The Ultimate Homes Blog

Some thoughts on the currency market movements over the last week, courtesy of HIFX. Range of the week: 1.2570 to 1.2647 Variance of the week on £10k=€77 Major news or data for the week so far: It’s been a pretty quiet week so far as illustrated by the very small variance on £10k and also because of the fact that London markets were closed on Monday because of the bank holiday. There are hopes that the ECB will embark on a bond buying programme to manage the debt crisis & the ECB president, Mario Draghi, cancelled his appearance at the Jackson Hole economic symposium to concentrate on next week’s policy making meeting. This has helped the Euro strengthen a little & hence why Sterling dropped to a three week low against the Euro yesterday.

10 ways to increase the value of your home  Let's be honest, house prices in every neighbourhood have fallen and even the most attractive homes are sticking on the market. That said, if you are really motivated to sell your home, don't forget that there are several actions you can take which will help you attract buyers without having to depend solely on the lure of a lower price. 1. Open up spaces 2. Improve your home's interior lighting 3. Do all those small maintenance jobs that need doing 4. Install energy saving elements 5. Remember that your home starts at the front door (or front gate) 6. Make sure the flooring is in good condition 7. Make sure the bathroom is in perfect condition 8. Use neutral coloured paints 9. Remove any small flaws that might put potential buyers off 10. Make sure the plants are well tended  Many of the properties that we are selling at the moment are bank repossessions which have been stood empty for several months, and need at the very l...

The midweek currency update courtesy of HIFX Range of the week: 1.2642 – 1.2798 Variance of the week on £10k = €156 In the UK this week, better than expected retail sales figures have helped to raise hopes that the UK’s recession may not be as deep as initially thought. Sales volumes in July rose by 0.3%, and were up 2.8% from a year earlier, however this was driven by fuel sales, which rose 2.6%, as supermarkets tempted motorists with promotions. Excluding fuel, overall sales were unchanged. Public sector borrowing fell less than expected in July as the government continues to struggle to reduce the deficit as corporate tax receipts fall short of expectations due to the recession. The ratings agencies have recently warned of the potential for further downgrades for some euro zone countries that are attempting to cut their deficits whilst facing very difficult economic conditions. It is likely the UK is also on their watch list. GBP/EUR continues to be dominated by the com...