PERIOD COTTAGE HAS A LOT TO OFFER

This two-bedroom stone-fronted period cottage, 17 Lewington Road, Fishponds, is to be sold by auction by Besley Hill on 8 February with a guide price of £80,000 to £110,000.
Situated in a popular location just off Staplehill Road, the property retains original character but requires general refurbishment and modernisation.
“This home is an ideal choice for DIY enthusiasts, speculators, buy-to-let investors and professionals,” said Mark Symonds, senior branch manager of Besley Hill Estate Agents’ Fishponds office.
Comprising dining room, living room, kitchen, two bedrooms and bathroom, the house has the benefit of a Valiant combination gas-fired boiler and some Upvc double-glazed windows.
There is also a 25ft enclosed rear garden with wide beds with established shrubs and plants and cobblestone pathway.
The property is one of the lots on offer at Besley Hill’s auction sale on 8 February at The Pavilion Lounge of BAWA, 589 Southmead Road, Filton, Bristol, BS34 7RG, starting at 7.00pm.
For further details of 17 Lewington Road, including an open house viewing from 10.00am to 11.00am on Saturday, 7 January, contact Mark Symonds, Besley Hill Estate Agents, 764 Fishponds Road, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3UA, tel 0117 9653162, email fishponds@besleyhill.co.uk, or the auctioneer’s office, tel 0117 9701551, website www.besleyhillsurveyit.co.uk

AMY'S WINNING DRAWING IS ON ESTATE AGENTS' CHRISTMAS CARD

A festive drawing by a pupil at St Mary's CofE Primary School, Thornbury, has been chosen to appear on a local estate agents' office Christmas card.
Seven-year-old Amy Lyons was the overall winner of a children's Christmas art competition organised by Besley Hill Town & Country Homes, of High Street, Thornbury.
There were three age categories - four to eight, nine to thirteen and fourteen to seventeen - with the winner of each category winning an Amazon kindle.
Entrants were required to submit one picture or painting with a festive theme, the only stipulation being that it had a house or property in it.
"Ultimately, we were looking for a design that could be used on our office Christmas card with the best entries being displayed in our window in the run-up to Christmas," said branch manager Andrew How.
"Amy's drawing was chosen from dozens of entries and made into our Christmas card for 2011. The cards were produced in double quick time by our printer, Horders, and sent out to all our customers and friends."
Photo shows Andrew How with Amy holding her winning drawing and the Besley Hill Christmas card.

LIFELINE FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERS

The Chancellor, George Osborne, announced in his autumn statement that the government plans to install a new system to provide funding which will help first-time buyers of new-build homes get onto the property ladder.

Under the mortgage indemnity scheme, the government said that it can use the low interest rates it had secured in order to help young families who wanted to buy, but were far from being able to afford the high level of deposit that banks require. It said that young couples will be able to secure a mortgage worth 95 per cent of the value of their homes.

The scheme will be run specifically for first-time buyers on new-build homes, with the government estimating that it will be able to work with those looking to make their first step onto the property ladder in order to provide 100,000 new homes across the UK, making a dent in the shortage of homes available.

While disappointed that the scheme, which comes into effect in the spring, will only apply to new-build homes, Adam Offer, managing director of leading West estate agents, Besley Hill, said the initiative was good news to those seeking to secure a deposit for their first mortgage for this type of property.

“It is essential that more first-time buyers are able get on the property ladder in order to stimulate the housing market and anything that improves the prospects for this sector of the market has to be welcomed,” said Mr Offer.