Surrey Estate Agents

The Surrey Market

Forecasts and predictions for the future have their place. However for those looking to move in the next 6 months, the present is really what matters.

In the first quarter of 2013, every activity indictor is showing a significant increase in volume over the same period last year. This is resulting in excellent sales across all price ranges.

This level of activity is likely to create an active and stable market free from aggres...

English Heritage states the reason a property is given listed status is because "Listing helps us acknowledge and understand our shared history.  It marks and celebrates a building's special architectural and historic interest, and also brings it under the consideration of the planning system so that some thought will be taken about its future."

92% of listed buildings are Grade II Listed, they are marked as being nationally important or of spe...

With many first time buyers struggling to get onto the property ladder, it has created a fantastic opportunity for you to invest in property and provide an income for later life

Whilst the lack of first-time buyers being able to afford to get onto the property ladder is far from ideal, it is not creating the hiatus that was initially anticipated.  This sector is now being forced down the rental route due to the difficulty in obtaining mortgage ...

Let us present your property to the vast London market at the annual Move To The Country Show on 14th May at the Great Hall, Battersea Arts Centre, SW11.

The Move To The Country Show is attended by 32 agents from around the UK, as a way to showcase what our respective counties have to offer in terms of property outside the capital.  The show is extensively advertised across the capital by London estate agents Douglas & Gordon and in local and n...

Roughly 80% of all house hunters now start their search online, just one more indicator that the internet is undoubtedly playing an increasingly large role in our lives.  Whether you use it for internet banking, social media or more intensive applications like watching television on-demand, we all like to have a connection that is fast.  

It is often reported that house hunters buying decisions are being influenced by the connection speed of a ...

We would like to wish all our clients, past, present and future a very happy Easter.  Here are the hours our Curchods offices will be open during the Easter Bank Holiday.

Good Friday 29th March: 10am To 4pm

Saturday 30th March: 9am To 5pm

Easter Sunday 31st March: Closed

Curchods are proud to announce the release of our mobile website - we’ve been working hard to develop a version of our website designed purely for your smartphone, to make properties easier to search for and view, as well as add a few new handy features.   

What's New?

You still get the same easy to use experience, simple search facility and easily found contact details but all neatly packaged for your mobile phone - the biggest improvement is ...

Following on from an extremely lively and successful 2012, where the supposed ‘slowing down’ in the winter market never emerged, we enter 2013 with many buyers eager to find their next home.  We decided to take a quick look at the most popular properties on our website and count down the most viewed homes in photo format. 

Click on the links to view more details about each property.

10. Woking. Click here to view this property.

9. Walton-on-Tham...

In 2012 Curchods sold £142m of properties in Elmbridge priced over £1m

We operate 4 closely linked offices in the key towns of Cobham, Esher, Walton and Weybridge, giving us tremendous selling power throughout the Elmbridge Borough.  They are directly linked to our other 14 offices in Surrey and The London Office in St James’ Street.

One of our greatest strengths is that we don’t rely on the Internet to sell our clients’ properties.  Our connec...

Let us help you make the most of the interest from Russian and Chinese investors, by advertising on curchods.com

Residential property in the United Kingdom has long been viewed as a safe long term investment. A strong market has developed for both Russian and Chinese investors in Surrey and South West London.  As a result we now provide a translation service on our website for both these buyers.

Make it easier for those buyers to be comfortable...

We have seen an exeptional start to the market in 2013 and have a considerable number of very well positioned buyers who are looking to find their next home by Easter. This imbalance between suppy and demand is already allowing us to secure some remarkable prices for our clients as we continue striving to offer the best possible care to our vendors.

Please do call us if you are considering a move in the first half of the year and we will be del...

The Government's Housing Minister, Mark Prisk, announced on Friday that the NewBuy scheme is to be expanded for the first 6 months of 2013 to include existing property owners.

Titled 'NewBuy Part Exchange' it means home builders who are already part of the NewBuy Scheme, can now offer to purchase an exsiting homeowner's property, before selling them a newly built home with just a 5% deposit.  

This expansion of the scheme is intended to increas...

Shepperton’s Big Tree Night A Success

First off, we would like to thank everyone that came to Shepperton’s Big Tree Night and made the event a success.  Secondly thank you to everyone that entered the balloon race competition Curchods held – the result was frankly astounding, a card attached to winner Toby Barry’s balloon travelled almost 460 miles by the wind before setting down in Jesterburg, a small town near Hamburg in Germany!  Owen Miles –

Moving home is often talked about as one of life’s most stressful experiences, the help of a good estate agent (like Curchods) can aid in making the process of buying or selling go more smoothly but unfortunately, there are some things we can’t help you with - packing is one of them.

Instead, we’ve compiled our top 10 packing tips for you:

1. Prepare Early

With so much to do there is nothing worse than leaving it to the last minute, save newspa...

Woolwich have announced that from 14th January, they will be launching an innovative 95% mortgage scheme that effectively allows you to take advantage of a very competitive 3 year fixed rate at 4.69%.

The scheme involves reducing the risk by requiring either relatives or friends (confirmed today by our Woolwich Business Development Manager) to deposit 10% of the purchase price into a deposit account with Barclays for a minimum of 3 years. They ...

Obtaining the best possible price for a property on the market is at the top of many sellers objectives. Sellers are willing to go to varying lengths to increase the value of their property and efforts can range from being as simple as tidying up, to more elaborate and costly extensions.

Here are a few things to think about if you are considering improving your property, with the goal of achieving a better sale price:

Present Your Property At I...

We've listed below the dates our Curchods offices will be open during the festive season.  

22nd Dec - Open 9am-5pm

23rd Dec - Closed

24th Dec - Closed

Following on from an extremely lively and successful 2012, where the supposed 'slowing down' in the winter market never emerged, we enter 2013 in high spirits.

In Surrey, we shall look back at 2012 as a very successful year but we predict 2013 will be even more successful.

A combination of a new sense of optimism in the market place, greater competition between lenders, making it cheaper, although not much easier, to borrow money, and the tradi...

Surrey has long been a popular location for those looking to move out of London and into the countryside. Its close proximity and good transport links into central London make it ideal for those looking to commute into town on a daily basis but enjoy the more relaxed pace of life and all the benefits the countryside has to offer.

The London Office in Pall Mall, is our marketing link into central London, it allows us to present our properties to...

Once you have found a property you want to buy and your offer has been accepted, a good estate agent (like Curchods) will steer and drive the process to keep it on course, whilst your solicitor will ensure you stay on the straight and narrow with regard to the legal steps necessary to ensure a successful completion.  

Before the happy day arrives there are a few other things to consider.  Here is a handy ‘to-do’ list you might like to think abo...

Abbey National launched a market leading 2 year fixed rate of 1.99% for a (60% loan to value) today.  This offer is only available via mortgage intermediaries and expires on 29th November!

Great deals like these have sold out quickly in the past so hurry to ensure you don't miss out.  The mortgage also comes with with a free survey for purchasers and a £250 contribution towards legal costs.

This offer is not available direct and currently provi...

Curchods New Homes Department work with Surrey’s finest property developers, helping them bring to the market some fantastic brand new properties.  Curchods currently have 359 brand New Homes for sale in Surrey in 36 locations.

There are several real benefits to be found when purchasing a brand new home you may not have considered:

1. The Government's New Buy Scheme

The Government’s New Buy Scheme is designed to help people who are struggling t...

Join us Saturday 8th December between 11.30am and 3pm for The Handcrafted Christmas Market, a Christmas fair raising funds for the St Charles Borromeo Primary School.  Curchods are proud to be sponsoring for the second year running.

Come along and enjoy the festive fun, get in the Christmas spirit and bring the children to see the Living Nativity complete with real donkeys, sheep and other animals - a truly sensational experience.

More informat...

We have all heard the many reports of how mortgage lenders are tightening up on their procedures, scrutinising applications and refusing to lend on what seems like straightforward cases.  Is this just more media hype? Sadly, not and it is happening to people just like you and me, who have never had issues with bad debt, always paid their bills on time and have had a mortgage for years.

Before you start to get excited about moving home and spend...

The Fashion for Good weekend is fast approaching, tickets are completely sold out for the Friday night event with lots of press and celebrities in attendance.

We are now encouraging people to come to the Saturday Shopping event.  Please go down to the Brooklands Hotel in Weybridge on Saturday 10th November (this Saturday!) for a fantastic shopping event including 40 top fashion stores, personal stylists, hair and nail appointments and much, much...

Do you own land or a property which you think may have development potential?

Maximising its potential calls for knowledge and expertise of the processes involved and the market place.

Our Land & Development Department are experts in making sure our clients achieve the very best price for any development opportunities that their assets may possess.

It is a hugely complex process, which, to ensure maximum return, usually takes quite some time. H...

If you are a buyer looking at properties for sale, keep this in mind: years of experience helping people to move home has told us ‘few people actually end up buying the style of property they originally set out looking for’ -  we suggest that being open minded about viewing properties offered to you will stand you a much better chance of purchasing a property successfully.   

When you Register with Curchods, we take a real interest in you as a ...

Hopefully you will be reading this if you are new to the house buying process and are researching how you can get yourself a mortgage.  

The media loves to publish the negative aspects of the property market and how difficult it is for first time buyers to get a mortgage.  In reality, the mortgage market isn’t as bleak as you may think - mortgages are still being lent, but the lenders will only do so to people who can prove they have the abilit...

With autumn now upon us, as the leaves turn on the trees, thoughts turn to home and reaping the rewards of our year’s labour.  ‘You reap what you sow’ is a very true expression.  Curchods have also had a very busy year, in what could be seen as the sowing of the seed, with the re-branding of our offices fascias, eye catching new For Sale boards, new crisp sales particulars, linked with intensive development of all the staff.  The nurturing of o...

Moving home is a very busy time, with so much to think about it’s easy for some people (especially those new to the buying process) to overlook some of the additional costs involved with moving home.

When most people think of costs involved with buying a property, they generally think of a mortgage - we've compiled a list of additional items buyers should consider when working out what you can afford when you move home.

- Valuation and survey f...

Introducing the new go-to place for online school information.  See accurate information on schools near any property displayed on our site and search for any school in any area of the country.  We ‘read’ all the OFSTED Inspection Reports every 2 weeks, making this the most up to date and accurate school information anywhere - more accurate than even the Government’s own website.

www.curchods.com/local-schools

Our clients come from all over the world and their requirements range from simple residential refinances to complex multi-million pound purchases using a range of assets and lenders.  In todays world of risk management, some would argue ‘excessive risk management’, attempting to fund these large purchases via the recognised high street banks/lenders is often not cost effective and in a number of cases, not possible.

Curchods Mortgage Services h...

Despite it being one of the wettest on record, we had a spectacular Queen’s Jubilee and excelled in what may have been the greatest Olympic Games ever staged. Even the rain couldn’t dampen the nation’s mood and our medal count was the cream on top. 

At Curchods we have had an exceptional summer with our best sales results for 6 years, despite a drop of about 40% in the volume of completed transactions across the UK when compared to 2005/6/7. Th...

Here at Curchods, we are used to seeing some phenomenal properties for sale in Surrey, this article looks at some of the most impressive and individual design features we’ve seen lately in properties we have for sale.

Outdoor Entertaining Space 

This brand new home in Burwood Park has a fantastic open plan kitchen/family/dining room with bi-fold doors along the external wall, half of which open out into a unique oak framed entertaining area, co...

Surrey North Area Cruse Bereavement Care Walk around Desborough Island Sunday 7th October 2012 at 11.00am

Start/Finish Weybridge Vandals RFC (Off Walton Lane, Walton-on-Thames KT12 1QP)

Have you lost someone you love?

Raise funds in their memory for Cruse Bereavement Care.  We are somewhere to turn when someone dies.

Join our Footprints… Walk and Remember

If you are considering selling your home, our best advice is be sure of your reasons for moving.  An astounding number of people get cold feet at the point of exchanging contracts, deciding there is not enough of a need or desire to go through with the transaction.

The First Step: Establish The Likely Selling Price Of Your Property And Find Out How Much You Can Borrow

The first step towards selling your property is to find out how much it is wo...

  The latest edition of our luxury home magazine - Premier Residences is now available to view online.  

Our £1m plus property magazine showcases some of Surrey's finest properties for sale.  Hand delivered to 20,000 homes throughout Surrey, this high profile exposure is hugely successful at finding buyers for the properties advertised.  Contact us to make sure your £1m+ home is included in the next edition  

Having Difficulty Viewing This Pag...

Curchods recently finished a substantial refreshment and refurbishment programme of our network of offices throughout Surrey and Middlesex.

The recently unveiled new look incorporates a refined identity to our branding, reflecting the contemporary, forward thinking approach to estate agency of the owners and staff. It has helped greatly in raising our profile in the High Streets, helping demonstrate the quality market place in which we deal.

Th...

The Autumn edition of Curchods’ luxury homes magazine is currently being prepared.  

Hand delivered to 20,000 of Surrey's finest addresses, ‘Premier Residences’ is hugely successful in attracting buyers for the £1m+ properties featured.  To ensure your property is included, contact your local Curchods office.  

We are accepting properties on a 'first come first served' basis.  Your home could be in the next edition, don’t miss out, contact us t...

It seems that the desire for market share in the mortgage industry is finally returning! Abbey/Santander have just launched their lowest fixed rates for a considerable time in an attempt to rival HSBC's latest product offerings.  Abbey are offering a 3 year fixed rate of 2.99% and a five year rate at 3.49%.  Both have a product fee of £1,495 and the lender will pay for the standard mortgage valuation and legal costs if the borrower is switching...

It is well known that the British love to talk about the weather. In keeping with tradition, our Shepperton office reports that despite the constant downpours and the wettest June and July since records began in 1910, there is no shortage of buyers looking for waterside homes. The forecast is that the jet stream that has brought us this deluge is scheduled to move on, leaving us a fine remainder of our summer.

What better way to while away thos...

Calling all Wimbledon fans!  If you missed out on the ladies tennis at Wimbledon, this is your chance to see the country's top ladies tennis stars in the AEGON Pro Series International Ladies Tennis held at Foxhills spa and resort between 14th - 21st July.  

The tournament is the second largest ladies tennis tournament in the UK, to Wimbledon and Curchods are proud to be joint sponsors.  Players include Melanie South, Naomi Broady and Sarah Gro...

The Olympics are fast approaching and as residents of Surrey we are fortunate that we will be part of it, with the road cycling events passing through the beautiful countryside that surrounds us.

The races will pass through various towns including Teddington, Strawberry Hill, Esher, Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge, West Byfleet, Ripley, West Horsley, Shere and Gomshall, to name but a few.

To view the Olympic Cycling route Click Here

 Our offices ar...

If you have the responsibility of being an executor to an estate or just wish to make sure that you are have achieved the best possible price for that tricky to value property, then there a simple and very effective solution.

Most properties in this area of the country are sold by Private Treaty.  This involves setting an asking price based upon comparable evidence, demand and market conditions, then actively marketing the property and seeing w...

UK House Prices 86 Times Higher Since Start Of Queen Elizabeth II's Reign

Andrew Dewar, Joint Senior Partner of Curchods/Burns & Webber, commented on the recent HSBC article in Property Drum, that suggests an approximate 8,600% increase in the UK average property price since 1953.

"In 1953, nobody in their wildest, craziest dreams would ever have predicted or believed that such an increase could occur.  

Whilst we are in the midst of tough econ...

With recent sales levels at a high, Curchods Shepperton are perfectly placed to help you move.

Despite the wettest April on record, news of a double dip recession and the instability in Europe’s economy, all Curchods’ 18 offices are reporting a growing confidence from buyers.  This is in both sectors of those looking for homes to live in and long-term investment buyers.

Stability in property values has resulted in the market returning to its tr...

It may have been the wettest start to a cricket season for many years but the weather has not dampened the enthusiasm of Walton’s junior section which has continued to flourish thanks, in no small measure, to the ongoing sponsorship of Curchods Estate Agents. 

Warren Fraser, Managing Partner at the Walton office, (pictured) was at the club one evening this week to witness the commitment of both coaches and young cricketers.

“It is fantastic to ...

London Buyers Search for Surrey Homes At This Year's 'Move To The Country' Show

This year's Move To The Country Show held in Battersea Arts Centre proved highly successful in attracting some new buyers for properties outside of the Capital.  Supported by Country Life Magazine and The London Office, and attended by some of the country’s top estate agents, the annual Move To The Country Show always attracts a great deal of interest in Surrey prop...

Watch our Video!  Find out in just 2 minutes why you should use Curchods to sell your home. 

Curchods understand that selling your home is more than just putting your house on the market.  We build a relationship with you based on trust; and, the knowledge that we’ll do everything we can to deliver the best possible price for your home.

Contact Us To Book Your Free Consultation

Telephone: 01483 441020

Video Script:...

Discover A Magical Riverside Estate

Curchods have been honoured with finding the next Lord of the Manor of Shepperton, as this ancient title is to be sold with one of the village's finest riverside houses.

A manorial lordship is not connected to the British honours system, but rather the feudal system dating back to medieval times.  The lordship of the manor is simply the title by which the lord of the manor is known.  In many cases the title m...

We are Surrey's property experts and our flourishing Twitter page is a great place to discover the latest Surrey Property Market news.  

What matters most when choosing an estate agent to sell your home are the people.  That is why Curchods employ the best in the industry to advise and take care of you, and the reason we have the majority share of what is available for sale in the towns and villages where we operate. People trust Curchods to ta...

We bring London buyers to you - from this year's The Move To The Country Show 

 

Supported by Country Life, this year's Move To The Country Show, held at Battersea Arts Centre on 2nd May 2012, proved highly successful in introducing London buyers to our Surrey properties.  We spoke to many people looking to move out of the city and into the Surrey countryside - in fact our stand was one of the busiest at the entire show.  If you are thinking of...

Andrew Dewar, Joint Senior Partner of Curchods/Burns and Webber, commented on the recent Property Drum article, that reported in March, 53% of consumers in the South East expect property prices to rise in 2012.  

"It is no surprise so many people think as they do, because despite a different heart beat in the property market today, it is still very much alive and strong. For the medium to longer term, prices in the south east will rise without ...

A recent article by the digital property group (findaproperty, primelocation, globrix) reported that the cost of a mortgage to buy property in 84% the UK is now cheaper than renting.  Zoopla figures reveal that this figure has reduced dramatically down from 94% of the country in just 3 months.  Figures show it is also cheaper to have a mortgage in 42 of Britain’s top 50 towns, whilst renting is 16% more expensive on average than buying property...

The Council of Mortgage Lenders reported that mortgage lending fell by 14% in December 2011, but was still 10% higher than the £9.5bn lent the same month in the previous year, at £12.2bn.

The  CML report for January 2012 is borne out by the activity and results we are experiencing in our 18 Curchods offices. There is clearly more confidence with both the lenders and the borrowers which is welcome news for the property market. Once more however,...

Rightmove recently reported that new sellers increased the asking price for their property by 4.1%, which is the highest monthly increase for a decade, since April 2002 (which saw a 4.5% month on month increase).  In the south east, this figure is even more encouraging, with asking prices seeing a 6.9% monthly increase – with the average house price in the South East now £303,263.

Rightmove’s Director – Miles Shipside commented “We’re seeing a ...

A Property Exhibition For Somerset, Devon, Cornwall And Dorset

Ever dreamed of moving to the West Country?  This is your opportunity to explore the best of what the region has to offer in terms of property.  Held in Burns & Webber’s Guildford office, the show, hosted by Curchods and Burns & Webber will showcase property from Stags, the leading estate agent for Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset.

Come along and join us, we will be here to answ...

With only two months to go until the end of the Stamp Duty holiday period, First Time Buyers could save thousands of pounds if they act now.

If you are you a First-Time-Buyer thinking of buying your first property this year, we urge you to start the process now, so as to complete your purchase before the end of the stamp duty holiday in March.

The first step to take is to make sure you can arrange the financial side of your purchase. 

Our offic...

Professionalism And Salesmanship Are The Main Deciding Factor For People Choosing An Estate Agent Agent Say Survey Results

In a recent survey we asked a number of our past buyers, to comment on what would influence them most in their choice of estate agent when they next come to sell their property. 556 people responded to the survey.

As you can see from the result published here, professionalism and salesmanship were at the top of the list.

Jo...

With the cost of renting increasing during the last 12-18 months, the impact of improved affordability for mortgages means this is an ideal time to consider becoming a home-owner, rather than a tenant.

Interest rates are expected to remain at their current levels for some time to come and so we are predicting that 2012 will see greater transaction numbers than last year.

Council of Mortgage Lenders Report

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) ...

Figures from Nationwide showed how house prices recorded an unexpected rise

HOUSE prices have defied gloom-mongers to record an unexpected rise. They ended 2011 up by a healthy one per cent compared with this time last year.

The figures from Britain’s biggest building society show a marked improvement from 12 months ago, when prices were down 0.5 per cent year on year.

Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist, said the housing market had pe...

Homeowners' monthly mortgage payments fell to their most affordable level since records began in 2011. On average, people paid out 15.4% of their take home pay last year to cover their monthly mortgage payments, compared to 2008 when it reached its highest point at 20.5%, figures from Barclays show.

The lowest point since records began 10 years ago was in September 2011 when the average mortgage payment fell to 15.2%, or £488 a month. The figur...

A Market Comment by our Joint Senior Partner, Andrew Dewar

Overview

2012 will likely mirror 2011 in terms of transaction volumes, with little change to prices. The shortage of stock in many price brackets and locations is the main reason why values have stayed firm through 2011 and why they will probably do so in 2012.

That said, nearly four and a half years on from this recession taking hold, there are thousands of people who are financially a...

The last few weeks have seen unprecedented activity in Europe with the Eurozone under threat if the debt crisis can not be brought under control. This has made the banks nervous as the spectre of a second credit crunch is being talked about. Wednesday 30th November saw central banks of some of the worlds largest economies announce a plan to ease tension by assisting commercial banks in getting access to dollars. This is expected to filter down ...

We all know that it is easy to prepare a home for selling in the Spring/Summer months, but when Winter comes around, it takes a little more thought to make sure your home is fully prepared for viewings.

The winter period, especially over Christmas is traditionally a quieter time for the property market, but this does mean that your home will have less competition from other sellers and by putting in a little effort you can make your home look r...

The property market has sprinted into the autumn after an effervescent and lively summer. 

The area’s private Parks continue to attract strong interest from buyers.  We have excelled in these prime areas in recent months with some notable sales. 

Whilst it is too early to say property values have risen, better prices have been achieved through the summer than in the first half of the year.  In part we believe this is due to public confidence re...

The Digital Property Group Ltd (DPG) and Zoopla Ltd have just announced that they have agreed to merge their respective businesses, creating what they describe as “a credible challenger to long-standing market leader, Rightmove”.

A&N Media, the consumer media division of DMGT, which owns DPG, will retain a 55% interest in the newly merged entity. 

Martin Morgan, Chief Executive of DMGT said: "This merger will create a genuine opportunity to cha...

The Council of Mortgage Lenders Report demonstrates a healthier picture in the number of First Time Buyers taking out mortgages.

Andrew Dewar our Joint Senior Partner is sure that part of the reason for this is quite simply the massive surge in rental values, which we have seen due to a shortage of stock coming on the  market. He comments:

"As well as the increased rental prices, many First Time Buyers are simply keen to own their own home.  I ...

Whilst no one would deny there are delicate and critical balances in world economies, the recent events on the stock market, are much more to do with the massive power of the media than the reality of the USA going bust or the Euro zone allowing Greece or Portugal or even the euro itself to go bust.

What is surprising is that anyone in the world finance arena could possibly have failed to recognise the massive tidal wave effect on stock markets...

June for us was our best month in all-round activity for several years. This conflicts with many commentators’ reports of market activity for June.  Andrew Dewar our Joint Senior Partner presents the reasons why he believes this to be the case.

“In simple terms, it is positive thinking, positive actions and relentless an unending determination by my staff to succeed. Yes, these are different times than we have been used to, but there are plenty...

The Curchods’ Seller Survey is a survey report on the condition of the key structural components of a property. It is commissioned by the seller prior to marketing and assignable, with all rights, to the buyer upon exchange of contracts. It is conducted by Landmark Surveyors, who are one of the UK’s largest Independent Chartered Surveyors The report is written in plain, understandable English and the surveyors are always happy to talk through a...

The May data from Land Registry's flagship House Price Index shows an annual price decrease of -2.2 per cent which takes the average property value in England and Wales to £161,823.

The monthly change from April to May is a decrease in property values of -0.4 per cent. The only region in England and Wales to experience an increase in its average property value over the last 12 months is London with a movement of 2.9 per cent. 

The most up-to-da...

A commentary on the current state of the UK mortgage market by Christopher Pain, Director of Curchods Mortgage Services Department.

Despite much negative commentary about mortgages, there are some positive signs. 

In July, The Council Of Mortgage Lenders (CML) reported that mortgage lending reached its highest level for almost a year - 48,800 loans were approved to the value of £7.8 billion.  In what is normally a quiet holiday month, these are...