Merry Christmas Everyone.....

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall....

Until next year,

Mr Jackson

Rent's Up...? Not here....!

Rents are likely to go up, is the message from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Remember the rise of the accidental landlord... the frustrated vendors left high and dry by a dead property market and forced to let their homes?

Now - apparently - they've all rushed to sell while the market's revived. The net effect... that surplus of privately rented property has dried up into something like a shortage, and so rents are likely to go up in 2010.

Will it affect Moray ? I don't think so.... RICS tend to base their figures toward the Southern England and London housing markets. So all you tenants can sit back and relax - hopefully.

On average in Moray you should be paying :

1 Bed Flat - £350.00 - £400.00pcm
2 Bed Flat - £450.00 - £500.00pcm
2 Bed House - £475.00 - £525.00pcm
3 Bed House - £525.00 - £595.00pcm
4 Bed House - £595.00 - £695.00pcm

You'll pay more in Elgin than you would in Forres and Lossiemouth, expect to pay slightly more for new builds and recently refurbished properties.

Overall the rental market here is bouyant and still good value.

Rest easy,

Mr Jackson.

Have you got the X-Factor ...?

Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that 15 West Heath Avenue in Hampstead, North London failed to sell 2008. It appeared on the market in the midst of the financial crisis when property prices were in free-fall, so it was hardly surprising that no one bit at the £6.25 million price tag. But almost as soon as developer Matthew Frayne took it off the market, it was talent spotted by Talk Back Thames, who asked if it could be used to house the contestants of ITV’s X Factor. Frayne jumped at the chance.

So for the past couple of months, the 16 contestants in this year’s show and two researchers have been living in the house. It has appeared on the television countless times, not least when a gang of school girls attempted to scale the walls. Afterwards security fences and bouncers were deployed.

Naturally, there were a couple of hiccups: the fire alarm went off on several occasions, there was a power cut, and the neighbours complained about the noise.

But on the whole Number 15 has stood up to the X Factor test; so much so that Matthew would consider leasing to the production company again. "I wouldn't change a thing - except maybe build a higher wall on the outside.

Whether the X Factor has helped sell Number 15 remains to be seen. In February Matthew is putting it back on the market for £6.25 million. “It’s a niche house - we didn’t expect it to sell immediately. It’s very sharp and contemporary. We were considering lowering the price but now houses are shifting again we feel more positive. You’re getting a lot for your money.”

15 West Heath Avenue is on the market with Quintessentially Estates: www.quintessentiallyestates.com and Glentree (0208 458 7311).

Until the next time,

Mr Jackson

Talk Talk Towers....

A FAMILY are cashing in on their house - by officially calling it TalkTalk Towers.

Elaine and Darren Snow are being paid £250 to give the phone company "naming rights" to their home for a year.

The deal follows bigger-money deals for places like the O2 Arena and the Emirates Stadium.

Elaine, 33, Darren, 42, and sons John, 11, and Michael, nine, now have TalkTalk as part of their formal address in Sanderstead, South London. Elaine said: "Everyone says your house is your biggest asset so it makes sense to make the most of it."

The phone firm wants 50 more properties to name. Mark Schmid of TalkTalk said: "If the great sporting and cultural arenas of the nation can be renamed why not individual homes?"

Seems cheap to me - Mrs Jackson has agreed we can rename our house 'Kitchen Nightmares' free of charge, after I set fire to the last batch of scones I was cooking - also provided Gordon Ramsay visited for the naming ceremony. I'm all for Kirstie's Retreat, Mrs J, as usual is not as impressed.

It's snowing ferociously here at present, Copernicus would want to go out for a walk right now wouldn't he.... ? I may be some time....

Until the next one,

Mr Jackson

Google Homes.....

The BBC Reports that Google is set to launch a property dimension to its UK mapping system.

The new service will allow both estate agents and private sellers to put their property as an overlay on Google Maps.

The plans were outlined at a conference called Estate Agency Events last week, which David attended (though has to keep tight lipped about this - well done so far after my questioning!), although Google has declined to give official confirmation.

Shares in the property portal Rightmove fell more than 10% as news emerged, the sharpest faller in the FTSE 350 index of companies for the day.

The new service is expected to launch next year and would be similar to a service Google launched in Australia.

That site allows estate agents to list properties for free, with pictures taken from its Street View service and listing details on a map.

Speaking to BBC News, Edward Mead - sales director for Douglas & Gordon estate agents - said that the new system would be a win-win situation for both Google and estate agents.

"The technology to do this is already in place and estate agents are a little busier these days, although transactions are still fifty per cent down on what they once were.

"So this service, which is free, will appeal to estate agents' cost-cutting nature and given that sixty per cent of agents are one-off traders, this will have serious appeal."

Mr Mead said that Google's head of property and classified team, Ben Wood, briefed 30 of England's top estate agents at Estate Agency Events last week, telling them everything about the system, other than an official launch date.

This can only be good news for the property market and your average seller, who will be able get far more market exposure. However we are still waiting for Google's street view service in Moray (Though I have seen the photo cars about).

Lets hope like David, the other agents embrace this and take it forward, as we all know some can be a bit backward with their marketing and in embracing new technology.

My wrist is slowly getting better - Thanks to everyone for their kind wishes and cards, especially to my blog followers for their patience whilst this heals. I'll arrange a get together at the Ord Ban cafe in Aviemore and buy you all a coffee once I'm back up to speed - First 100 only though, otherwise I may have to take out a second mortgage.

All the best,

Mr Jackson.

My Apologies.....

Apologies to my faithful readers - I've been in hospital, after falling in the Cairngorms (Only low-level walking) however a sharp frost overnight ensured that some of the paths were very slippery.

I somehow managed to go over on my ankle breaking my wrist as I fell. Fortunately Copernicus was with me and his barking attracted some nearby fell runners (I am extremly grateful for your assistance if you are reading this - I didn't even get to ask you your names !).

The long and short of it being I've not been able to type or correspond, other than by telephone. My strapping has been removed today - so I just wanted to keep you all updated on the blog.

My thanks once again go to everyone for their kindness and best wishes. Hopefully the blog will be back up to speed shortly.

Watch this space,

Mr Jackson.

Who....?

I was stopped by the police this morning on my way to do my periodic tenancy check on our rental cottage in Cawdor. I thought there may have been a major incident, such was the officious manner of the policeman.

It turns out that there is a 'celebrity' wedding taking place at the church and the police were instructed to discourage fans and on-lookers from parking or camping on the road. After checking my credentials and my ensuring it was not my intention to throw my underwear or camp at the roadside, I was sent on my way.

Who is the celebrity ? I phoned my source at Cawdor Castle to find out, it seems that Cawdor Castle and Drynachan Lodge have been booked for the weekend, for the reception.

It's Mark Owen, they told me.... I was still none the wiser....

Felicity my grand-daughter was very excited when I told her, apparently he's in the band 'Take That' and Robbie Williams (I've heard of him) would also be attending. There would be hundreds of fans there and most of the hotels and guest houses in the area are fully booked.

Now if I'd have known about this in advance then I could have rented out my other property in Cawdor on a short term let and charged an exhorbitant rate for it !

Oh, to move in the circles of the people with their fingers on the pulse, mine was certainly going much quicker as I tried to make my way past the photographers and fans of this man, without hitting anyone in Mrs Jacksons unweildy Volvo estate.

(Here's a picture of the man and his beloved - above - Sunday afternoon at the church in Cawdor, if waiting outside a church in the cold Autumn drizzle is your type of thing).

Perhaps the happy couple may be interested in a cottage to rent in the area for their wedding anniversary, I'll start planning now...

If you go along to spectate, don't get too cold & wet this weekend.

Mr Jackson.

Space Race....

More news on the development of RAF Lossiemouth as a 'Spaceport', courtesy of Jenny Davey at The Sunday Times.

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic is seeking government support to launch commercial space flights in Britain.

Will Whitehorn, president of Virgin Galactic, has held talks with Lord Drayson, the science minister, in the past few weeks about establishing an operation at the Lossiemouth RAF airbase.

Virgin wants the government to amend the 1986 Outer Space Act to allow it to launch space flights here. The legislation makes it difficult to run such a service in Britain.

The plan has the support of Andy Green, chief executive of the software giant Logica, who is chairing the Space Innovation and Growth Team, which is due to report to Drayson in January on ways to boost the sector in Britain.

Virgin estimates that bringing Virgin Galactic to Britain could create up to 2,000 jobs in the area. Green believes it would also spur greater interest in the fast-growing space industry, which supports 68,000 jobs in this country.

Scientists have warned that climatic conditions could hamper Virgin’s plans to run its operation from Scotland. RAF Lossiemouth has substantial cloud cover for nearly two-thirds of the time. However, Whitehorn said it would be possible to operate the Virgin Galactic service despite poor weather because the spacecraft is launched from a mothership that carries it up to 50,000 ft.

Virgin Galactic will charge $200,000 (£122,000) a head for a two-hour space flight. The first services will operate from Space- port America in New Mexico and the first flights outside America are likely to be from a base in Sweden.

Virgin’s interest has emerged just days after Logica’s Green wrote to Drayson calling for the creation of a UK space agency and a national space programme.

The space sector has grown 9% a year over the past decade, more than three times faster than the economy as a whole.

Once given the green light, this will see property prices in the area 'rocket' if you pardon the pun ! Certainly worth an investment punt in the area I believe.

Scotty, beam me aboard....

Mr Jackson.

Sugar Coated Profits...

An unusual but comforting blog for a Friday....Thanks to Jocelyn Beattie at Findaproperty.com. Cadbury’s recently bucked the trend of most other businesses when they announced their profits were up by 11 per cent over the last quarter.

There’s got to be a connection between that and the general gloom that’s going around, surely?

We might not be able to heat our homes anymore but goddammit, we can still afford the odd Dairy Milk to cheer ourselves up.

So in honour of Cadbury’s range of feel-good products, I’ve written a few chocolate-coated words on the housing market. My apologies in advance…

This past year has been no Picnic or bed of Roses for anyone affected by the credit Crunch(ie).

But will the recent government cash Boost lead to Gordon Brown & Co. being hailed as the Heroes who saved us from an economic Melt(s) down?

Is there a Wispa of optimism in the air, or will Gordon be accused of Fudge-ing the financial truth, and end up with (Creme) Egg on his face?

Thinking about it too much is sending me into a mental Twirl; I need some Time Out before I turn into a total Flake…

Yours,

Mr Jackson

"I'm in the shed dear...."

I like a nice homely shed, but I'm also partial to a bit of upmarket architectural eye-candy, so imagine my delight when we discovered that some genius has created a super cool, Kevin McCloud approved … shed for living! My thanks go to Michael O'Flynn of Findaproperty.com for this article.

I haven’t been this thrilled by a design ’solution’ since eglu applied a bit of i-Mac styling to the humble chicken coop. Could it really live up to our fevered expectations?

And, more to the point, could it live up to its own billing as “individual low-cost student or key-worker accommodation, or an ideal house for a first-time buyer”?

Said shed, or dwelle, as designers FKDA architects have branded it, is zero carbon, off-grid, and cleverly compact.

It has underfloor heating, a wood-burning fireplace, newspaper insulation (Guardian, I’m guessing!) and a streamlined barn conversion aesthetic. It looks like this:



I think it’s pretty cool, and at £35,000-£50,000 for the largest version, you can’t really quibble about the price - even if, as we all well know, the biggest problem with this will be finding an affordable site to put it on.

Still, hats off to FKDA for an imaginative and good-looking response to the plight of the FTB. And well done to Grand Designs Live for showcasing it this weekend.



If you want to take a closer look, go see dwelle at Grand Designs Live, Birmingham, where it will feature alongside a couple of other very cool eco- and micro-homes in the Grand Village.

I can always be found in my shed, the window of which overlooks Findhorn Bay. Trouble is, it has no heating or water. If I were to buy one of these Mrs Jackson would never see me again !

Yours humbly,

Mr Jackson

Victorian Sea Fort - Up For Auction.

Are you a security obsessed real ale drinker who just wants to be left alone to brew beer in the middle of the sea?

Maybe you’re a patch-eyed, cat stroking genius who’s in the market for a discrete bomb-proof bolt hole? (This place used to have anti-aircraft guns mounted on the roof so a giant molecule-melting laser should be no problem.)

Then again, perhaps you’re a more traditional business type who sees serious commercial potential in turning a vast military installation into a party and leisure venue?



All of these, my friends, are possible future uses for the behemoth that is Spitbank Fort in the Solent. So, according to the planning documents, are a residential school, a recording studio, a water bottling plant, a casino, and (gulp!) … offices.

The fort has 15ft thick granite walls, more than 50 rooms and comes with a dance hall, restaurant, lighthouse, museum and, apparently, its very own ghost.

And no, I don’t know how the milk is delivered (though there is a helipad).

It’s being auctioned by Clive Emson on 4 Nov 2009 at the Rose Bowl, Southampton. Guide: £700,000 - £800,000.

Worth a look perhaps ?



My thanks go to Michael O'Flynn of Findaproperty.com for this article.

Until the next time,

Mr Jackson.

Roll up...Roll up.... For the funhouse !

Remember when you drew houses when you were a child? Was it just me who always put a slide instead of stairs? Of course not! We all did it, because that’s what makes houses fun. Why climb stairs when you can slide down them? (Obviously don’t try that while carrying anything precious like the cat or your LEGO collection).

If you’re looking to live out your childish fantasies then look no further! The Rainbow House in West London will satisfy all of your childhood dreams.

It has an actual slide! Instead of stairs! Of course, if you do need to use stairs, you can use the rainbow spiral staircase (see pic below).



This is the house that dreams are made of (childhood dreams where you happen to have £4500 a week for the rental). And it reminds me of a certain childhood TV show: Funhouse.

I don’t know any kid who didn’t want to live in that house (and I bet that’s where the Rainbow House designers got their ideas from too). But what other TV houses would you have wanted to live in?

Big Brother House: Granted, you might not want to live here with 100s of cameras pointing at you while you go about your business. But after next year, that house is going to be empty (and some might say that’s a good thing).

The TV company are missing a trick if they don’t rent that out for a few weeks. Despite what you think of the show, it would be fun to live there for a while, don’t you think?

Kirstie’s Homemade Home: Who doesn’t want to live at Meadow Gate? I’d move there in a flash if I could, especially if Kirstie was included (Hope Mrs Jackson's not reading this....).

It’s the most beautiful place and Kirstie Allsopp caused lifestyle envy amongst the nation as she did up every room in her latest series. Serious lifestyle envy.

Big Breakfast House: Fried Eggs! On the wallpaper! Of course, I can’t think of anything worse now, but when you were a younger that seemed so much fun.

So much fun that they even gave away a look-a-like house in a competition. I remember being sad for a whole week because I didn’t win.

My thanks go to Sian Meades of Primelocation.com for this article.

Enjoy the weekend - Looks like the weather has finally turned and Moray will get a bit of sun, after a week of rain.

Mr Jackson.

Worst Investments Of The Year....

Homeowners across the land are holding their collective breath as daily reports show the housing market threatens all out collapse. The likelihood, however, is that losses over the next year or two will not nearly be enough to reverse the huge gains of the last ten years.

But not every real estate investor is this fortunate. I've put together a list of some of the worst property investments ever. In the unluckiest or most calamitous of cases, the losses run into the millions...

A place in the sun
The brochures were too good to be true. Buyers gazed in wonder at those shimmering golf courses - yet to be built; the beautiful beaches - only a short two hour drive away; the lively restaurants and bars - now abandoned; and those glorious villas - mostly unsold.

Thousands of British ex-pats, wanting to live the dream of eating a full English on their own patio gazing out over the Mediterranean, are facing up to a Spanish property nightmare. Prices have slumped by up to 65 per cent in the last year according to some websites, as the market is struck by a country-wide collapse in house values and massive overdevelopment on the Costa Del Sol. In the most acute cases, Brits who have bought off plan are now stuck with apartments in uncompleted developments they don’t want but can’t sell.

New build city centre flats
Thousands of newly-built urban apartments have flooded the market in recent years, dominating northern city skylines, but now prices are plummeting by up to 70 per cent. New-build blocks attracted amateur buy-to-letters eager to earn a quick buck from the property boom. But now many fear they paid vastly over the odds. One report cites a three-bedroom apartment in Kelso Heights, a development near the University of Leeds campus in the centre of the town, which was recently sold for £71,000. It was bought in 2006 for £237,999. Flats in certain developments in areas such as Manchester, Newcastle and east London have also fallen in value by 40-50 per cent.

Land banking
Investors have lost thousands of pounds to “landbanking” firms in recent years. Dodgy companies buy tracts of greenbelt land, then sell chunks of it to individuals on the promise that when houses need to be built on their acres of countryside, the value of the land will soar. This will happen a couple of years after their purchase, investors are told to convince them to hand over cash. However, it isn't that easy to get rich quick. It emerged that many of the schemes fell within areas that local authorities said would never gain planning permission for new homes, or at least not in the lifetime of the devastated investors.

World's largest shopping centre
Investors in the new shopping malls opening in west London, Liverpool and Bristol over the coming year will hope the centres prove more successful than the world largest and possibly emptiest mall, in Donguan, southern China. The gigantic centre opened in 2005 and is four times the size of Bluewater, in Kent, with 6.5 million sq feet of retail space. However, the owners who sunk millions of dollars into the project have persuaded only a dozen stores to open. Still, shoppers dispirited by the lack of retailers can instead take a trip down a Venetian canal leading onto a replica St Mark’s Square, enjoy a ride on the indoor roller coaster or grab some food under a giant 80ft mock-up of the Arc de Triomphe, all added in the vain attempt to increase foot fall at the mothballed mall.

Hope you've not invested in any of the above !

You are as well investing locally, especially in the smaller Moray towns, like Lossiemouth, where prices are still stable and there's no large developments planned to take down average house costs.

Have a good weekend,

Mr Jackson.

You can't judge a book....but you can a house.

It doesn't work for books, but it does for houses – judging them by their façade I mean. A property's outer appearance, its kerb appeal, is often the deal maker (or breaker) when it comes to buying a home. It takes potential buyers no more than eight seconds to decide whether or not they like a house.

Some houses have natural kerb appeal; the wisteria-clad Queen Anne rectory with a tree-lined drive, for example, will attract potential buyers even if it's a little dilapidated. "For the best country houses, the setting is the kerb appeal," says David of Moray Property.

But on the whole, kerb appeal is more than just a good-looking house – even the ugliest house can have it.

"A house with real kerb appeal lifts your spirit – it's a house where the front garden is well-presented, the railing is in perfect condition, the door immaculately painted, perhaps with roses growing over it," says Paul of Moray Property.

Improving the appearance of a property doesn't necessarily have to be an expensive project, he says – but there are a few rules. "No DIY is better than bad DIY," he says. "Badly painted front doors with drips running down them or dirty looking houses are a no-no. A lack of cleanliness can be very off-putting."

1. Paint your front door. It sounds simple but this is the first thing that people are going to look at. "Go wild with colour, it's the one place you can," says David. Strong, bright colours in full gloss are popular at the moment but if you haven't got the nerve, black is always a safe bet, or a flat, dark plum colour such as "Pelt", by Farrow & Ball, says Tacina Smith of interiors shop Smiths of Kensal Green . For a contemporary look, matt, muted and washed-out colours are favoured in smart Moray streets.

2. Invest in quality door furniture. "Spend an extra £100 to get really good things," David says. "Cheap generally looks cheap." Try to choose furniture in keeping with your property; heavy Victoriana door knockers and letter boxes will look ridiculous unless your home is Victorian. Priors Reclaimation specialises in period door furniture (www.priorsrec.co.uk ), as does Drummonds (www.drummonds-arch.co.uk ) For a more contemporary look go for brushed aluminium or chrome (Knobs & Knockers; www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Main/knobsandknockers.asp ) Avoid tune-playing door bells !

3. Lighting is vital, placed either side of the front door to add symmetry, or a lantern in a portico entrance, says Alex Michelin, of swanky London developers Finchatton. Don't be afraid to try out lights in situ before you commit; if they're too big or too ornate they can look brash. If your property is approached via a garden, light it sensitively. "Good garden lighting is unseen," Hide lights in the trees or conceal them in the garden path or drive. Carolyn Trevor, an interior designer who has a long list of celebrity clients, recommends Charles Edwards for wall lanterns and lights (www.charlesedwards.com ) or Phillips and Wood (www.phillipsandwood.co.uk )

4. The approach to the front door (steps, a path and/or a driveway), should be swept of leaves, and free from rubbish. Cars, bicycles, horse boxes must be neatly parked. Alex Michelin recommends marble, sandstone or Portland stone for steps and paths, and newly painted railings. Porches can give an air of distinction but can become dumping grounds for clutter. "They can be awful if they are stuck on as an afterthought – they must be in proportion,".

5. Numbering or naming a house can easily go wrong. Wonky numerals, badly painted names, or plaques with pictures (such as birds, trees) do no justice to the front of a house. There's a trend in Inverness for shiny oversized chrome numerals or stencilled numbers, which can be ordered from Turnstyle Designs at www.turnstyledesigns.com or www.nu-line.net/nl For houses with fanlights, Carolyn Trevor suggests the number or name is acid-etched into the glass. Or for an affordable alternative, Tacina Smith recommends number stickers from www.simplystick.co.uk Holborow would steer away from putting a name plaque on a country house. "If they don't know where you live you don't want them there," he says. For those who insist, names can be wrought into gateways, or inscribed tastefully on brass or slate, and screwed to the gate post or porch.

6. Windows look sad when they are dirty, so make sure yours are cleaned regularly. Rotten window frames are also unacceptable and if you're putting in new ones, make sure they are appropriate with the design of the rest of the house. "The position of the glazing bars is massively important,". "And don't feel you have to paint them white. They look great in lots of different colours from stone to dark green to black." Bear in mind the colour of the brick/stone work before choosing a colour though. Finally, all curtain linings and blinds should match when seen from the street or driveway (try www.theblindscompany.co.uk or www.eclectic-interiors.com )

7. However small the space is, add some greenery. "You don't need a big garden to plant a creeper, and houses look beautiful with plants trailing up them,". "And you can easily make window boxes yourself. Just paint a plastic planter and plant it with some draping ivy." Landscaped beds with colourful planting and box hedges set off the front of a house; or for smaller spaces, such as either side of the front door, planters with box topiary. Remember though that some creepers are not good for brickwork as they can pull the mortar out of the pointing.

8. An impressive entrance gate is a "must have" for a country house, Holborow says. But entrances should reflect the period of the house; wrought iron electric gates are in keeping with a new-build home, while a white-painted gate with simple stone pillars is better suited to a manor. Carved owls and eagles should really only adorn the entrance pillars to stately homes and castles.

9. Spruce up a tired façade by repainting, re-pointing, or rendering over ugly brickwork. Don't go too crazy: paint colours should be more sensible than on the front door, and in keeping with the period of the house (and the ones either side, if you live on a street). This doesn't mean to say that they have to be the same colour (unless you are in a heritage area).

10. Don't let the house next door ruin your kerb appeal. If your neighbours have rubbish outside their house, suggest you remove it, rather than whinging about it, David says. "And if you're trimming your hedge, ask if you can do theirs while you're at it – 10 minutes mowing, or rubbish collecting is worth the effort." Try to conceal their rubbish bins (and yours) behind a hedge or a small fence. If you have to have them on show, make sure they are clean and the lids are on.

Good tips people - Now there's no reason for your own home not to have 'Kerb Appeal'

Until the next time,

Mr Jackson.

Rabbit Hutch Anyone...?

A house builder has been criticised for building "rabbit hutch" flats and then renting out the ground floor of the new development to a self-storage company.

Homeowners could end up paying £1,400 a year or more to store their wellington boots, sports equipment, children's toys and Christmas decorations.

Barratt Homes has just finished its New South Quarter development in Croydon, a collection of 800 modern flats starting from £180,000.

The smallest of the one-bedroom homes are about 350 square feet in size, with limited space for owners to store their belongings. Barratt has got around that problem, however, by renting the entire basement and ground floor of the major block of flats to Access Self Storage, a company that offers home owners their own lock-up.

This is the first time that a house-builder has teamed up with a self-storage company and comes just a few months after a damning report by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (Cabe) suggested newbuilds are increasingly cramped "rabbit hutches", with many owners unhappy about the mean dimensions of their homes.

The Cabe report interviewed 2,500 owners of private new homes who had moved into a property build between 2003 and 2007. Of those questioned, 57 per cent said there was not enough storage space, with half saying they did not have enough space for their furniture.

Tom Bolton at Cabe said: "There is clearly an issue here if people need to rent out storage space alongside their new build flats. Housebuilders should listen to their customers and realise their needs are not being provided at the moment."

Nick Fenton, the managing director of Barratt Kent, said he was negotiating with Access to allow residents of the New South Quarter development to receive a discount for their storage units.

And he denied that the flats lacked adequate storage space. "We're designing units which are acceptable to purchasers, otherwise they wouldn't be buying them. We don't get too many complaints about lack of storage," Until now perhaps......

Just don't get a cat, as you'll not have enough room to swing it !

Until the next time,

Mr Jackson.

Bogus Landlords Target Students.

The BBC reported on Saturday about bogus landlords trying to trick students out of money. The scam usually involves bargain ads posted on free listing websites in student cities.

Victims are told that the “landlord” will only let them view the property if they give their bank account details. Their money is then stolen, the BBC reports. “Things to watch out for are adverts where there are no telephone numbers or where the only e-mail address is a free one - a Hotmail or Google e-mail address - where you’re not sure really who you are dealing with,” said Det Sgt Chris Felton.

One of my friend's grandchildren was looking for somewhere to rent about a year ago and came across a similar thing. He found a beautiful two bedroom apartment overlooking the river. After seeing the pictures and the price, he couldn’t believe his luck. After emailing the landlord, he was told the landlord was disabled and blind and had to travel from London which was very difficult for him.

In order to make the journey of benefit to him, could he pay him a deposit. Obviously, at this point alarm bells rang and he didn’t pursue the flat.

So, I think the general warning to students is if you're not too drunk or partying -to keep your wits about you !

You've been warned !

Mr Jackson.

Phillip attacks second home owners....

Prince Philip has taken a pot shot at supermarkets and second-home owners who he says are threatening the traditional village, in remarks published Wednesday.

In an interview with Shooting Times magazine, the notoriously straight-talking Duke of Edinburgh also blasted industrial farming methods, which produced cows with horns like a "hat-rack with an udder attached."

They also created the "bizarre" situation in which a bottle of milk costs less than a bottle of water, he said.

The 88-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II -- who has official residences in London, Windsor and Scotland as well as a vast portfolio of property -- lamented the demise of the quintessential English village.

"Villages used to have to be more or less self sufficient: they had a butcher, a baker, a shoemaker," he said. "Now that has all gone because of the way retailing is concentrated in big centres and multi-stores."

He complained that the huge increase in holiday home ownership, fuelled by a decade-long property and economic boom, at least until last year's global financial crisis, had changed the make-up of communities around the country.

"There has been a complete change in the population of the countryside," he added, quoted by the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

"The country villages have changed from the sense of being places where people who were associated with the countryside were living and now most of them are second homes occupied by commuters," he added.

Lamenting industrial agricultural methods, notably in dairy farming, he said: "They are constantly trying to produce cattle that will produce more milk and less cow -- like a hat-rack with an udder attached."

"They can?t really go on making such a travesty of an animal, there must be a limit to this. Even more ridiculous is the fact that milk is actually cheaper than bottled water. It seems quite bizarre to me."

Wading into the highly contentious issue of climate change, he stressed the impact of population increase on the production of greenhouse gases.

"People go on about this carbon footprint, but they fail to realise that the amount of carbon going into the atmosphere is entirely dependent on the number of people living on the earth," he said.

"There are now 60 million people living in this country and we are about the same land size as New Zealand -- this country had three million people in Elizabeth I's day" back in the 16th century, he added.

Once again, breathtaking insensitivity and hypocrisy by the man who would never be King.

Have a good weekend everyone,

Mr Jackson

What colour is your house.... ?

Because, apparently, it matters. A survey of 3,000 homeowners by Sandtex paints suggests that owners of blues houses are likely to be the most economically successful, earning, on average, £38,000 and taking at least two foreign holidays a year. If your house is green, you might want to consider a change. You're likely to be earning £13,100 a year.

For more of this nonsense, and a rundown of the full rainbow of earning potential, click this.

Yours,

Mr Jackson

Exceptional Cottage For Sale !

It's a property that has everything: a fisherman's cottage a mere five minutes from the sea, with a private driveway, half an acre of garden and sweeping views across some of the most beautiful coastal landscape England has to offer. Oh.... and a gigantic nuclear power station only yards away.....

The three-bedroom "not to be missed" bungalow at Romney Marsh, Dungeness, is being sold for £247,000.

Estate agent Geering & Colyer points out its proximity to a nature reserve and photos show it in rural isolation.

But New Romney Town Council said it was "disingenuous" not to mention its neighbours, Dungeness A and B.


There are also plans to build a new nuclear reactor, Dungeness C, nearby.

Valerie Tully, clerk of New Romney Town Council, said: "There's really not a lot of point in not being honest because, once you arrive at the place, you can't help but notice the power plants there.

"I suppose they felt people would be put off, but they should also know that the late film producer Derek Jarman lived in the area for many years and we get a lot of visitors.

"Even if the power plants were not included in the pictures, mention should have been made about them being nearby."

The Dungeness A site, which started generating electricity into the National Grid in 1965, was decommissioned in 2006.

Nearby Dungeness B site will stay open until 2018.

A spokesman for Geering and Colyer, of New Romney, said: "I've got no comment to make on it."

Visitors have long been attracted to the area's nature reserve, RSPB Dungeness, and the bleak beauty of the nearby shingle bank.

Another case of always ensuring you do your homework on the area, before even considering making an appointment to view.

Let's be careful out there....

Mr Jackson.

New keeper wanted.....

If the idea of being able to do a spot of wildlife watching from your window and having coastal walks right on your doorstep sounds appealing, this former lighthouse keeper’s cottage in Aberdeen is well worth a look.

In fact, the quaint cottage is so close to the sea that you can hear the water crashing against the rocks.

The cottage forms part of a walled community of five homes within the grounds of Girdleness Lighthouse.

Designed by Robert Stevenson, grandfather of author Robert Louis Stevenson, the lighthouse was constructed in 1833 to a new design and was considered the best lighthouse ever seen by the royal commission in its report of 1860.

The lighthouse was manned until 1991, when it was automated, and it remains a navigation aid for ships entering Aberdeen harbour.

Parkview Cottage is a charming two-bedroom home steeped in history and retaining many fine period features, such as beautiful pitch-pine panelled doors with original brass hinges; sash-and-case windows with working window shutters; high ceilings with cornicing; picture rails, and wooden flooring.

For a home in a relaxing location, Parkview Cottage is worth noting.

The property is on the market for offers over £198,000. For further information, call selling agent Simpson & Marwick on 01224 622622.

Until the next time,

Mr Jackson.

Westminster Council sells its street signs....

Westminster Council sells its street signs on Ebay !

Including Bow Street, Abbey Road and Covent Garden... original street signs complete with Westminster Council authentication certificates. The council is replacing them with anti-graffiti models. The Ebay sales are said to offset the cost. Abbey Road is expected to be the most popular.

Click here to view

Perhaps Moray Council may follow suit Lazarus Lane in Elgin has always been my particular favourite !

Streets ahead as always,

Mr Jackson

Lottery ticket anyone....?

Kinross House, north of Edinburgh, was called the most beautiful piece of architecture in Scotland by Daniel Defoe and it is still a hugely impressive building. The property is on the market with a guide price of £4.25 million, reduced from its pre-launch “unofficial” guide price of £5 million. Designed and built in the late 17th century by Sir William Bruce — sometimes called the Christopher Wren of North Britain — as his home, it is one of the first examples of classical architecture north of the Border.

Though maintaining the property could be a burden — it is set in just over 76 acres and upkeep of the gardens alone, considered one of the finest formal gardens in Scotland, costs about £60,000 a year. The gardens are open to visitors, but entrance fees only bring in a nominal income.

There are 16 bedrooms, a playroom, nursery, and an imperious garden room, which has a 17th-century Flemish tapestry. The tapestry, like much of the furniture, may be sold for an additional sum. A few smaller rooms have been opened up to create a huge kitchen/family room. The house has been well maintained, and there’s even a ballroom, filled with ceiling-high portraits of the Montgomeries, and several cottages.

Since property prices have fallen, however, prospecitve buyers have been reluctant to overbid, even if the guide price is low. David at Moray Property said that properties in Scotland are now unlikely to sell for much more than their guide prices, on average only between 2-10%, particularly those costing more than £2 million !

Lottery ticket anyone.... ?

Until the next time,

Mr Jackson.

E-Bay Bargain....?

What seems like a nice little investment property in Blargowrie is listed on e-bay at present.

It's a lock up shop, currently leased out to a Bridal Studio with a 5 year ongoing lease until 2014. The seller is looking for £33k, with a rent of £3120.00 per anum, this equates to a 9.45% return.

Might be worth a look, especially if you are a cash buyer with money in the bank gaining a paltry 1% or less.

The only thing I would look out for is a communal charge, as it's a three storey building. There's no mention of what the upper floors are used for and it would be best to have a full repairing lease in place. It is near a River, so do your homework people - Just ask anyone from Elgin or Fochabers about living near a river.

Otherwise looks like a good deal. See more details about this property on e-bay by clicking here.

Good luck !

Mr Jackson.

Bad Tenant 2....

A 98-year-old woman (not pictured above)became one of the oldest people in Britain to be evicted from her home after being branded "the neighbour from hell".

A judge told Mary Plaisted she had 28 days to leave the sheltered housing flat in Southampton where she has lived for 28 years.

Southampton City Council took the court action after Mrs Plaisted made the lives of her neighbours a misery for years from her £65-a week ground floor accommodation in the Lordshill area of the city.

The pensioner, who denies she has been a problem, is alleged to have assaulted carers and council staff and harassed neighbours by banging on their windows.

She was also accused of using her panic alarm 563 times in a month, and making 264 calls to police over the last two years.

District Judge Robert Naylor approved the council's application for an eviction order at a hearing at the city's county court yesterday.

Council spokesman Nick Cross said: "It is very regrettable when any action is taken by the council to repossess a property, particularly when the individual is very elderly.

"However, the council is left with no alternative when anti-social behaviour by one tenant leads to other residents' lives being made a misery.

"In such cases we will act for the due regard of other tenants while balancing this with the need to act responsibly for the needs of the individual.

"This has been a particularly difficult case and we will now progress this with sensitivity and in line with the council's housing responsibility.

"We have a number of options as to what we can do next and we will be discussing these with Mrs Plaisted."

Speaking to the Southern Daily Echo, Mrs Plaisted said: "I didn't attack anybody, and I've only asked for help when I've needed it.

"I haven't done anything wrong that I'm aware of and I don't know why they're after me. I can't understand it.

"I'm very worried because I don't know what I'll do. I've got nowhere to go."

If you'd like Mary as your neighbour, give me a call, I'll put you in contact with her, that's if she's not on the phone to the police....

Old people eh ;-)

Mr Jackson

Bad Tenant 1.....

His music had his neighbours Rockin' All Over The World - but now Paul Lloyd is risking going Down Down.

Blasting out Status Quo rock songs at all hours of the day, Lloyd was proving to be a menace to his neighbours.

But he has now been silenced after he was hit with a two-year anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) preventing him from playing loud music.

Lloyd has also had thousands of pounds worth of equipment, including six televisions, four DVD players, hi-fis and set-top boxes seized from him.

The 34-year-old, of Hampstead Road, Benwell, Newcastle, was prosecuted after ignoring a string of Newcastle City Council notices ordering him to keep quiet.

Noise team officers received complaints from people living near him who had been kept awake all night by the thud of the bass beat from his stereo equipment, including hits by Status Quo, whose songs include Rockin' All Over the World, Down Down and Whatever You Want (Not that I'm a fan you understand....).

Lloyd pleaded guilty to four charges of failing to comply with Noise Abatement Notices and Newcastle magistrates gave him a two-year Asbo which prevents him making any noise that can be heard outside his flat between 11pm and 7am.

He has also been banned from causing alarm, harassment or distress to his neighbours.

If he breaches the terms of the order, Lloyd could be fined or jailed for up to five years.

Stephen Savage, the city council's director of public protection said: "We will not tolerate any sort of behaviour which has a negative effect on other people's quality of life.

"This Asbo shows we'll take appropriate action if necessary. The Asbo that Mr Lloyd received sends a clear warning out to those who choose not to consider their neighbours' quality of life."

Lloyd was also told to pay £100 prosecution costs, while the court also ordered the forfeiture of his electronic equipment.

Seems like he'll be playing unplugged sessions from now on....

Until the next one.

Mr Jackson.

Estate agent does time....

The New York Times reports on the case on an Iraqi estate agent who is now serving three years in jail for bouncing cheques.

Mr Ali Fariq 33, was kidnapped and beaten by an Iraqi diplomat, Birhan al-Yacoubi, who blamed him for an investment deal gone sour.

Mr Al-Yacoubi is alleged to have forced Mr Fariq to write cheques drawing on funds he did not have. The cheques were then presented to the police as evidence of fraud for which Mr Fariq is now serving time.

Bouncing a check is a criminal offense in Dubai and that fact has begun raising questions about the fairness of Dubai’s laws, especially among the foreigners who make up about 90 percent of the population.

The overall uncertainty of Dubai’s legal system — especially the risk of doing jail time for debt — has prompted many expatriates to flee when they are in financial trouble rather than filing for bankruptcy and setting out a repayment schedule.

In a recent open letter to “The Dubai Public” Simon Ford the British Founder of a recently closed down travel company in Dubai said. “I am not running away from debt, I am purely protecting those dearest to me and getting out of a country which, due to the lack of structured bankruptcy laws and a banking system which has zero flexibility on loan repayments, drives people to make horrible decisions.

Over the past 12 months I've seen an influx of ex-pats making their way back to Britain, especially those from Spain and the Middle East. Certainly the lure of large sums of cash and sunny climes does seem tempting. But as we've seen time and time again, there's more to life than profit and sunshine....

Keep smiling,

Mr Jackson

James' crazy loans.....

Dragons' Den's James Caan is teaming up with Hitachi Capital to offer high loan-to-value mortgages to borrowers, via his Look4aproperty.com website.

How crazy could Caan's loans get? I hear 95% crazy.

C'mon James, we're all stocked up here - go sell crazy someplace else.... Less we get into the same trouble as we did before.

Yours tellingly,

Mr Jackson.

How to sell your house in a buyers market.

1 It’s a buyer’s market. But with few sellers around, competition is limited. According to Hometrack, the number of new buyers has risen by 32 per cent over the past three months while the number of homes on the market has grown by less than 10 per cent.

2 Keep the price down. Do not be swayed by the estate agent who offers you the highest valuation: many are overvaluing homes simply to get the instruction. Compare prices and do your homework to find out exactly what properties are selling for in your area.

3 Make your agent work. Agents’ fees vary between 1 and 3 per cent. Choose the one that offers you the best deal has recently sold homes similar to yours and keep it on its toes by negotiating a four-week contract.

4 Buyers start their search online. Your home must be on all the main portals, such as Globrix, & Rightmove, not just your agent’s site. The main photo is usually an exterior shot so make sure the façade looks good. A tidy front garden, clean windows and a well-kept front door are essential.

5 First impressions are crucial. Buyers are making up their minds within about 30 seconds of walking through the door, according to Paul Hammond, of the Lossiemouth agent Moray Property.

6 Focus on the front room. If you have £5,000 or less to spend, make sure it goes on the first room that the buyer will see. This usually means repainting walls and woodwork as well as doing any repairs. Also, buyers prefer wooden floors to grubby carpets.

7 Boost your bedroom count. If you are selling a three-bedroom house, all three must look like bedrooms, not a storage room for the rowing machine.

8 Turn the box room into a study, home office or an extra shower room/lavatory. This looks much more impressive on the sales particulars than “box room” and most people can find alternative storage space under the stairs, in the attic — or in a skip.

9 Resist the temptation to turn bedrooms into bathrooms. Most buyers expect more than one bathroom in a house with more than three bedrooms, but two bathrooms is usually enough in a home with up to six bedrooms.

10 If you know there is a problem with your property, fix it or be honest from the outset — don’t give the buyer an excuse to pull out or drop his or her offer at the last minute because the survey revealed something unsavoury.

Good Luck.....!

Until the next one,

Mr Jackson.

Housing 'Apps'.....

Always one to keep up with the latest technology fads, (even at my age) I was interested to see that last Tuesday, Rightmove launched their new iPhone app and early signs are promising with it topping the 'Top Free Apps' on iTunes.



It’s no surprise that the UK property portals want to get involved with iphone apps as they become increasingly popular and more and more people are using mobiles to search the web. The top US property app from Zillow has been downloaded over half a million times, proving how popular mobile web surfing for property is and has the potential to be going forward.

I am sure that Rightmove would like to follow in the footsteps of Zillow and know that the other portals are working on iPhone apps too, Globrix being one of them promising to bring out an app with wow factor very soon.

If I was a property hunter with an iPhone, I would prefer the Rightmove site for now, but if I was an Estate Agent I’d be looking at getting my own mobile site and being prepared to promote the Globrix services alongside my own - Keeping well ahead of my competitors !

Until the next time,

Mr Jackson.

Told you it was a steal....

Less than a week after my posting about the 'steal' of a property at Marine Court, Stotfield Road, Lossiemouth, it's now already under offer....

I hope to bring you more properties of a similar nature soon, for all you bargain hunters out there.

Glad to see things are drying up in Moray - Looks like a nice sunny start to the week.

Yours (a bit drier now....),

Mr Jackson.

Everyone in the Ark......!

Once again Moray bore the brunt of the downpours which closed roads and schools across the north-east, with Lossiemouth recording a month’s rainfall in a single day.

But council officials said recently-completed flood defences in Forres and Lhanbryde had coped well with the deluge. That's all well and good, but what about the people of Elgin & Fochabers ?

Flooded in 1997, 2002 and again in 2009. It's about time the flood alleviation scheme for this area was prioritised. Moray Council is currently half way through completing the scheme, covering every flood-threatened community in the area and costing a total of £150m.

The projects at Lhanbryde and Forres, totalling £23m, have already been completed. Work has now begun on flood alleviation for Rothes, one of the towns badly hit again yesterday.

With over 500 homes being evacuated yesterday and the expected repair costs running into hundreds of millions of pounds this work is needed now !

I had properties in the Pansport area of Elgin when the 1997 floods happened and every promise was made to prevent it happening again...but, surprise, surprise, nothing has been done and these poor people have to go through this all over again. Heads should roll at the Moray Council and the Scottish Government

Also, when will the local government learn about flood management by stopping planning and new housing developments on every available piece of land, especially those located on flood plains or areas which are prone to flooding. Its not rocket science.....

Yours, a very wet

Mr Jackson.

A lightbulb moment.....

"Funny" Somerset estate agent Jules Bending's apparently going into the obsolete light bulb business, and admits he's been stockpiling traditional hundred watters in a farmer's shed in the Mendip Hills, in readiness for the ban.



Guardian readers are apparently furious.

Until now, Bending – who runs an estate agency in Glastonbury, Somerset – has been better known for his tongue-in-cheek property descriptions which have got him banned by Rightmove.

However, he may now become more illustrious for his collection of 6,700 bulbs, which he believes will fetch between £40 and £60 each when sold on to climate-change refuseniks desperate for the real thing.

The sale of ‘ordinary’ 100w light bulbs has now been banned but many people do not like the energy-saving variety, which Bending says give off a “pukey green” light.

One property blogger feels slightly queasy. Ah... the West Country, where estate agent-sponsored mud wrestling is considered good publicity, and sticking light bulbs in a shed is entrepreneurship....

Until the next time,

Mr Jackson.

Keith's stable.... & making good progress.

I've just been out to Keith this morning to have a look at a large steading, with full planning for conversion into 4 residential units (2-4 beds each).

It's in a superb setting - even the heavy rain couldn't spoil the views. Though wellies and waterproofs were pre-requisites.


Prices start at £60k, or £285k for the whole development - With a conversion cost of around £60k - £80k they don't look bad value, though add to your cost the purchase a 4x4 to get you home in winter.

Worth a look if you are looking for a nice project.

A lovely location in which to get away from it all, though you're only minutes away in your Land Rover from the fabulous Strathisla cafe - Always one of my favourites !

Sellers are Peterkins in Keith - Full details can be found here. (Saving you time trawling through their overly complex website)or that may just be me having the wrong galsses on.....

Until next time,

Mr Jackson.

Calm down, calm down.....!

Brookside Close, the set of Channel 4’s famous and long-running soap opera, has gone under the hammer…

The street, which includes 13 houses, is now the proud possession of a mystery Liverpool buyer who paid £735,000 to acquire what was once the UK’s most famous cul-de-sac.

The trailblazing and often controversial programme, which ran on Channel 4 for more than twenty years, filled our screens with murder, drug abuse, adultery, incest and became the first British TV show to broadcast a lesbian kiss pre-watershed.

All 13 houses were refurbished by developers in 2005 and have been empty ever since. The future of the homes remains unclear, but if you end up buying one then check under the patio…

Until next time,

Mr Jackson.

Kirstie's Makeover For You...?

Stop Press - Get your home on TV and madeover at the same time....

My good friend Phil Spencer, who features regulary in the blog, has just told me of a new series of Kirstie's Homemade being commissioned. Word has it that they require some Scottish properties for the new series - What better than those in Moray.

Of course I know if yours is featured as a result of me letting you in on this 'secret news' you'll be kind enough to buy me lunch at the Captain's Table (Or at least a large slice of that double chocolate cake !).



Here's the blurb from their website.....

Is your home dull? Is it full of flat pack furniture bought from high street stores? Do you want to change it to say something special about you? If so, why not think about enlisting the help of Kirstie Allsopp to turn it into a homemade home?..

We're looking for potential contributors to take part in the next series of Kirstie's Homemade Home.

Kirstie wants to help people create their own dream interiors using reclaimed and restored second hand furniture and handmade objects from fantastic craftsmen and women around the country.

Please and describe your home and why you think it needs Kirstie's help to turn it into a homemade home.

Just visit www.meontv.co.uk/kirstie to apply.

Good luck folks !

Mr Jackson.

A Steal.... In Lossie

Following on from my last post, on the breaking and entering estate agent - I've actually found something that may legally be termed as 'a steal'.

I just popped in to Moray Property in Lossiemouth, to have a chat with them about the local property market (but mainly to be offered a cup of Ringtons and a lovely Blueberry muffin - made by David's wife).

A new for sale instruction on the board grabbed my attention - It is for a first floor apartment in Marine Court, opposite the Stotfield Hotel, it was a former hotel itself, before being transformed into exclusive apartments by Tullochs about 5 years ago.

'The owner is looking for a quick sale', David told me. 'And as instructed it is marketed well under the Home Report valuation'.

It's priced at £210k fixed, for a very large 3 bed apartment, with commanding panoramic sea views from every window, private parking and lift access. An identical apartment above is listed with another agent at offers over £265k.

Well worth a look when it comes on the market at the end of this week. But if you're not yet in a position to buy, they also have a top floor duplex to rent at a very reasonable £650.00 pcm.

I better not try and convince myself, as Mrs Jackson has already had words about me bringing home house brochures from Norway. I need to keep on her good side, as I've seen a new boat for sale too..... I bruise all too easily now....

Until the next time.

Mr Jackson.

Las Vegas Agent Opens Doors......Literally.

I've just read the above Time magazine article about the state of the country's number one casino town. The author meets Brooke Boemio, "a bouncy, sweet, recently remarried 31-year-old mom whom I met years ago when I was on another assignment. Boemio is doing great during this recession. In fact, she's never had a job that paid as well: she made more than $100,000 last year. Even better, she's willing to show me how messed up the real estate scene is."

How messed up? Messed up enough for this:

Basically, she finds clients who owe more on their house than the house is worth (and that's about 60% of homeowners in Las Vegas) and sells them a new house similar to the one they've been living in at half the price they paid for their old house. Then she tells them to stop paying the mortgage on their old place until the bank becomes so fed up that it's willing to let the owner sell the house at a huge loss rather than dragging everyone through foreclosure. Since that takes about nine months, many of the owners even rent out their old house in the interim, pocketing a profit.

Boemio even admits to doing it herself. And, before parting company with the journalist, shows him how to break into a random empty house... a scene which was, apparently, accompanied by a short piece of film (now removed). All-in-all... not, you'd think, a way of ingratiating yourself on your employers. And you'd think right. Boemio is now - according to reports - without a job.

What amazes me, though, is that somebody without the gumption to realise that advertising your breaking-and-entering and fraud skills in Time might get you into at least one kind of trouble still has enough gumption to defraud the US banking system.

No wonder we're all where we are..... Only in America....?

Yee-haw,

Mr Jackson.

Norway out of here.....

With its fjords and glacial scenery, Norway has seen a steady increase in the number of British tourists. It's landscape in the South is stunning and very much like Scotland.



Property prices, which have risen quite steeply over the past few years, have now slowed, and there is a strong rental market in the capital, Oslo, with an average 5% yield; holiday houses and flats are found along the coastline south of Oslo, down to Kristiansand, where small islands are dotted with wooden houses, perfect bases for sailing. You can buy a three-bedroom house there for about £160,000.

I fell for Norway when I ran in the Tromso marathon, several years ago now, here the sun shines for 24/7 for more than two months. If you are looking for a real home from home, with a great quality of life, friendly people and surprisingly warm coastal temperatures (thanks to the Gulf stream)I'd reccommend Norway as a place to visit and even to invest. I think this country will be the 'next big thing'.

Watch this space or ' ur denne mellomrom ' as they say in Norway.

adjø, farvel.

Mr Jackson.

When posh neighbours go mad......

A row with a millionaire property developer ended with a neighbour's hand being sliced open by a samurai sword, it has emerged.

Simon Carson flew into a rage and grabbed the antique weapon - worth thousands of pounds - to confront neighbour Simon Korn.

'Mr Korn complained to the night porter about noise downstairs and this led to Mr Carson coming upstairs armed with a samurai sword,' said prosecutor Tim Clark

'Mr Korn, fearing for his safety, grabbed the sword and received serious lacerations to his hands,' he added.



Carson's wife Freddie Booker-Carson - an award-winning art curator who has displayed collections at the Tate - then slapped Mr Korn's wife and was 'abusive' to police.

The dispute in a block of flats in Mayfair in October emerged only yesterday after Booker-Carson, 57, admitted assault and was given an absolute discharge at Southwark Crown Court.

'I accept that your case is at the very lowest end of this sort of offending and I have regard to the impeccable character which you can proclaim,' judge Gregory Stone told her.

Booker-Carson was accused of assisting an offender after she hid the sword in another of their flats but this was dropped after she said she did so to stop her husband self-harming. Carson, 58, was given a suspended sentence for actual bodily harm at an earlier hearing.

A dispute between the two couples had been simmering for weeks as a result of work being done to the Korns' flat, the court heard earlier.

Estate agent Mr Korn, 58, and his art historian wife, Dr Madeleine Korn, said after the case they were 'disgusted' at the sentences.

Who'd have thought this would go on in Mayfair - Some areas of Buckie maybe...

Just kidding of course - In Buckie they would use giant fish hooks.....

Until the next time.

Mr Jackson.

New House Anyone ?

I really like this one - Link to particulars

I'm sure you will too...

Now where did I put that spare £2.75m ...??

Mr Jackson

Cat Among The Pigeons....

It seems the nice chaps at Moray Property really have put the 'cat amongst the pigeons' in the local estate agent market. Similar to they way they did with the rental market last year.

They are offering a fixed price to sell your property of just £1250.00. On average a local estate agent will charge a fee 1.00% of the sale price, so if your house is worth over £125,000, there are some huge savings to be made !



Other agents I have spoken with don't seem to be too happy about this offer - not surprising really when you consider they make £3k+ from the vendor on a sale of a £300,000 property. Perhaps other agents will now have to start shopping at Tesco, rather than Marks & Spencer...

Though un-surprisingly it seems the vendors are extremley happy with the offer. This seems to be translating into new sales instructions, as Moray Property's window fills up every day that I pass.

'We haven't really started advertising the offer yet', David explained to me. 'All the current properties for sale took advantage of this offer just via word of mouth alone'. Always the best recommendation I find.

When their advertising campaign does go live, I envisage them having quite a share of the property market in a short space of time. If they keep up their first rate quality service and their modern and unique approach (which is long overdue in Moray.....) then they'll go far.

Hope this doesn't sound too much like an advert for them - But I know a good deal when I see one and this is too good to miss. If you're contemplating selling your property you could save yourself £000's !

Perhaps I too should become a marketing guru - If only I'd thought of this myself a couple of years ago, become qualified and got a trendy little shop - I could be sat in the Med' now, rather than in the Captains Table at Findhorn....

Though I suppose they wouldn't have the superb double chocolate cake that I've managed to get all over my new netbook.

Until the next time,

Mr Jackson.

Swinging the cat....

The sofa won't fit into the living room. There's not enough room for children to play in the kitchen as you cook. And where's the recycling bin meant to go?

These are some of the complaints from residents of new-build developments surveyed by Cabe, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.

The floor area and room sizes are the smallest in Europe - the average room in a newly built dwelling in France is 26.9 square metres, compared with 15.8 square metres in the UK - and, the graph below shows how British new-builds are less than half the size of those in the United States and Australia.



Compact & Bijou, less space to heat and a smaller land footprint, makes for an ideal home, or so the estate agents would have you believe..... I'd personally go with an American home where biggest is always best....

Size does matter - So Mrs Jackson keeps telling me,

Until the next one,

Mr Jackson.

Realise profits - Dont miss the boat.

With the current trends and a flat sales market I thought I would advise on what the smart money is doing at present.

So if you're looking to buy, have some money saved or if you are just searching for a good investment opportunity now could be the time.



Why not consider :

Redevelopment
Put a low offer on a house in need of a lot of work, or buy a down-at-heel place at auction (where prices are often 65% to 75% less than those homes sold through conventional estate agents). Then you can renovate.

Experts forecast that the full housing market recovery will be slow, so consider redeveloping the property to a high standard and renting it out for some years, then selling it when the market is back to strength.

Self Build
Big-name house builders have sold land to release cash in the downturn, so plots of land are now 20% to 50% below their 2007 peak prices. Websites such as buildingplot.org.uk or buildstore.co.uk list available sites and prices. The National Self-Build & Renovation Centre holds five-day courses for those about to self-build for the first time.

This option is not for the fainthearted - self-building is extremely hard work - but most who do it say a completed home is worth 20% to 25% more than its build costs, so you are immediately in profit when you finish.

Holiday Lets
If you have a holiday home in the Highlands, the Grampians or on the coastline, you're in luck.

Year-round walking holidays are in fashion, so you can let out your property to maximum potential. But even in other areas you could expect 16 to 20 weeks' rental per year.

Houses sleeping four to eight people are in high demand and flats are the slowest to let, rental firms advise.

If you have a holiday home overseas, the same could apply, but remember that the market is saturated with homes to rent across Spain, and in Bulgaria and Turkey.

Renting Schemes
Renting to the social housing sector: this is one that few people think of.

If you have a flat or house you don't want to sell until the market recovers, or if you can't find a tenant, you could lease it to a housing association or local authority.

That body would let it on your behalf and you would have guaranteed rental income for two to five years, depending on the contract.

Rents are usually 15% to 20% below the private lettings norm, but there are no lettings agency fees and the place is restored to its original condition at the end.

Feed 'public sector leasing schemes' into Google to see if there are schemes in your area.

The Moray area does now seem to have reached the bottom of its downward pricing curve and after speaking with David at Moray Property, he has advised that there's more activity in the local sales market than he's seen for the last three months.

He attributed this to demand, due to the lower prices and some lenders once again beginning to offer affordable lower deposit mortgages.

Now could be a good time to invest. Be sure you don't miss the boat !

Until next time - Happy fishing.

Mr Jackson.