People who are striving to get on the property ladder in the North West were given a helping hand in Manchester recently through a forum organised by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). In a free event, held appropriately at Urbis, Manchester’s museum of urban life, developers, lenders and independent mortgage brokers came together under the same roof to offer information, advice and support to potential homebuyers. The seventeen developers who attended the HCA’s Key Event – the first of its kind in the country to enable potential homebuyers to assess the options available at the same time and in the same place – all had new homes that were available and ready to move into.

The HCA was delighted with the level of interest the event attracted and will hold further Key Events across the North West in September and October: Blackburn (17 Sept), Sheffield (24 Sept),  Liverpool (10 Oct) and again in Manchester (22nd October).

www.homesandcommunities.co.uk

In a testament to the strength of retail provision in the North West, the 2009 European Retail Centre Rankings have listed both Manchester and Liverpool among the top 25 retail destinations in Europe, according to data compiled by the property firm Jones Lang LaSalle and data company Experian. The report shows the relationship between consumer spending and prime retail rents, highlighting the importance of analysing both spend and rental levels when assessing a city’s retail potential.

Five UK cities were included in the list, with Manchester and Liverpool placed 23rd and 25th respectively. Stuart Burdon Bailey, head of Jones Lang LaSalle’s retail and leisure team in Manchester, said: "Liverpool One has propelled the city up the rankings in 2009, but Manchester just holds on as the region’s premier retail destination, in spite of competition from the Trafford Centre."

www.joneslanglasalle.co.uk

According to a YouGov survey carried out for the New Homes Marketing Board (NHMB),
the ‘green factor’ is now one of the top three criteria that would be set for buying a new home, overtaking convenient location and general value-for-money.

David Pretty, Chairman of the NHMB, commented: "… almost all new homes are built to the latest mainstream environmental standard and are vastly more energy-efficient, and therefore generally much cheaper to run than second-hand homes. In fact just last year the National Energy Service confirmed that new homes are already 60 per cent more efficient than older ones…"

Survey respondents were asked to select the features they considered most important when buying a new home. Top of the list was a garden or outdoor space, followed by a garage or private off-street parking and then energy efficiency and high environmental standards.

www.newhomes.co.uk