying the main elements to what you have – an open feel, clean lines, order and wasting not on needless adornment.

The goal is to create a space appropriate to the way you want to live. The result can be very rewarding personally and widely appealing. It is a long known fact simple living leads to a more relaxed and tranquil life. (Source:http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com/minimalist-style.html)
Self-storage is a fantastic way to declutter but to keep wanted belongings safe and secure. Smart Storage provide various sizes for all requirements at great value.

Fairinvestment.co.uk suggest that findings of a recent survey indicate that over half of Britons would prefer a fixed-rate mortgage.

The survey also established that 57% of those considering a mortgage would choose a fixed rate over any other type of mortgage product.

The results consisted of 30% of the total respondents reporting that they would prefer a short-term fixed rate mortgage while 27% would opt for a long-term fixed interest rate.

The survey also established that 23% of homeowners would favour tracker mortgages, 9% would chose a discounted mortgage, 8% would chose a variable rate mortgage and 3% would go for a stepped deal.

Despite talk of a housing market crash the storage industry still remains unaffected.

Source: http://www.homemove.co.uk/news/22-02-2008/survey-reveals-britons-want-fixed-rate-mortgages.html

According to new figures it seems the housing market is beginning to gain momentum.
There has been an 11 per cent increase in January of the number of housebuyers, the National Association of Estate Agents is reporting.
NAEA’s monthly housing survey displayed some interesting results including the increased number of first time buyers who made up for over 14% of all sales.
According to Peter Bolton King, an NAEA chief executive: “The return of buyers and particularly first time buyers early in 2008 marks a significant change in the fortunes of the market.”I am confident that we have just started to see the benefit of [the] first interest rate cut in December and the latest quarter percent decrease in February will further help boost the confidence of all buyers.”
People contemplating moving house should ensure they keep belongings with a reliable, secure self-storage company.

Source: http://www.safestore.co.uk/industry_news/18468686/housing_market_picking_up.aspx

UK house prices have stabilised and the housing market remains largely unaffected by the global credit crunch.

That is according to Assetz, which has published its latest House Price Watch.

The document reveals that annual house price growth was recorded as 5.5 per cent in January, although month-on-month figures were down slightly.

Assetz said that the £673 average reduction in house prices between December and January is nothing more than the housing market stabilising and is a minor drop considering the conditions in the financial markets.

“A very minor decline in the average UK house price in January shows the market is probably levelling off,” commented Stuart Law, Assetz chief executive.

“This indicates the buoyancy of the UK residential market and is evidence that the downturn seen in recent months is simply part of a stabilisation process and not a market crash as has been touted by some.

“Prices are already starting to increase in some indices and the latest indicators point to a sustainable level of growth for the foreseeable future,” he added.

The Assetz House Price Watch takes on data from the leading UK house price indices.

Source: http://www.mform.co.uk/news/article.php?key=15916&rss=google