For the third month in a row the Abbey National Mortgage Index has shown a rise in the appeal of five year fixed rate mortgages to consumers.
From the survey carried out by the Abbey National there has been a 6 percent increase in those ready to go for a five year fixed rate mortgage if they were remortgaging tomorrow. The figure stands at 30 percent this month, compared with 24 percent and 12 percent in the two months previously.
A lot of the interest in these mortgages will be coming from those with existing fixed rate deals that are set to expire say the Abbey National. Having already enjoyed the security of a fixed rate mortgage these customers will take another one given the opportunity.
Find the best deal on a fixed rate mortgage at Moneygossip.co.uk.
In the current property situation it appears that the majority of homeowners improving their properties are doing so to increase its value according to the Halifax.
The Halifax survey found that around 28 percent of people are planning home improvements this year, with the primary objective being add value. Of these people around half of them are expecting to add in the region of GBP5,000 to what the property is worth, with over 10 percent aiming for between GBP10,000 and GBP25,000.
By far the most popular improvement is redecorating, followed by garden improvements and adding new furnishings. A Halifax spokesman said that home improvements can add value to a home, although expectations of higher property values should be balanced against a market where the buyer is stronger right now, so prices can be variable.
Find the best rate available on a Halifax mortgage and save money.
According the the Alliance and Leicester mortgage department there are around 3.25 million homeowners who would like to move house in the coming year.
This appears also to drive the move to home improvements, although that is also being pushed on by those who feel that they will be unable to move and so are improving their homes to make them better suited to their current requirements. The Alliance and Leicester found that around 20 percent of homeowners are making home improvements in order to make their property more attractive to buyers whilst half of them are doing it to avoid the issues associated with selling.
One the key areas people want to improve, said the Alliance and Leicester, is the number of bedrooms, always a key issue, especially with families. This is one of the biggest reasons for moving, especially as it can be very costly or totally impractical to add a bedroom to many properties.
