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According to the Land Registry house price index figures that have been made available, though prices of property in UK have largely remained flat for some months. Mentioned below is the average price value of top 10 streets by region.
1. Greater London - £5,793,560
2. South - East - £3,764,870
3. East - £1,868,820
4. North - West - £1,776,350
5. South - West - £1,604,670
6. West Midlands - £1,195,850
7. Yorkshire and Humberside - £1,095,060
8. East Midlands - £959,870

The figures indicate that Greater London is topping the list of average prices of 10 streets in each region. On the other hand, the south-east occupies the second place with average price of £3,764,870, whereas east is placed third - with average price of £1,868,820. The average price of top ten streets in three regions, namely Wales, the north-east and the east Midlands is below £1m.

The average value of the streets in north-west and east is more than £2m. The value of London’s top street properties has risen from an average of more than £5m last year to an average of more than £6m this year. On other hand, Wales is the region where prices of properties have not increased too much. The prices are hovering around £897,400 there. The top street of this region may take some time to cross the £1m mark.

It’s fascinating to see that London streets are dominating the list of most expensive areas in the country today. Here is an insight into which London streets continue to attract the property buyers:
1. Property in Highgate is now more expensive than in Kensington area.
2. Courtenay Avenue, a street in Highgate in north London is the most expensive in England and Wales, with an average property price of more than £6,800,000.
3. A cluster of streets between Highgate and Hampstead golf courses, close to Kenwood House, is in the list of top 20 most expensive spots.
4. The wealth corridor of south-west London is extending up to Surrey. Out side London, the most expensive streets are in Surrey. South Ridge in Weybridge is topping the price list.
5. Waverley in Virginia Water is also there, fetching the highest price.
6. The list of top 20 includes the central and south London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, Knightbridge and Holland Park.

Quality of housing stock, best schools for education and minimum time to travel into London are the main reasons why people are attracted to Surrey for buying property.

A new survey has declared the safest place to live in the UK. It’s Surrey’s posh town Guildford. Research carried out by an insurance intermediary, Endsleigh, indicated that around 64% of residents of the locality were unlikely to make an insurance claim for the house burglary. The conclusion of research was based on analysis of data and its comparison with the national average.

The research also revealed that Swindon and Dundee were the other areas where burglars seemed least interested to operate. Nottingham, which had dubious record of burglaries double the national average, has also registered a decline of nearly 18%. The findings are backed by the Home Office data. Though some towns and cities carry higher risk profile than others, most encouraging fact is that burglary rates are falling everywhere.

The credit for this partly goes to commendable initiatives taken by the police, local authorities and voluntary organisations in the country to minimise the risk, which has always been haunting people looking for good accommodation.

According to latest research conducted by Alliance and Leicester building society, property ownership still tops the list of priorities for those under 30.

Regardless of the growing concerns over the reasonability and ease of buying existing for the first time buyers in the housing market, about 57 per cent of the prospective buyers still believe in ownership of property as a realistic goal by the time they turn 30.

Head of mortgage products at Alliance and Leicester, Mr. Richard Taylor, highlighted the fact that, the age of 30 seems like a landmark number for many; a number of people view it as a deadline to meet the biggest targets of life, such as getting married, owning a property, or starting a family. According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), in spite of the tough mortgage conditions, the recent figures highlight the average age of the first time buyers to be around 29. The point worth noting is that the figure has been slightly pushed upwards in comparison to the previous decade or so. The age of first time buyers was 28 in the late 1990’s; now it has become 29.

In order to make more buyers climb onto the housing ladder, the government has made a proposal to offer two equity loans to first time property buyers.

Alistair Darling, who has recently publicised the Open Market HomeBuy (OMHB) scheme, is expecting that a vast number of first time buyers would become encouraged as their purchasing power will be boosted by up to 50 per cent.

Availability will start increasing from April. The eased-up loan norms will offer buyers the chance to hunt around for the best mortgage deals but will also make the task less hassle free for them.

The procedure has been simplified further than the previous OMHB products. The housing minister Caroline Flint also added that along with affordability, which the new loans will offer, flexibility will also be guaranteed. Until the residents will not acquire 80 per cent of the equity in the property, the condition of the stamp duty being payable will not be a compulsion. Currently, 61 per cent of the first time buyers pay stamp duty.

The council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) is expecting that the houses, which are available for sale in the year 2008, will be more affordable than ever before because of the additional cuts in interest rates and decline in price inflation.

Noticing that the situation might get better for the first-time buyers, the body expressed its encouraging views, which will soothe the nerves of first-time buyers. The observations have been made in the council’s monthly News and Views release.

A new survey listing the safest and riskiest places for UK homeowners, has just been released. Nottingham has been declared as the riskiest place in Britain for household burglaries. Nottingham had home theft levels 63 per cent above the prevailing national average. The city was followed by its counterparts, namely London, Bristol, Stockport & Leeds. Guildford was declared to be the safest. Bournemouth was noted to be the worst when it comes to home accidents - with insurance claims 55 per cent above the national average.

Rhiannon Harris, Endsleigh spokeswoman, stated: “It’s welcome news that we’re seeing a gradual decrease in household theft right across the UK. Indeed, according to statistics of British Crime Survey, domestic burglary fell by 59 per cent between 1995 and 2007. This must be due at least part to the several initiatives that police, local councils & community groups across the country have set up for combating breaches of household security.” In order to make your home safe, you should install security lighting. Ensure proper illumination at the front gate for the safety of your visitors as well as your own. Unwelcome visitors are less likely to loiter around if they are in the spotlight. This will almost negate the risk of burglary.

Evaluate your property insurance plan. Consider the add-ons you require when you seek insurance cover for your property. Check whether you really require accidental damage cover.

By not seeking accidental damage cover, you can reduce premiums by around 25 per cent.  Instead you should take greater precautions to diffuse possible causes of fire. Most fires are caused by careless cooking or smoking. Do not leave cooking unattended. Keep matches away from children. Most insurers will generally find out if you are a smoker. This is because the fire risk is greater if you smoke. Never smoke in bed. Do not leave half-burnt cigarettes around.

Do not claim unless you really need to! The fewer the claims you make, the higher your ‘no claims’ discount. So for routine issues, which would be inexpensive for you to cover on your own, think again before making a claim.

You can cut down on your premium by following some of the below ideas:

First of all, get in place a good home security system. There are certain alarm systems which might be preferred by an insurer. The NACOSS standard alarm can help in cutting premiums with some firms by up to 7.5 per cent.

Another way of getting cheaper Home Insurance is to add to your voluntary excess. The amount of excess is the sum that you are willing to pay on claims. So, for instance, if you had a £50 excess & a £100 claim, you would pay half and the insurer the remaining half. The higher the excess you’re willing to pay, the lesser your premium. This can be as much as 20 per cent with some firms for as little as £250 excess.

Be proactive when it comes to your safety. If there’s a neighbourhood watch campaign being run, be part of it. This can help to bring down your premium. If you tell the home insurance firm about your participation in such a campaign, it can cut down your premiums by up to 5 per cent.

Step 1- Change the locks: If you happen to move to a new place, you cannot assume that you would be the only one in possession of a key. You never know who else might have a key, so it’s important to get new, good quality locks. Five-lever mortise locks are the best choice. They are ideal for external doors; windows should preferably have at least two bolt locks.

Step 2- Put new keys in a safe place: Do not leave the new keys in obvious places like under a doormat. Also be wary of ‘hook n crook’ thefts that happen because keys are left very close to a door, thus making it easier for a burglar to just hook them through a letterbox and unlock the door.

Step 3- Time-switch lights: Your home can get more vulnerable to theft when you’re not around for a prolonged period. Time-switch lights will create the impression that you’re at home.

Step 4- If you’re away on a vacation or for office work: Remember to cancel your newspaper, milk and other routine deliveries. Request someone you can bank upon to open & close the curtains as well as collect mail.