Househunting? No, we're snooping on our neighbours

Alex Johnson presents his round-up of this week's property news, including nosy neighbours and tricking burglars

This four bedroom detached house in Weaponness Drive, Scarborough has marvellous panoramic sea views, a double height sitting room, a cinema room, and garden room. On for £799,995 with Hunters

Online property obsession

Two thirds of people admit to window shopping online for homes even when they have no intention of buying. The study by Direct Line shows that more than a third of people have checked the price of someone else’s home online in the last year, most commonly those belonging to neighbours and family, but a fifth also look at those belonging to potential new partners or ex-partners. The most enthusiastic property browsers were in Sheffield, London and Newcastle. Around 60 per cent of browsers do so to keep a check on local property prices, but simple daydreaming about unaffordable homes drives more than a third to property sites. A similar figure just snoop around for interior design inspiration. On average men property browse online nine times a month compared to women who do it half a dozen times.

Parents funding home improvements

Research from Post Office Money Savings reveals that nearly one in five parents are paying for their children’s home improvements. Also, in order to support their older children, 14 per cent are sacrificing making improvements to their own home. A separate survey by Future Thinking indicates a quarter of 18-34 year olds are planning to re-decorate their homes in the next month, while another by Gocompare.com indicates that the most popular improvement is fitting a new kitchen, followed by building an extension, and then installing a new bathroom.

London affordability

More than a quarter of London boroughs do not have a single property for sale less than the average UK house price, according to HouseSimple.com which used Land Registry figures showing the UK average is £192,000. Meanwhile, a poll by FirstPort indicates that over 80 per cent of Londoners living in flats do so because they say it suits their current lifestyle - a fifth who rent say that they have no interest in buying.

More than a quarter of London boroughs do not have a single property for sale less than the average UK house price (Rex)

Tricking burglars

Three quarters of homeowners have tried to ‘trick’ potential burglars to make it look as though they were home and deter them from breaking into their property. The most common plan according to the survey by Web-Blinds.com is to leave the lights on, followed by drawing the curtains/blinds, and then leaving a parked car directly outside the property. Around three per cent also said they had used cardboard or plastic cut-outs of human figures as a deterrent…

What do people fear the most when selling?

Just over half of homeowners polled by eMoov.co.uk say their biggest worry when selling is not getting the price they want or need, with the stress of the selling process the second biggest fear factor for 46 per cent. A similar figure are also afraid they won’t be able to sell their home in their planned timescale, while four per cent are stressed that their new property might drop in value in the future.

90 years

In advance of the Queen’s birthday on 21 April, Jackson-Stops & Staff have been number-crunching property stats. They point out that average house prices have risen from £619 in 1926 to just shy of £300,000 today which means that not only has property easily outperformed gold, but that if a pack of butter had risen along similar lines, it would now cost £25. If prices continue rising at this level, when Prince Charles reaches 90 in 2038, the UK average house price will be £1.3 million and on the same basis when Prince William reaches 90 in in 2072 it will be £11.3 million (and for Prince George in 2103, it will be £86.8million). Of course, it will be a lot more in London.

Since the Queen was born, average house prices have risen from £619 in 1926 to just shy of £300,000 today (Getty) (Getty Images)

Water in the home

On average people flush the lavatory in their home six times per day, take a shower 25 times a month, and have a bath twice a week. Two thirds of people surveyed by Waterwise say they take showers instead of baths to save water.

Floor insurance

Homeowners living on flood plains pay 24 per cent more on average for their home insurance, according to MoneySuperMarket. It estimates that people who have made a claim for damages caused by flooding in the past have seen their premiums rise by more than 200 per cent.

Inheritance tax properties

The number of properties sold above the £325,000 Inheritance Tax ‘nil rate band’ in England and Wales has risen over the past six years, according to Saga Investment Services, from 13 per cent of properties in 2009 to 24 per cent in 2015. Unsurprisingly, central London and the surrounding areas top the list for properties sold above the threshold but Brighton, Bromley, Bristol, Cambridge, Colchester, Croydon, Durham, Northampton, Norwich, Portsmouth, Stevenage, Tweed, Uxbridge and Watford have all also seen the number of property sales exceeding the IHT threshold double in the past six years.

Renters’ uninsured contents

A survey by comparethemarket.com indicates nearly half of renters have not taken out a contents insurance policy. Four out of 10 of non-insurers said it was simply because policies were too expensive, while a quarter said they did not have enough contents to justify taking out a policy