Do you love to hear a good ghost story on cold, dark nights when the power is out and the house is silent? If the answer is ‘yes’, then you’ve come to the right place! This week we’re going to delve into the mysterious realms of the other side and learn about some of the UK’s most haunted properties! Many of these are based in the very heart of the country, the West Midlands, but look out for future terrifying tales from around the country.

Have you ever heard the tale of the Grey Lady of Bosworth Hall? Bosworth Hall, Leicestershire, was home to a poor young woman who fell in love with the gardener. He would visit her every night, but when her devious father discovered their nighttime trysts, he couldn’t accept it! Setting dangerous traps in the garden for his next visit, the Lady Grey ended up trapped instead. Dragging herself back to her room, she bled to death, doomed to forever walk the house and grounds of Bosworth Hall…

The famous Dudley castle is also a renowned haunted building in the West Midlands, home to a ghost couple said to haunt the ruins late at night. Every year a ghost tour is organised for those daring enough to try and spot the eerie revenants around the West Midlands at various spooky locations. According to staff who have to do late checks around the zoo, hurried footsteps can be heard along the corridors and unusual sounds in the dead of night….

John Wentworth of the White Swan Pub, Birmingham apparently went mad with grief when his love fell victim to a terrible coach crash. After shooting his loyal dog, he turned the gun on himself and is said to still haunt the building now,  heard moving around the building and known to tap people on the shoulder.

These are just a few of the haunted properties to be found in the historic West Midlands

We all know that buying property is a tricky business, but it seems that of late it’s been even trickier.  Thanks to the end of the 100% mortgage, the huge differences in average house prices across the country and our wobbly economy, it’s pretty difficult to know what’s going on in the property market a lot of the time.  However, mortgage lenders seem to have got their act together and decided to make things a little easier for potential property buyers for a change: introducing the return of the 90% mortgage!  Although it’s not as convenient for first-time buyers searching for that perfect house for sale as the 100% mortgage was, the relatively small 10% deposit is much more manageable for most people.

So who’s leading the pack when it comes to 90% mortgages?  Well, the Post Office were first to offer the newer type of fixed-rate mortgages, with their 90% mortgage being fixed at 5.49% for two years with a £999 fee to pay on top of that.  The Co-op and Britannia were both quick to follow the Post Office with similar 90% fixed rate mortgage deals, but it’s Santander who seem to be ahead of the game: their mortgage is fixed at 5.99% with a fee of just £495.

Nevertheless, those with a bit of financial know-how would probably advise against going with a mortgage deal simply because it means a lower deposit.  ‘But why?’ I hear you ask!  Well, paying out just five per cent more for your one-off deposit payment could see your long-term interest rates drop considerably, whilst if you could afford a 30% deposit, they could be as low as 2.99%.  So, it’s definitely worth weighing up the advantages of a lower deposit now against the disadvantages of having higher interest rates in the long term.

While you’re pondering over this confusing conundrum, why not take a look at our property section?!  Our trusted sellers upload great new listings to adflyer every day, so whether you’re after a house or flat for sale, a flat or house for rent or even just a room for rent, you could find a great deal with us.

Anyone who’s ever house-hunted, read a property’s particulars or viewed a house or flat escorted by an estate agent will know about the amusing yet infuriating phenomenon of estate agent speak.  But for the uninitiated, let me explain: estate agent speak is the ancient art of exaggerating a house’s features or stretching the truth to fool us into thinking that a dilapidated, run-down old house is actually a fantastic property that we should snap up right away.  Of course, we understand that anyone who’s ever sold anything will talk up their item to increase the chances of a sale, but estate agent speak can sometimes be verging on the ridiculous!  Take a look at some of our favourite terms used by estate agents, and the handy adflyer translation provided…

• ‘In need of some modernisation’ = the décor wouldn’t look out of place in a period drama!
• ‘Period property’ = at least ten years old.
• ‘Bijou’ = minuscule.
• ‘Studio’ = glorified broom cupboard.
• ‘Would suit a DIY enthusiast’ = have the scaffolding at the ready!
• ‘Deceptively spacious’ = looks bigger if you squint a bit.
• ‘Fully enclosed private garden’ = square of grass with fence around it.
• ‘Internal inspection recommended’ = keep your eyes closed until you get inside.
• ‘Ideal for busy professionals’ = the less time you spend here the better!

Well, we hope that’s helped to decode the mysterious language that is estate agent speak!  But, if you’re fed up of having to translate every single sentence of a property listing, then the adflyer property section can help.  You’ll find an incredibly wide range of property for sale including houses, flats, overseas property and land with simple listings that are easy to understand.  Plus, our handy ‘contact the seller’ button means that you can find out exactly what you want to know without the headache-inducing jargon!

If you have any tales of ridiculous estate agent speak, leave us a comment and let us know!