While the campaigning for the general election has been going on for what seems like months now, it has in fact only been a week since, Dave, Gordon and Nick (plus a few others) started pleading for us all to vote for them.  The latest development this week has been the major political parties launching their manifestos to much pomp, ceremony and scrutiny.  So, what do the men in suits have planned for property owners, tenants and future first-time buyers?  Well, adflyer have done all the hard work for you: we’ve pored over these excessively long manifestos and found out what’s in store for the property market in the foreseeable future…

Labour. Trying their best to win their fourth general election in a row, Labour is campaigning with the slogan ‘A future fair for all’.  The current government’s most important policy relating to the property market was already outlined in their pre-election budget, and commits to cutting stamp duty for all homes worth less than £250,000 for first-time buyers.  The manifesto outlines how this will be paid for by a five per cent stamp duty rate for all homes worth over £1m, and also promises to build 10,000 rural homes up to 2011.

Conservatives. Bike riding man of the people David Cameron also outlined plans to cut stamp duty for first-time buyers in the Tory manifesto, but unlike Labour, they’ve committed to keeping the threshold at £250,000 permanently.  The Tories claim that thanks to this policy, nine out of ten first-time buyers would be saved from the extra cost and hassle of stamp duty.

Liberal Democrats. The last of the three main parties to unveil its manifesto, the Lib Dems have launched a four-step plan centred on fairness and they seem to have a few more policies on property than the others.  For instance, Nick Clegg and chums want to introduce a ‘mansion tax’ for homes worth over £2m to help reduce the public deficit, as well as an ‘Eco Cash-Back’ scheme to give out £400 for property owners to make eco-friendly improvements to their homes.  Also, the Lib Dems want to tackle the huge problem of abandoned and neglected houses in the UK by providing grants and cheap loans to help get 250,000 empty houses back into full use.

Well, we hope you’re now feeling a little bit better informed about the general election and you’ll be able to make your mind up about who to vote for come Election Day.  Plus, if you’re looking to up sticks any time soon, have a browse through the adflyer property section.  We’ve got a great range of houses and flats for sale as well as flats, houses and rooms for rent for you to peruse, so get looking now!

The country in general might be barely limping out of the recession and the property market may still be looking pretty unstable, but many of our seaside towns are experiencing a much-needed property price boom.  Savills estate agents have reported that prices for properties near the coast in England and Wales have risen by an incredible 115% since 2001, compared to 96% across the country as a whole.

Although this may be bad news for those with smaller budgets looking for a house or flat for sale by the seaside, this rise in property prices could make coastal property a lucrative nest egg for those on the look-out for a second home.  With the current unstable economic situation, many people are considering turning a second property into a holiday let as an alternative to other traditional investments.  In fact, there has been a recent increase of over 40% in second home purchases located within the small group of the country’s top seaside locations known as the ‘Savills 14’.

This ever-increasing interest in the coastal property market is set to be given a further boost thanks to a new wave of investment schemes and redevelopment projects coming to a whole host of seaside resorts including Hastings, Dover, Sidmouth, Boscombe, Bridlington and Torquay.  So, those looking for a bargain on a great seaside property should keep an eye on these up and coming coastal locations: they could soon be holiday hot-spots full of potential rental income, or just a great long-term investment.

If all of this makes you feel like packing up and heading for the coast, then adflyer can help you find the perfect seaside property.  In our property section, you can narrow down your search for a house or flat for sale by choosing the number of bedrooms or bathrooms you’re after, as well as setting a location to search within.  Also, don’t forget we have a great range of flats and houses for rent too, and our sellers are always adding fantastic new overseas property for sale to tempt you into starting a new life in the sunshine.

If you’ve already read the adflyer motors blog today, you’ll know that Chancellor of the Exchequer Alastair Darling’s pre-election budget brings bad news for motorists.  However, the same budget is set to bring good news to all first-time buyers currently looking for a house or flat for sale.  This is because Mr Darling is due to announce that stamp duty will be scrapped for all property purchases up to a value of £250, 000 for first-time buyers, which comes after the previous stamp duty ‘holiday’ came to an end at the start of this year.

So, what does all this mean?  Well, if you read adflyer’s very first property blog entry, you’ll know that stamp duty is a tax paid on all property, with an extra 1-4% of the property’s sale value being payable to the tax man.  Therefore, if our calculations are correct, you could save up to £10,000 on stamp duty fees when buying your first home.  Plus, nearly 70% of all properties currently on the market in the UK would now be exempt from stamp duty for first-time buyers, meaning there’s no shortage of great deals to snap up!

Although this change in the stamp duty threshold is set to be around for a while (the Tories have previously pledged to change the threshold to £250,000 if they win the election), it’s already under fire from economists and financial know-it-alls for being too costly to the economy.  So, if you’re looking for that all-important first step on the property ladder, it might be a good idea to get a move on to avoid missing out.  To get your property search started, take a look at adflyer’s property section: our sellers are adding fantastic listings for houses and flats for sale to the site every day, so you could find a great deal sooner than you think!