Friday 19 June 2015

Continued Growth for Gibraltar Property Market

Gibraltar is classed as British Overseas Territory. A 426m limestone ridge located on the border of Southern Spain – just a stone's throw from the glamorous international tourism destination of Marbella, yet very different.
Even the weather patterns seem to be quite distinct from its latino neighbour.

It is home to many of the world's financial institutions and most profitable gaming companies. Therefore, it has an industry  (and business economy) that is unknown within the seaside resorts of the Costa del Sol. Of course, this income immediately translates into high property prices. Whereas the average price of a 2 bedroom apartment in Marbella is 200,000 euros, the equivalent in Gibraltar could easily cost double. And prices continue to escalate.




Worldwide economy and the property markets have struggled over the past 7 or 8 years, but somehow Gibraltar managed a quick turnaround and is now thriving. Globally, it sits happily within the top 20 locations for GDP growth (recently the budget surplus ran to a record-breaking 65m GDP).

The biggest difference between the Gibraltar property market and that of the Costa del Sol is that the Rock tends to attract owner-occupiers rather than Marbella´s tourist-transient market who are seeking holiday homes or short term investments.

Established UK brand real estate agencies have reaped the rewards in Gibraltar, such as Savills who currently list nearly 100 properties on the isthmus priced between £100,000 and 
£2m.

Of course, as a British ruled market, property surveys are a basic requirement when buying and selling in Gibraltar. Dawson Associates is a RICS regulated Chartered Surveyor with qualified surveyors who can apply over 40 years of property experience to guide you in making the right purchase decisions. Our offices are based in Rye, East Sussex but we often deal with properties within the international market. 

Please feel free to contact us at any time for free, independent real estate advice and if you would like to book a property survey for Gibraltar, Southern Spain or the UK our qualified surveyor will be happy to assist. We offer a free instant survey quote via our website. www.dawsonsurveyors.com


Source information

http://www.newstatesman.com/gibraltar/newstatesman-gibraltar/2014/08/gibraltar-s-property-market-too-good-be-true

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Gibraltar

Saturday 13 June 2015

Help to Buy flawed by Rising House Prices

First-time buyers are being given more assistance to get onto the property ladder than ever before. But the rise in house prices is meaning that even with all of this new help, it's just not enough. Latest statistics show that 28% of families are now being forced to welcome children back into the family home before they are able to assert their independence.

On the face of it, things look very positive...

  • 94,000 people have used the Government's Help to Buy scheme in the UK since 2013. 
  • And the Banks and Building Societies are seemingly happy to offer finance to those, even with a low deposit amount, with good rates. 
  • 57% of families who currently own a house (rather than rent) apparently intend to assist their children financially with a deposit to buy their own property in the future.

But according to the Independent earlier this year, the average cost of a house in England has now reached £272,000 (a year-on-year increase of 9.8%). This price increase was also reflected exactly in the average cost of the purchases by first-time buyers. The pressure is indeed, well and truly on!

Of course, the housing shortfall is an unhelpful factor for wannabe buyers as demand continues to outstrip supply.

It has been suggested that whilst the government, banks and family institutions will continue to offer as much help as possible, this generational change is here to stay. Our attitude to the Private Renting Sector will become much more accepting as it, quite simply, is a basic requirement for those not wishing to live in the family home, yet have not been able to secure significant purchase funds. Latest data indicates that it may only be the families who are financially secure enough to gift their children a purchase deposit that will maintain the ongoing British nature of outright home ownership – making it a rather elite quality.


Dawson & Associates has helped to advise and inform many first-time buyers and more experienced property investors in the UK property market. With over 40 years of experience, we are aware of many factors that result in market fluctuations and we know which houses are likely to offer long or short term profits.

Most importantly, as RICS Chartered Surveyors, we know what is a good house
...and which houses are more likely to be problematic.

Contact us today for more information. Initial advice is free of charge. 

Tuesday 9 June 2015

Property Design:

from the Quaint to the Quirky...

The dream of designing and constructing a property ourselves is not an unusual one. In our day-to-day lives we all secretly believe that we could actually do it better than any property developer or architect. Why? Because we are living our lives with all of the requirements that are 100% unique to us. 

Based on 29% of lottery winners, one of the biggest desires of a mod-con home is a hot tub. Of course, an additional home, somewhere nice and hot and relaxing was also a big winner.
Me... I'd just like a boot room so that when you walk in the door your life isn't immediately endangered by an avalanche of footwear from the 4 members of my family.

The wish to outrightly own our home is often deeply set (especially by the British!). And some people have been known to go to great degrees of effort to achieve it. A particularly resolute (yet financially challenged) lady in El Salvador felt an overwhelming urge to construct her own lodgings ... so much so, that she gathered together plastic bottles from which to build her very own unconventional abode.


www.telegraph.co.uk

Recent evidence does indeed seem to suggest that we perhaps shouldn't be left to our own devices. Maybe the professionals do know a thing or 2 that could save us from some, uhhh, more unique choices?





David Scott left his very own purpose-built castle only a short-while after its completion. And he is an architect! His oversight could well have been the concrete bed.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/76490893640863117/

Fashion designer Pierre Cardin built a particularly quirky home in the '70's which is now regarded as a historic monument by the Ministry of Culture in France.

http://www.zillow.com
These unorthodox designs often come from an inherent passion. Much like the guitar-shaped home in Georgia which was created by a country music fan.

Whatever your fancy, there are a few very important things to consider when constructing your own property. The professionals don't always get it 100% right, but amateurs rarely do. Local and national building legislations need to be followed as well as, of course, safety guidelines. Dawson & Associates is able to provide a property survey as well as act as your independent Building Inspector – this could save you a huge amount of time and money in the short and long run. Our initial advice is free. Just call us on +44 (0) 1424 882263


Words: Jenny Seed



Wednesday 3 June 2015

Private Building Inspector from Dawsons

Whether you call us a "Private Building Inspector", a "Building Control Officer" or a "Building Control Surveyor", it amounts to the same thing...

We ensure that your building works correlate with current building regulations. 
- We save you time.
- We save you money.
- We save you from unnecessary stress.

A Building Inspector (or surveyor) should be RICS regulated. And it is important that you choose somebody with good experience in the real estate industry, as sometimes it is only these years of practice that can separate a truly successful project from something that simply suffices.

But what exactly does a Building Inspector do and why do you need them?
RICS says, "Building control surveyors check proposed plans to ensure they meet required standards, including areas such as fire safety, energy conservation, structural stability and disabled access. They also follow the project through and check it during construction."
This applies to both new and altered buildings.


In summary, the role of the Building Inspector is:
  • To provide advice on the best way to approach a property development project from the outset (on occasion, this means inspecting a potential purchase prior to contract)
  • To examine the building (or drawings) and ensure that it conforms with current building codes
  • To consider the building's aesthetic issues in relation to local regulations/ guidelines
  • To ensure that the building is/ will be of a high construction standard
  • To ensure that the building is safe for use

RICS continues to explain "Due to their depth of knowledge, building control surveyors are often called upon to give options when designs fail to meet standards or where unforeseen problems are found on site."

Whilst you may employ a private Building Inspector at any stage of the property development process, it makes sense to do so at the initial design stage. Otherwise, you may find that there is backtracking required whilst faults in the initial concept are rectified.

In addition, it is important to be aware that the building code varies between specific locations and updates are frequently made. Therefore, your building inspector will be sure to offer the latest advice that will save you a great deal of time and expenditure in the long run. Should you have overlooked a key directive and not sought the correct advise during the developmental process, you may only discover the error when the state-instructed Building Inspector arrives at completion. If they find that your property does not relate to current regulations, you will not be be given the appropriate permissions for habitation nor sale.


Dawson & Associates applies over 40 years of property experience to ensure that your property development project runs as smoothly and professionally as possible. We believe that we have seen almost everything ... and we know that when it comes to construction, there are no problems, only solutions!

For more information on our Building Inspector support and our full range of services, please visit www.dawsonsurveyors.comhttp://residential.dawsonsurveyors.com






Monday 1 June 2015

RICS Valuations - not always bricks & mortar

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors has released new guidance notes on valuations. With an emphasis on an area which will come as a surprise for many. 

The general conception of a RICS valuer is that the work relates solely to the bricks and mortar of a property. But here the institute considers the value of intellectual property. This awareness of assets that are not fixed nor tangible is a clear sign of the times where so much of what we do is, in essence, virtual. A business no longer relies on 4 walls, a floor and a sign above the door - the frequency of "hot desks" or even no desks becomes more and more widely spread as meetings are held over Skype from an iPad.

RICS states that they intend to establish "industry-wide professional standards, and ensure that RICS members provide the highest quality and consistency in valuation services". It goes on to explain that the purpose of the guidance note that was released in May 2015 is to:


  • Identify factors that should be considered when assessing the legal, functional and economic characteristics of IP
  • Consider how these characteristics influence the appropriateness of each valuation approach
  • Describe how the characteristics of different types of IP should be integrated into a valuation analysis


In fact, RICS valuations are a much wider ranging discipline that we may ever conceive. Our initial thoughts are simply of valuing a home prior to sale. But actually, valuations can include Arts & Antiques, Machinery & Business Assets and Business Valuation. Of course, now it becomes clear why the IP value is so important. As RICS so rightly states, "professional business valuations are vital to a healthy market and stable economy". And as we all know, a stable economy means a rise in house prices and financial benefits for us all.


Dawson & Associates is able to provide property valuations for:


  • Letting valuations
  • Leasing valuations
  • Investment valuations
  • Mortgage valuations
  • Rating valuations
  • Insurance valuations
  • Compensation valuations
  • Taxation valuations
  • Probate valuations

We assess value by the worth of property and land combined with external factors such as the age, condition, location of the property and the comparison of that property with similar properties in the area.

If you would like to contact us to provide a valuation or any other property-related matter, please feel to call 01424 88223. Initial advice is free of charge.