Property Resources

Thanks to the internet there are now a wide variety of resources available to help you find out more about the area you are buying in as well as places to find the right people to help. Please note this is not a link exchange but genuinely useful sites!

Land Registry

This is an excellent historical source of accurate property prices. Via their House Price Index you can look at trends by council, borough or postcode. Caution should always be applied, Land Registry is historical and so always out of date.

You can also, for a small fee, download the registry entry for a particular property that you may be considering.

Up My Street

Up my street hold free to access databases, by postcode, which show:

The performance of the schools
The nearest stations and airports
Crime rates broken down by types of crime
The nearest shops, doctors surgery, restaurants and other aminities

Note: They do also list the ACORN report which attempts to provide information on the type of people who live in a particular area. However this should be treated with extreme caution as many reports are dated, much dates from 2001 and some areas have seen profound changes since then.

Environment Agency

This website will tell you if the property you are considering is in a potential floor zone and covers all of the United Kingdom

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

RICS has been known for it's level headed comment on the markets past performance but like all commentators it's predictions are not always correct. Their comments are based on feedback from their members

Hometrack

Hometrack takes information from Estate Agents to give an idea of new buyer registrations, how long properties are taking to sell and how close accepted offers are coming to offer price. They also keep a database of many properties where you can see when they last changed hands and for how much. A fully detailed report on more exact areas is available for a fee.

Caution: Always check how many agents they have in their survey for a particular area and treat the data with appropriate caution. The 'Commentary and Analysis' does not always taken into account the traditional property cycle.

Google Maps

Google maps is a useful was to see a neighbourhood from above. Is there alot of greenery? Is there a trainline close by? How close are good roads? What's at the end of the garden?

Experian

Before applying for a mortgage you can check your credit rating with Experian. This will highlight any issues that may well be errors but could lead to your application being turned down.

Home Information Packs

The government website explaining what Home Information Packs (HIPs) are and who should have them.