The RICS monthly Residential Market Survey for April 2013 suggests that the Government's Help to Buy scheme has had an instant and positive impact on the property market in the UK.

Last week, ESPC member firm MOV8 Real Estate, Estate Agents and Solicitors, opened its second branch in Edinburgh. The firm, which has had an office in the Shore are of Leith for over 5 years, took the step to open a property showroom on St John's Road, in the heart of Corstorphine, in response to a shift in market conditions.

Spring is here and is traditionally a very busy time for the property market: it is considered by many sellers to be a good time to put your property on the market and we see far more sellers coming forward to put their properties on the market at this time of year than at any other.

Spring is a great time to give your property a thorough Spring Clean, inside and out, especially if you are thinking of selling. A little time and effort invested into any outdoor space that your home benefits from will highlight how much enjoyment potential buyers could have from it in the summer to come, even if that does seem like a distant prospect at the moment! So here are some tips for making the most of the Spring and presenting your property at its best both inside and out to take advantage of the better weather and longer days.

It looks like Spring has finally sprung after a month or two of absolutely dismal weather. I still wouldn't leave the house without your parka if I were you right enough. With Spring in the air and a sense of optimism sweeping across the country as we see the mysterious yellow orb in the sky that some people with long memories call 'the sun', it's nice to be able to report some good news in the property market too! I will start with my usual review of some of the key property-related stories in the Press and then move on to our own experience of what has been happening in the property market. Fingers crossed it won't be raining again by the time that I finish...

'Fixed Price' is one of pricing prefixes that you will come across if you are buying or selling a house or flat in Scotland.

The general perception is that if a buyer offers the full fixed price then a seller will accept that buyer's offer. However, it's not quite as simple as that and this article attempts to explain what you should know if you are thinking of selling your property at a Fixed Price or if you are looking at buying a property that is being marketed at a Fixed Price.

Where a property is being marketed at Offers Over, it is less clear what price a seller hopes to achieve than where a seller is marketing the property at Offers in the Region Of (http://www.mov8realestate.com/blog/item/82-what-does-offers-around-or-offers-in-the-region-of-property-price-mean?.html) or Fixed Price.  For that reason, buyers tend not to be the greatest fans of 'Offers Over' pricing.  So what does it all mean and did 'Offers Over' not end when Home Reports came into play in late 2008? Read on!

In spite of the freezing weather, the snow, the hail and the frankly general misery that the (allegedly) Spring-weather inflicted on the general population in March 2013, the property market didn't do too badly. House prices seem to be moving in the right direction (if you're an owner or a seller), though there was seemingly contradictory information about mortgage lending being down. However, George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, made an announcement in his Budget of 2013 that might have a huge effect on property buyers and sellers throughout the UK. These Budget 2013 proposals relating to housing, and in particular the Help to Buy Scheme, are a bit more detailed than we can squeeze into one snappy wee newsletter, so I've taken the liberty of putting them in a separate Blog post. For more information on that one, go back to our Blog (www.mov8realestate.com/blog) or, far better, read the rest of the article and click on the link at the bottom of this post!

As is my way for this forum, I'll start this month's property market update what's been happening in the general property market and then let you know what we are actually seeing happening in real life, which often isn't quite the same thing as what is written in the Papers. So, on with the show, for answers to what's been happening in March 2013 and what Hungry, Hungry Hippos have to do with the Scottish property market, read on...

Budget 2013 Property-Related Proposals: The Help to Buy Scheme

George Osborne announced his Budget last week and there were significant announcements made that could have a huge impact on the property market.  However, with some of these matters being devolved to the Scottish Government, and with different implementation dates for the various schemes, it wasn't actually immediately obvious how these proposals would affect property owners and property buyers in Scotland.  So, how will this affect YOU, and what effect does the Help to Buy scheme actually have in Scotland?  Plus, is it actually a good idea and will it work?  For a summary of the proposals, Press reaction to the schemes and, of course most importantly, my own reaction to these proposals, read on!

Welcome to my property market update for February 2013!

The Press hasn't been too intent on destroying public confidence in the housing market this month, which is good to see. Indeed, that's been a few months where it appears that Scottish Independence and the trams in Edinburgh have bumped more general property market news off the front pages of most of the papers. And long may that continue: good news that is, I'm not going to enter into the Independence debate!

So, with that in mind, what HAS been said this month about your local property market and what have I been seeing happening, from my own position seeing and hearing the levels of activity in a busy solicitor/estate agency office? Read on!

Welcome to my property market update for February 2013!

The Press hasn't been too intent on destroying public confidence in the housing market this month, which is good to see. Indeed, that's been a few months where it appears that Scottish Independence and the trams in Edinburgh have bumped more general property market news off the front pages of most of the papers. And long may that continue: good news that is, I'm not going to enter into the Independence debate!

So, with that in mind, what HAS been said this month about your local property market and what have I been seeing happening, from my own position seeing and hearing the levels of activity in a busy solicitor/estate agency office? Read on!