A report this week by Riba and Ipsos Mori found long and short term storage space for everyday functional items such as ironing boards and bed linen, as well as seasonal or nostalgic possessions such as Christmas trees or a wedding dress was one of the features people most wanted in their home.

It also found we want a dedicated space for tasks such as ironing and recycling; larger rooms and higher ceilings; and the possibility of private space for individual family members.

According to a survey by CABE 58% of the occupants of fully occupied new homes said there was not enough space for their furniture, and 69% said there was no room for all their possessions either. Another 37% said they or their children couldn’t entertain guests away from others.

The common theme could be summed up in two words: more space. That, though, is what many British homes, especially modern ones, lack. We build the smallest new homes in Europe, significantly smaller than 100 years ago. This is not because of pressure on land: a 2007 Riba survey found the average floor space of a new dwelling in England and Wales was 76 sq m, against 81.5 sq m in Italy, 92 sq m in Japan and 115 sq m in Holland, all as densely populated. It’s because builders make more money that way – and, perhaps, because we are the only EU country not to have minimum-space standards for the homes we live in.

We did, once: in 1961, a government committee looked at what furniture was needed in which room, the space needed to use it and move around it, and the space needed for other normal household activities. The Parker Morris standards (named after the committee’s chair) required, for example, that a two-bed flat for four people should have a net floor area of 71 sq m, and that one for three or more people should have enclosed storage space for the kitchen of 2.3 cubic metres.

Parker Morris defined these standards as a minimum; builders, on the whole, interpreted them as a maximum. Also, he never dreamed of dishwashers and fridge freezers, so his standards are inadequate today. Most of all, though, while they became mandatory for all council housing, and for a while influenced the private sector too, in 1980 they were abandoned on cost grounds (Boris Johnson, to his credit, has stipulated that publicly funded London housing must now be built to “Parker Morris +10%”).

All of which helps explain why so many of us now live with insufficient space. As Ipsos Mori, says: “The research graphically shows just how cramped and poorly planned much of our housing is today – and the extraordinary lengths people go to, to cope with it.”

Until around the year 2000, homeownership was increasing in the UK. Since then, most growth has been in rented accommodation, taking up the slack as fewer households can afford a home of their own.

Today the proportion in owner occupation continues to decline. Many commentators have remarked on the ageing first-time buyer. Those who can buy are getting greyer, perhaps purchasing their first home in their 40s, rather than in their 20s.

Most analysts blame this phenomenon on the increase in house price inflation when compared to more general increases in the cost of living. But now it has become clear that the decline in home ownership is part of a general decline in opportunity, which is shocking when we consider the broader social context.

Today’s university-educated youth are leaving study with thousands of pounds’ worth of debt. Increasing fees will double or treble this effect for today’s intake, with more punishing interest rates too. Even those without the benefit of a degree are accumulating debt that they may never be able to repay.

Getting a job is proving challenging for school and college leavers, especially as my generation now thinks it might be fun to carry on working until we are 70 or more, while the steady “job for life” with a decent pension at the end is over for good too – successive government decisions have more or less slaughtered the final pension scheme.

Once young people get into employment they are finding it almost impossible to save for a deposit; high rents plus the debt they are servicing mean it is getting tougher and tougher for them. Lenders want 20% deposits and the interest-only mortgage is disappearing fast.

Fewer young people will qualify for social housing, and more will get stuck in the private rented sector. Their housing costs will increase every year with no assets at the end to show for it. As a result more and more young people will be living in shared housing for longer.

Most of us had always assumed that things could only get better; that progress was what happened over time. Our parents’ life was a big improvement on their grandparents, and our own on theirs.

Scientific advances, greater freedom, less poverty and more opportunity would – you’d have thought – ensure that each generation would do better than their predecessors. The onward march of mankind has been taken for granted.

But now the evidence shows that we are going backwards.

www.guardian.co.uk

Snettisham Beach in Norfolk has been put on the market after being owned by the same family since 1868.

Industrialist Edward Green bought the land for shooting as it was next to property owned by his friend, the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII.

But his descendants, Ken Hill Farms and Estates, have put the two miles of beach, 235 acres and busy car park on the market for £1.25 million.

The site, which is leased by Snettisham Parish Council, has been open to the public for 25 years, and includes beach, dunes and marsh, and is well known for its wildlife, flora and fauna.

The freehold double garage on Rysbrack Street is up for sale for a considerably above-the-average-house-price cost of £525,000. That’s about £1,500 a square foot, which is less than the going rate for Knightsbridge.

The agent says the garage will appeal to people living in some of the large garage-free homes nearby who pay up to £250,000 for a space at a private underground car park.

He also says there has been interest, although “not at the level we are asking – but it is only a matter of time because of the rarity of having a double garage on a freehold in this area”.

The bad news for anyone thinking this could be a cut-price way into a swanky neighbourhood is the that there’s a covenant on the place, so it must always be used for cars.

Independent research commissioned by specialist buy-to-let lender Paragon Mortgages has revealed that in the first quarter of this year, landlords increased their portfolio size from an average of nine to 10.8 properties.

Independently, auctioneers are reporting increasing numbers of buy-to-let purchasers in sales rooms.

The report, produced by independent researchers BDRC Continental, also shows that 20% expect to purchase more property over the next 12 months, and that the average rental property houses 1.3 tenants.

Terrace houses continued to be the most popular property choice for investment (64%), followed by flats and semi-detached houses.

Tenant profiles remained largely unchanged in Q1 with young singles still the most prolific tenant type, followed by young couples and families with children. Attitudes around being a landlord remained positive and 89% of those surveyed said that they are satisfied with their current tenancies.

Landlords were also asked to comment on the level of communication they have with their tenants, and the majority (39%) speak to their tenants every two to three months, and 27% once a month.

John Heron, director of Paragon Mortgages, said: “It has been a steady and progressive start to 2012. While landlords are still benefiting from attractive market conditions, there is still a long way to go to meet the increasingly high level of tenant demand.

“More investment across the private rented sector is needed during the coming year to help to meet this demand.”

www.landordtoday.co.uk

Shockingly, all these photographs are real.

Lets take a look at a few..

Some agents are just dead ducks!

Local estate agents embrace Poles…

Who needs the internet when you can fit it all on this…

But not all agents can weather the storm…

It’s a first – the moveable sign!

Lightweight plastic sign: £25. Piece of 3×2: £6. Decent nuts and bolts: PRICELESS!

If boards could talk…

Quick! Hide! No one will spot me if I hide here! Count to twenty then come looking!

One, two, three, four… Where did that sign go???

Now if I bought this place I could get my dosh out from the Western Union, treat myself to an Indian dinner…

and finish off with a nice lady ;-)

Not 100% sure but I think this house is in an auction? You can’t beat a bit of repetition repeating itself.

When deciding on marketing colours for a sign, don’t pick any from the 1970′s dude…

Competition is great, but there really is no need to start a fight…

If you are going to ignore planning regulations and display more than the one board allowed, ensure the owner is aware of the situation.

So thats One, Two…

Three, Four!

Is this Pearson Ferriers new ‘branch’?

“If we can’t sell houses let’s try trees eh Mitchell? Yes Julian there will be a big market for those”.

This tree sales lark is catching on all over town…

If this sign could talk (its in bottom right being all inconspicuous) it would say “I don’t want to attract attention, its just not my style”

Never pose a question you’d not want an honest answer for…

I’d guess it would be “No, it’s far too expensive”…

Put any more information on a board and you could save on the phone bill as no one will ever need to communicate ever again!

This is that bad I’ve saved any embarrassment by blanking out the telephone number. Not that they would get any calls!

The property must be located in the stratosphere somewhere judging by the arrow?

All just numbers to me Stephen…

Keep an eye on fading boards, it gives err, the wrong impression.

Oh I forgot to put 4 BEDS on the sign, not to worry I’ll just slap it on #afterthought.

“Sometimes you say it best, when you say nothing at all” or not, in this case.

“Who shall I sell my house to?”. I suppose this ‘narrows it’ down a little…

Will those broken bits be put back together before I buy it?

A client asked if I could take a look at a property today as it had been struggling to sell, despite it being for sale with two estate agents for quite some time. In fact it had been for sale for over a year!

It didn’t take too long to realise what the problem was at this particular property.

Now let me think what could be wrong? (Hint: There is a For Sale board in the garden).

How Not To #1

Tend to garden, especially around marketing materials…

How Not To #2

Place board in upright position. It makes it easier to spot…

How Not To #3

Take seasonal photographs. Well it’ll be winter again soon…

So the property isn’t a great one and the price isn’t competitive either, but the seller told me of a willingness to adjust this.

The marketing is a shambles. One For Sale board hidden, the other laid flat on the floor, photographs from a year ago.

And if the agents reading don’t like it – sorry guys, but it’s real!

For more information on how to effectively market your property, call the experts!

See Stephen, they can wear suits and drive Mini Coopers, but there’s no substitute for a consummate professional!

Due to popular demand, I have decided to keep this article updated if I see any further ‘tips’ whilst out on my travels. Watch this space!

For Honest Mick’s own article on For Sale & To Let boards, see THIS amusing article.

How Not To #4

Don’t display a closed sign when you are open. I was going to go in and buy a dozen…

How Not To #5

Ensure board is at visible height. Feet don’t buy… (or rent)…

How Not To #6

Always make an effort to tidy the bins and make sure the guest mattress has been put away prior to viewings…

How Not To #7

If it says ‘Prestige’ at least try. Don’t bolt a sign to a lamp post and chuck the ‘luxury’ description behind a dead end sign…

How Not To #8

If you are asked to sell something that looks like this – REFUSE!

How Not To #9

Tenants like to know a place is secure. Whether you need to make it this obvious I’m not so sure…

How Not To #10

If you are not the green fingered type, flick through the Yellow Pages under ‘Gardeners’…

How Not To #11

A real ‘half hearted’ attempt. Sometimes thinking ‘that’ll do’ is nowhere near good enough, especially in todays market…

How Not To #12

And when you get that eagerly waited success and secure a tenant, always ensure you do thorough references…

How Not To #14

Interior photographs are always great, but let’s not do them for the sake of doing them…

How Not To #15

Well actually, when this was spotted I thought, if there was an award for ‘Most Difficult Sale of the Year’…

How Not To #16

Always try to be on the winning side…

Watch this space for more…

Pippa Middleton’s very lucky boyfriend, Romain Rabillard, thought it was highly amusing to wave a toy gun around at photographers, whilst out and about with Miss Middleton in his Audi convertible. Try it in Salford, pal.

Tranny Love

The `Backbone of Britain’, the good old Transit van, had its new incarnation this month. With a lifespan of forty years, this favoured mode of transport from pikey’s to policemen, is as popular as ever, although most burly builders never realise constantly referring to their beloved `trannies’ could have very Danny La Rue implications, like “my tranny is always slipping into the wrong gear”

Tulips From Hamster Jam

Some fella found his pet hamster apparently dead, so buried the furry critter in his garden, only to be shocked when it made a spooky resurrection when it turned out not only to be alive, but dug itself out of its grave.  The family renamed it Jesus (well it was Easter…) and  I think its now residing at the back of his fire as that`s where most hamsters live. I think.

Went Down Well

On the one hundredth anniversary of the fateful Titanic hitting an iceberg and sinking, what better way to celebrate than to get on a ship and sail the same route. It seemed odd they didn`t ask Costa Cruises to organise the jaunt given their recent track record…

Stampede

Stamps jumped up in price and as such lots of, lets call them frugal, individuals went and purchased more stamps they will ever need. At least these same frugal individuals also had a decent stockpile of petrol, pasties and smugness to keep them going.

Two Cox Are Plenty

Trenton Oldham might sound like a district in Lancashire, but he was actually the fella who disrupted the toffs favourite watersport, The Boat Race. One of the toffs was so shocked he actually fainted at the thought of being so close to a member of the general public. He came round, all was well, they had another go and i really don`t care who won. A fella called Pimms I think.

Keep it real.

Honest Mick

An east London estate, where 700 people live, has received leaflets saying a “Higher Velocity Missile system” could be placed on a water tower.

A spokesman said the MoD had not yet decided whether to deploy ground based air defence systems during the event.

But estate resident Brian Whelan said firing the missiles “would shower debris across the east end of London”.

The journalist said: “At first I thought it was a hoax. I can’t see what purpose high-velocity missiles could serve over a crowded area like Tower Hamlets.

“They say they’ll only use them as a last resort, but… you’d shower debris across the east end of London by firing these missiles.”

Mr Whelan, who claims to have seen soldiers carrying a crate into the building, said his property management company put up posters and gave out the leaflets on Saturday.

He continued: “They are going to have a test run next week, putting high velocity missiles on the roof just above our apartment and on the back of it they’re stationing police and military in the tower of the building for two months.

“It [the leaflet] says there will be 10 officers plus police present 24/7.”

The leaflet states that members of the Armed Forces will be at the location for a military exercise between 2 and 7 May.

It goes on to say there will be a “major national exercise” from 2 to 10 May to test the Armed Forces’ capabilities for providing security during the Olympics.

The document added that if the government decides to use the missiles during the Games, the soldiers could be “operationally deployed for a period of up to two months this summer”.

The weapon being considered is a High Velocity Missile (HVM) system, which would be based on the Lexington Building Water Tower. The tower contains residential flats.

The MoD says in the leaflet that the missiles will not pose a hazard to residents and “will only be authorised for active use following specific orders from the highest levels of government in response to a confirmed and extreme security threat”.

The document states: “Having a 24/7 Armed Forces and police presence will improve your local security and will not make you a target for terrorists.

“The location has been chosen as it is situated close to the Olympic Park and offers an excellent view of the surrounding area and the entire sky above the Olympic Park.

“The top of the tower also offers a flat, uncluttered and safe area from which to operate.”

The Army website says the HVM system is “designed to counter threats from very high performance, low-flying aircraft”.

It says the missile travels at more than three times the speed of sound, using “a system of three dart-like projectiles to allow multiple hits on the target”.

The missiles can be fired from the shoulder, from a lightweight multiple launcher or from armoured vehicles.

A MoD spokesman said: “As announced before Christmas, ground based air defence systems could be deployed as part of a multi-layered air security plan for the Olympics, including fast jets and helicopters, which will protect the skies over London during the Games.

“Based on military advice we have identified a number of sites and, alongside colleagues from the Metropolitan Police, are talking to local authorities and relevant landowners to help minimise the impact of any temporary deployments.

“As part of our ongoing planning, we can confirm site evaluations have taken place.”

The MoD has previously said it was considering plans to install surface-to-air missiles in south-east London at Blackheath and Shooters Hill during the Olympics.

www.bbc.co.uk

No other developed country except Australia has experienced such an extreme and sustained increase in housing costs. Spain, Ireland and the US have had their housing market bubbles, but they were transitory: Since 2008, real-term house prices there have almost returned to pre-bubble levels. Not so in the UK, where they have only fallen back to the levels recorded just before the peak.

High housing costs are not just decreasing living standards directly, but create numerous adverse knock-on effects. Most obviously, they raise the price of nearly every good or service that requires retail and/or office space, since the commercial rent is partially passed on to consumers. The cost of a standard food basket in the UK, for example, is 20 per cent higher than in France and 30 per cent higher than in Ireland. Another knock-on effect is the explosion in Housing Benefit (HB) payments. One in five households is now reliant on HB, which is not just a fiscal problem – the HB bill has doubled in real terms over the past two decades – but also erodes work incentives, due to the high withdrawal rate.

But the worst aspect is that the explosion in housing costs, and everything that flowed from it, was completely unnecessary. It could have been entirely avoided. The empirical evidence from around the world shows that temporary fluctuations aside, housing costs are largely determined by the severity of planning restrictions. This remains true even when controlling for a wide range of other factors, like population density, natural (as opposed to regulatory) obstacles, or the extent to which an area is built-up already.

The empirical literature merely confirms what common sense tells us. There are a variety of other alleged cost drivers that are frequently cited, but the problem with each of them is that the same factors are present in dozens of other countries, which have not experienced a housing cost explosion. Yes, the South East and the West Midlands are fairly densely populated, but no more so than a number of Swiss cantons, German Länder and Dutch provinces. Yes, the social housing stock has declined, but it still remains one of the largest in the developed world. Yes, there are empty and underused properties, but comparatively few by international standards. There is only one figure on which the UK really does stand out from its neighbours, and that is the number of newly completed dwellings (relative to population size) over the past thirty years. No comparable country has quelled housing development with such rigour for so long.

Housing development is not a threat to the attractive parts of the countryside, unless you assign that label to every muddy field and every stubbly patch of grass, as the anti-development Nimby lobby does. Only one tenth of the English surface area is developed at all, and within that tenth, the single biggest category is domestic gardens. There is plenty of room for development without sacrificing areas of natural beauty. It is a matter of confronting vested interests, which, unfortunately, the present coalition is not particularly good at it.

www.newstatesman.com