Ideal Home
Exhibition
Yes it’s happening again –
the Ideal Home Exhibition is on at the King’s Hall in Belfast
– and this year, like every other year, there are loads of
gadgets that, if you’re like me, you just can’t live
without.
My problem is they never seem to work as well when I get them home!
Not that it stops me buying them!
But thousands of people will visit the exhibition by the time it
closes its doors, looking for ideas, innovation and inspiration
– as well as tips on how to improve the value of their property.
Who better at that than TV makeover gurus, Justin Ryan and Colin
McAllister, presenters of BBC 2’s Million Pound Property Experiment,
and Channel 5’s How not to Decorate and The 20 Quick Ways
to Add Value to Your Home.
Listen to Justin and Colin’s
Top Ten Tips on line
But with or without those tips,
your house is increasing in value. According to the University of
Ulster’s Quarterly House Price Index, Ulster house prices
have surged by 10%, bucking the trend in the rest of the UK. Continuing
economic growth and increasing incomes are believed to be behind
the rise. But is it a good thing? With the announcement this week
that a new rates system based on house value is to be introduced
within 2 years, perhaps not!
Co Author of the House Price Index, Professor Alastair Adair of
the University of Ulster is On Your Behalf this Saturday 11 September
2004
• In Belfast the overall
average price of £112,077 has increased over the year by 11.4%
• The highest priced city location is South Belfast, followed
by the East
• North Belfast saw a 4.76% drop in house prices
• Lisburn is the most expensive area to live in outside Belfast
with an average price of £130,591
• Craigavon/Armagh registered a 15% price growth with Fermanagh/South
Tyrone on 20%
• The highest growth was in bungalows – a growth of
19%
• Semi detached houses rose 13/3% to an average of £105,203
• A rise of less than 1% in the cost of apartments
• Counties in the west of NI show growth of twice the overall
rate
The value of the Northern Ireland
House Price Index which is calculated relative to the base quarter
for the survey in 1984, has risen significantly to a new benchmark
level of 420.47
The survey is based on a sample of 2,551 open market transactions.
The new rates system is being called
fairer, in line with the value of upmarket properties. What do you
think?
email
your views to On Your Behalf
Also
at the ideal home exhibition
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