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Why This Could be the Best Time to Buy Your First Home

The property market is starting to cool down, offering a renewed opportunity for people to get their foot onto the property ladder. Recent research has revealed that 40% of first-time buyers plan to purchase their first home between September and November 2021.

Property demand over the last 18 months has been unprecedented – for several reasons. Interest rates are low, there is an increase in the availability of high LTV mortgages, the stamp duty/LBTT holiday gave the market a boost, there has been a re-evaluation of what we want from our homes, and demand continues to outweigh supply which has meant homeowners have moved forward plans to capitalise on their gains.

These factors have led to a steep rise in house prices which has priced many buyers out of the market. However, now could be the time where that’s all about to change. Prices are levelling off or falling in some places and there is now support in place for first-time buyers making a home purchase more affordable.

In Scotland the LBTT holiday ended in March and across England and Wales, the stamp duty holiday came to an end in June and this has fuelled interest in first-time buyers looking to buy a home. In order to make informed decisions around where, how and what to buy, technology is also providing a helping hand to many first time buyers that need professional advice and assistance.

Recent research has shown that understanding mortgages and property jargon is a barrier to home ownership to many young people, however there is a lot of information online about everything from mortgages to legal advice, in addition, new technology has helped to make the home buying experience into one user-friendly process. Not only does it save first time buyers time and money by helping to find them the right home, in the right area, at the right budget, but it can also provide much needed information on the process of buying a home.

Even though the pandemic meant that prices went up at record-breaking rates, it’s believed that the market will calm down and cool off which will give first-time buyers a chance to look past the uncertainty of the pandemic and provide an opportunity to buy their first home.

As prices start to level off in the next 3-6 months there is an opportunity for first-time buyers who managed to save a deposit could purchase a property before the market is predicted to pick up in the second half of 2022.

Buying a home at a fixed price could be an ideal scenario as there are no offers over or closing dates to content with.

At Urban Union we aim to make the process of finding your first home less stressful and time-consuming with a simple reservation process – take a look at our handy guides. 

New release Pollokshaws Living

The long awaited collection of high quality one and two-bedroom apartments starting from £160,995 will be released from Thursday 16th September. Our last release sold in a matter of days, and we anticipate high demand for these homes.

Pollokshaws Living is within an easy commute of Glasgow city centre and Pollokshaws West train station is very close to the development. The M77 motorway is within a five-minute drive, as is Silverburn Shopping Centre. The development is next to a range of amenities and Pollok Park, which provides the perfect escape from city life. Nearby Shawlands has a host of bars, restaurants, independent shops, boutiques and health and sports facilities.

Find out more. 

  Pollokshaws Living – Next Release We are delighted to announce that we have released the long-awaited selection of one and two-bedroom apartments at our newest Glasgow development, Pollokshaws Living. Our previous release of properties in Glasgow’s southsid read more

Whether you have a small garden, balcony, or roof terrace there are some great ways you can maximise the space and create an oasis of calm in which to enjoy the beautiful weather we have been having recently.

Clever layout

If you have a small garden or outside space, consider some design tricks that you may have already used inside your home.

Horizontal lines on walls lead the eye and will make a space feel bigger – and this is a trick you can also apply to your garden. Consider using a horizontal slatted fence rather than a vertical one, helping to create interest and draw the eye around the perimeter.

Cosy curves

Curves and never-ending lines are also a great way to draw the eye around the garden. Sometimes hard lines can make the garden seem too structured and modular. Instead, consider using circular terraced areas, grass or gravel which can make the space seem cosy and interesting.

Using levels

Layers can help to add interest and colour to your garden as you’ll be able to plant more flowers and shrubs.

Layers can help to add interest and colour to your garden as you’ll be able to plant more flowers and shrubs. Raised, staggered beds enable you to fit in plenty of bright foliage, grasses and flowers, adding interest and lifting the eye from the ground level.

Balcony plants

When adding plants to a balcony or terrace, consider adding hanging baskets or create a living wall using wall planters or climbing plants on a trellis – this will add colour and life to a small space.

Creating distinctive areas

However small your space, it can still be divided up into dedicated areas for seating, planting or a lawn. If you want a more ‘zen’ garden choose just three or four varieties of flowers to keep it simple and consider carefully placed pots instead of flowerbeds to enhance the space.

If your area is small then you could also make it an extension of the inside space to help it to flow – bring elements of the garden inside and vice versa. Perhaps keep the same flooring, plants and colours. Another simple way to add interest is to have steps with another level for depth and character.

 

  What Makes a Great Kitchen? The kitchen is the hub of the home – it’s the place in the home where we gather to cook, eat, socialise, entertain, relax and, since the pandemic, many of us have been using the kitchen as a place to work. When designed well, the kitch read more

 

Helping the Edinburgh Community Through the Pandemic

As part of our community benefit programmes for the City of Edinburgh Council, and Muirhouse Housing Association (MHA), we have provided over £15,000 in ongoing support to the Muirhouse Millennium Centre in the north of Edinburgh since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.

The Muirhouse Millennium Centre, run in partnership with Low Income Families Together (LIFT), aims to relieve poverty among the residents of the surrounding areas, provide recreational and leisure facilities, and promote education and training in skills of all kinds.

During the first wave of the pandemic, from March to October, these cash boosts helped the Millennium Centre become a major player in food distribution in the north of Edinburgh. Since then and throughout the two lockdowns, the money has helped fund over 5,000 food parcels, 22,000 packed lunches, 6,000 ready meals as well as baby formula and nappies for local families and homeless accommodation.

Adapting their recreational support service, the Millennium Centre also delivered over 500 play packs and activity resources, allowing children to continue taking part in the Centre’s homework and youth clubs through Zoom.  In October, once children were allowed to be welcomed back, the Centre used the funding to deliver five sessions a week to reduce isolation and strengthen social skills after being at home for the duration of the first lockdown.

As part of our community benefits mission, we have previously also supported Muirhouse Library’s Breakfast Club to ensure local children had a nutritious start to their day as well as helping Pennywell School build their STEM curriculum, recently launching a STEM-based learning project.

Neil McKay, Managing Director of Urban Union, said: “Our focus at Urban Union is to not only regenerate a physical landscape, but to create strong relationships and support the communities in which our developments are based. We are ecstatic to have been able to support the Millennium Centre and LIFT throughout a very challenging period for many families.

“We are always happy to give something back to the Muirhouse community and we will continue to offer opportunities for local people and support for the most vulnerable in the area.”

Iain Strachan, Chair of the Muirhouse Housing Association added: “Muirhouse Housing Association is dedicated to supporting our tenants and local community. This last year has been one of the most challenging in our near 30 years of being part of the Muirhouse community. We are glad that we can work with Muirhouse Millennium Centre and LIFT in supporting local people and families during a very difficult time and will continue to do so in the future.”

Pauline Bowie, Managing Director of Low Income Families Together said: “We are very grateful for this generous donation from Urban Union and MHA which has made a real tangible difference to children and families alike across Edinburgh during an extremely difficult time.

“The Centre relies on funding to deliver our programmes and reach those who need it the most. Everyone deserves a chance in life, and donations like this allows for local people in challenging situations to access different forms of support.”

City of Edinburgh Council’s Convener of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work, Councillor Kate Campbell said: “During this crisis, we’ve worked together to put our most vulnerable residents first and making sure people can access the right support when and where they need it has been an absolute priority.

“It’s great to see our development partner Urban Union and Muirhouse Housing Association providing this much needed funding for Muirhouse Millennium Centre’s invaluable work, and the positive impact it’s had on the community’s families and children since the beginning of the pandemic.”

 

 

 

 

The Mortgage Guarantee Scheme

The mortgage guarantee scheme is a 95% loan to value (LTV) mortgage scheme to help buyers with a 5% deposit. Under the scheme, buyers can purchase a property priced up to £600,000 and it is open to everyone, not just those who are buying their first home and never had a mortgage before – as was the limitation for the Help to Buy Scheme. This means that the scheme will help both first-time buyers as well as those looking to move up the property ladder.

The good news is that this scheme has prompted lenders’ to offer high LTV mortgages independently of this scheme – opening up the property market to first time buyers once again.

There has been a high level of demand for homes since the property market re-opened last year due to pent up demand, the stamp duty holiday, low interest rates and a reassessment of buyer’s requirements. Last year buyers faced having to raise deposits of around 20% in order to secure a loan and this was against a backdrop of house prices increasing and, as a result, a substantial number of first time buyers have had to put their plans on hold. This scheme means that those with a small deposit can now realise their dream of getting onto the property ladder.

Although the new scheme is available through many of the large lenders including Barclays, Lloyds, HSBC and Santander, many others are offering high LTV mortgages so it’s worth getting financial advice to find out which mortgage product is right for you.

How the scheme works

The mortgage guarantee scheme means that the government will repay lenders some of their losses if the buyer defaults on their mortgage payments. In return for the guarantee, lenders will sell mortgages worth up to 95% of the property price.

The mortgage application for this scheme will be the same as applying for a standard mortgage – you will have to undertake affordability checks and show that you can afford the monthly repayments. With the existing Help to Buy scheme, the government would lend you 20% of the cost of your newly built home from an approved developer and would share in any increase in the value of the property. Find out more about this scheme. 

Find out more about our properties. We have now released our next properties at the highly popular Pollokshaws Living.

Supporting our young workforce at Pollokshaws Living

We were delighted to welcome Yaseen Ahmed to our Pollokshaws Living site, providing what Yaseen has described as a ‘valuable learning experience’ on his work placement. We received glowing reports from our tradesmen and joiner supervisors with regard to his attitude and willingness to learn.

Yaseen is currently studying carpentry and joinery. He undertook a range of tasks to give him experience of the procedures and expertise required on our sites.  He learned about internal and external site joinery, construction methodology and design queries, drainage pipe construction, and he gained an insight as to how we liaise with local authorities and service owners. His tasks included:

  • CSCS lite test and pass.
  • Rough site joinery to internal house build, first fix.
  • Shadowed drainage and ground workers team working on services.
  • Following window fitters and shadowing the installation of windows of ground floor of one house.
  • Assisting new lone worker/ joiner with plasterboarding of ceiling.
  • Shadowing worker installing DPC to window openings and firestopper insulation bags.
  • Observing drainage pipe construction in underbuild and plumbing and electrical installation internally.
  • Timber framing –  erecting internal load bearing walls, and shadowed the installation of binder plates stitching walls together.
  • Learning about waste disposal measures on site promoting reuse, recycling, and consideration of sustainability.
  • Discussing with site managers their role in appeasing all stakeholders and liaising with local authorities, service owners, to ensure the work in the background is allowing for work to continue on site efficiently whilst forward planning for end user requirements and finishing choices.

Going forward, Yaseen is keen to re-join us once his college course is finished, working alongside the contracts manager and site manager.

Edinburgh and Glasgow Among Best Cities to Raise a Family

When you’re raising a family it’s important to choose a place to live that can facilitate all aspects of family life. From finance and healthcare to childcare and schooling, the city in which we live can have a huge impact on the quality of our life and that of our children.

A new study from CIA Landlord looked at the best cities to raise a family by analysing aspects that are important to parents. These included the cost of property or rent, childcare and household bills. It also looked at the number of local schools, crime levels, local attractions, pollution index, the general cost of bills and general quality of life. The cities were ranked based on these metrics to determine which city was the best location for raising a family.

Globally Helskinki ranked top as the healthiest place to raise a family, with low rents and a high happiness score. In terms of raising a family and place in which to relocate, Reykjavik ranked top as the best global city.

Here in the UK, top of the ranking was Belfast – using the metrics of quality of life, crime rate index, number of outdoor activities, number of local schools, cost of monthly childcare and cost of monthly rent. In the top ten four of the cities were here in Scotland including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen. In fact, if the levels of crime are a main concern for you as a family, Edinburgh ranked third as the safest place to raise a family.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh ranked as the sixth best place for families to live in the UK with 476 local attractions, 141 local schools and the cost of renting a three-bedroom apartment standing at £1,517.68. The cost of childcare in Edinburgh averaged at £812.50 and the cost of Monthly bills is £143.85.

Glasgow

Glasgow ranked eighth in the top 10 UK cities with 402 local attractions, rent of a three-bedroom apartment £1,142.05, 187 local schools, childcare costs of £675.04 per month, and monthly bills at £113.30.

If you’re considering a new home to raise a family in Glasgow or Edinburgh, take a look at our current developments including Pennywell Living in Edinburgh, Pollokshaws Living in the southside of Glasgow and Laurieston Living in Glasgow city centre.

Pollokshaws Living Sells Out in Opening Weekend

We are delighted to confirm that Pollokshaws Living, located in the southside of Glasgow, has sold out its current release within just two days of its launch.

There has been huge demand for the first release of homes, and we expect that to continue in the months ahead. Our next release of Pollokshaws properties is scheduled for April – so any prospective purchasers should get in touch for further information and to be added to our waiting list to avoid disappointment.

We are extremely proud of this achievement – not only for everyone involved at Urban Union – but for the wider community in Pollokshaws.

High quality homes

This development features a range of high quality one, two, three, four and five-bedroom properties located within in a thriving community in one of Glasgow’s most sought-after areas.

The properties at the development all benefit from Urban Union’s trademark features of high ceilings, long windows and great storage. What’s more, every home comes equipped with all the features necessary for modern life, including well-finished, fully integrated kitchens, plenty of storage space and airy living areas, suitable for a wide range of buyers. Due to buyer demand this is the first Urban Union development to have an enhanced upgrade package so buyers can opt for higher spec white goods, superior flooring and electrical upgrades.

An exceptional location

Pollokshaws Living is close to a host of amenities including Silverburn with a wide selection of shops including Marks & Spencer, a Tesco superstore, Zara, Hobbs, Office Shoes, Waterstones, Next, TK Maxx and more, along with a multi-screen cinema, coffee shops and restaurants. The development is located next to Pollok Park and the Burrell Collection which provides the perfect escape from city life. It’s also within easy reach of House for an Art Lover, Bellahouston Park, Intu Braehead and Shawlands, with a wide range of popular bars, restaurants, independent shops, boutiques and health and sports facilities.

The development is an easy commute to the city centre and Pollokshaws West train station is very close to the development, while the M77 motorway is within a five-minute drive taking you to Glasgow International Airport in just 15 minutes.

All of this combined, makes Pollokshaws Living an excellent development to call home.

Transforming Communities

Set to complete in 2023, Pollokshaws Living is part of the wider Transforming Communities: Glasgow programme which aims to provide sustainable mixed tenure communities through the provision of new housing, community facilities, green space and, where appropriate, commercial units.

Fortunately, for those who have missed out, Urban Union will continue to expand its offering at Pollokshaws Living and across Scotland. A range of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes and apartments are also available at their Laurieston Living development in Glasgow and at Pennywell Living in Edinburgh.

Find out more about Pollokshaws Living. To make an appointment at the sales cabin, call 07498 057 112.

Take a look at the highlights for this year at Urban Union from the people who play an integral part in delivering large-scale mixed-tenure regeneration projects. We don’t simply build homes, we create communities and this challenging year has been no different. 

Neil McKay, Managing Director

There’s no doubt that this has been an incredibly difficult year for everyone across our business. However, while there have been difficulties there has also been so much to be proud of.

For me, the highlight of 2020 has undoubtedly been how the entire team has adapted in the face of the pandemic. The ways in which we work changed completely but we didn’t lose pace and, in fact, we are prospering.

That doesn’t happen by accident. Through hard work, dedication and sometimes just sheer force of will, we are ending 2020 in a strong position with our sites thriving and the future brighter than ever.

I want to extend a huge thank you to every member of the team and hope they all enjoy a well-earned break over the Christmas and New Year holidays – I know I intend collapsing in a heap!

Kenny Downs, Finance Director

While this may have been a year to forget for some, there are others who will have fond memories – especially those who have bought a new home.

My highlight of 2020, without a doubt, is hearing from people who are over the moon that they have been able to receive their keys, knowing they have a place they can call home.

Of course, getting to that point has not been easy. The construction teams at our sites have worked tirelessly, adapting to new protocols while still delivering homes of the highest quality.

Our sales and marketing teams have similarly stepped up to the plate, finding innovative ways to ensure sales can go through and conducting virtual handovers. We may not have predicted how 2020 would have gone but we can certainly learn a lot from it.

Kirsty Parry, Sales and Marketing Manager

urban union

In September, we handed over the keys to the 1000th home delivered by Urban Union. It was made all the more special by the fact that the milestone property was at Laurieston Living, which was the very first site launched by Urban Union and the foundation of our continued success.

In the space of just six years, we have grown to have four active sites – including our newest, Pollokshaws Living in Glasgow. Echoing Kenny’s sentiments, I’m proud of how the sales teams at all those sites have adapted this year, and that we have continued to support vital community initiatives in the areas in which we operate.

I was also thrilled that we ended the year on a high, winning two awards at the Scottish Home Awards in October!