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Archive for February, 2012

South West London estate agents can help make the potentially challenging issue of moving house to Battesea as pain-free as possible. A growing number of people are looking to either rent or buy a property in Battersea because of the promising potential of the neighbourhood which is quickly establishing itself as a centre for culture. A combination of reasonable rental rates, culture and wide open green spaces is making Battersea a highly sought after area for a mixture of social groups that are looking to move south of the River Thames. Battersea is already attracting a trendy crowd of up-and-coming professionals who are looking to take advantage of the burgeoning art scene and the area’s future regeneration plans. Families are also fond of area due to the benefits afforded by Battersea Park and the fact that being located in Wandsworth means that homes in the borough boast one of the cheapest council tax rates in the country.

There are also numerous excellent schools in the region so Battersea is indeed an ideal location to raise a family and parents can quickly commute into the centre of London for their jobs. An extension of the Northern line on the London Underground has been proposed which would make Battersea even more accessible with a plan for two new stations to service the area. The Northern line extension would split off from Kennington and head westward towards new stations at Nine Elms on Wandsworth Road before terminating at Battersea Power Station. Both stations would be within London Underground Zone 2 and could be open as soon as 2015 if the appropriate planning permission is granted by the relevant authorities. The proposed new United States Embassy in Nine Elms and development of the Battersea Power Station site is driving the improvement of transport to the area and creating new jobs.

Battersea Power Station is set to be transformed into a mixed-use residential and commercial site with fashionable restaurants, thousands of new homes a hotel and conference centre. If the advantages of Battersea are appealing to you, you can expect to be able to choose from a variety of properties ranging from Victorian terraces to flats overlooking the Park and fashionable riverside apartments. South West London estate agents will be able to help you find a property that suits your lifestyle no matter what your requirements so take advantage of their experience and knowledge of the area.

Treading the bond and equities market is nothing short of walking on a minefield. There’s hardly anything that’s predictable about the market. Investors are now looking for alternative investments that aren’t as volatile as the share market and are easy to liquidate as well. Gold, silver, and real estate have been common investment options. But what does the trend for 2012 look like? Here are a few options that seem viable for this year:

Real Estate Investment: Real estate investment has been in the center of a storm for some time now, with a lot of people losing heavily. But this loss has only affected those who were guided by greed and shortsightedness. Those who invested wisely with sound advice have seen returns. This is especially true of commercial real estate investment. Financial gurus are already predicting a positive year ahead for the real estate market. An upturn seems to be round the corner after almost 5 years of slump.

Agriculture: Agriculture shall always remain a very good long term investment option. The threat of shortage of food supplies and the alarming rate at which food inflation seems to be growing necessitates the need to invest in agriculture. This is especially true of developing countries where short sighted development strategies are likely to create a strain on existing agricultural resources. There are expert predictions that food production will have to be increased by almost 70 per cent to feed a population of 9 billion people by 2050.

Metals: Over the past 100 years or so, gold has performed incredulously. Not to be left behind, other precious metals like silver, palladium, platinum, copper, and tin have all soured. In fact, the price of silver was up by more than 84% in 2011. There are reports stating that rhodium too is a viable option.

Besides these, other alternative investment options include fine art, fine wine and timber. The viability of the first two is doubtful because these are often associated with the rich and in an unstable economy, there wouldn’t be too many people looking for these options. Timber, on the other hand remains a good option. With the housing market seeing a positive trend, and the government trying its best to block illegal sources of timber, it makes sense to choose timber as an option. Before you invest in alternative investments, make sure that you read detailed predictions of each of these options thoroughly.

You cannot escape the necessity of dealing with money in your life. Because of this, you must be prudent when dealing with your financial responsibilities. The following article offers several suggestions on how you can get the most out of your financial situation.

Get a good understanding of what you spend money on prior to making your budget. The key to building an effective budget is knowing exactly how much money your family earns every month. Everything you spend money on should be accounted for. Spending more money than you earn, is not a desirable way to live.

Start by compiling a comprehensive list of all expenses. You need to also include quarterly and yearly payments. This includes things like car insurance, home maintenance and annual taxes. Don’t forget to include extras like the cost of going out, food, entertainment and babysitters. You want this list to be as exhaustive as possible, so that you can determine what you really spend.

With an idea of how much your household brings in and spends each month, you need to make a working budget. Remove all unnecessary expenses from your budget. If you get rid of that Starbucks coffee or the McDouble, you could save a lot of money.

Home improvement projects can be a great way to save money on bills. Changes such as weatherized windows and efficient water heaters can significantly reduce your power bill. Repairing minor leaks will reduce your water usage as well. Another simple idea is to make the most of your appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines, by only running them when you have a full load.

An excellent method of lowering your utility bill is to decrease your appliances’ energy usage. You should replace old appliances with more energy efficient appliances. Many appliances and devices can be unplugged when not in use to prevent energy use.

If you upgrade the insulation in your roof, you will not waste heat because it won’t escape through your walls and your ceiling. Upgrades to your home like these pay money back with lower utility bills.

You can keep costs under control and reduce your overall spending by performing some upgrade work on your house and its equipment. You will initially be out some money when you fix or replace an item, but you will make up for it later by not having to deal with costly utility bills.