The UK's most central city, Derby was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, but today it is best known for its advanced transport manufacturing industry and its proximity to the beautiful Peak District. An easy city to get around, Derby also has a reputation for offering good value for money and a friendly welcome, and with gorgeous countryside right on its doorstep the leisure opportunities are endless.

House buyers in Derby currently have an excellent choice of new developments to look at, particularly south of the city centre.

Two and a half miles south of the city centre, Spirit is the latest development from housebuilder Strata, offering a selection of luxury three- and four-bedroom homes. Spirit offers quick access to local amenities and excellent transport links to the city centre and the M1. The three-bedroom, three-storey ‘Cadiz' home is priced at £134,950, offering open-plan living downstairs and plenty of space for family living throughout.

Less than three miles from central Derby, in the popular Allenton suburb of the city, spicerhaart has a three-storey, four-bedroom family house for sale at Tivoli, offering spacious living accommodation for £169,950. Allenton offers a wide range of amenities including shops, takeaways, and a cosmopolitan market on Fridays and Saturdays.

Ideal for families, about five miles the southwest of Derby's centre in Stenson Fields, Barratt At Newton Village offers a broad selection of new two-, three- and four-bedroom homes priced from £227,500. This Barratt Homes development is surrounded by countryside, has a supermarket within walking distance and a primary school nearby, and is just minutes from the local golf course. A mile away, the A50 gives easy assess to the M1, while all of Derby's facilities are only 20 minutes away by car.

Also in Stenson Fields, Taylor Wimpey's Saxon Gate at Newton Village offers a range of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes, this time priced from £132,950 to £187,500. The least expensive property available is the two-bedroom, semi-detached ‘Belford' home, ideal for first-time buyers or downsizers, offering contemporary open-plan living and a private rear garden. Another development in this area is Keepers Grange from Miller Homes, which presents a range of four-bedroom properties priced from £246,950 to £259,950.

For those with a substantial buying budget, a few miles north of Derby Fairgrove has created a small, exclusive development of just six executive, detached homes at Darwin Fields, offering lovely views across the pretty Derbyshire village of Breadsall. Famous for its Priory, the village offers local amenities such as a shop, community centre and sports field, and is in a convenient spot for getting around - just minutes from good road links (A38 and A52), and within easy striking distance of Derby city centre.

Finally, another exclusive development coming soon to Derby is Broadway, made up of nine three-, four- and five-bedroom family properties from East Midlands builder Radleigh Homes, which specialises in building traditional and contemporary homes for luxurious, practical living.

Every week we'll tell you about the events being held at new homes developments across the UK over the next seven days. Find out about the launch of the very latest developments, the unveiling of new show homes, open days and much more.

Midlands

Kebbell Homes - Sunday 8 December, from 10.00am to 5.00pm - Christmas event, complete with mince pies and mulled wine, at Maryland in Woburn, Bedfordshire. Plus a chance to have a look around the development's show home and discuss your options with the Kebbell Homes team.

North East

Kebbell Homes -Sunday 8 December, from 10.00am to 5.00pm - Christmas event, complete with mince pies and mulled wine, at Leven Mews in Stokesley, North Yorkshire. Plus a chance to have a look around the development's show home and discuss your options with the Kebbell Homes team.

South East

Kebbell Homes -Sunday 8 December, from 10.00am to 5.00pm - Christmas event, complete with mince pies and mulled wine, at Fircroft in Sunningdale, Berkshire. Plus a chance to have a look around the development's show home and discuss your options with the Kebbell Homes team.

Scotland

McCarthy & Stone - Friday 6 and Saturday 7 December, from 11.00am to 3.00pm - Grand opening of Merrilees Gate on Baberton Avenue, Juniper Green, Edinburgh. There's a fully furnished show complex to see and the McStone team will be on hand to discuss the properties for sale, priced from £219,950, and a range of assistance schemes.

You may have missed...

Leicester Forest East - Taylor Wimpey - Now open, a new show home at Grangewood Manor, a four-bedroom ‘Windsor'. Three-bedroom homes start from £199,995.

Birmingham - Crest Nicholson - Now released, the first of a series of penthouses at Park Central, the city centre new homes scheme. Prices start at £245,000, with Help to Buy available.

Ilkeston, Derbyshire - Taylor Wimpey - Now open, a new show home at Briars Chase, a fully furnished four-bedroom ‘Hawthorn' house.

Smethwick, West Midlands - Barratt Homes - Now open, two new three-bedroom show homes at Windmill Heights on Messenger Road.

Coventry - Taylor Wimpey - Now open, a sales and marketing suite at The Heights, where prices for two-bedroom apartments start at £105,995 and NewBuy 95% mortgages are available.

Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire - Taylor Wimpey - A new three-bedroom ‘Fulford' show home is now open at Baldwin Gardens, where three- and four-bedroom houses are priced from £172,995 and £234,995 respectively.

Greenwich, London - Countryside Properties - A new 11-storey apartment building, Millennium Terrace, has been launched at Greenwich Millennium Village, with 44 new apartments for sale priced from £329,945 to £800,000.

Hounslow, London - Lovell - Now open, a development of apartments called Ferraro Court, with one-, two- and three-bedroom properties priced from £177,500, £220,000 and £250,000 respectively.

Bristol - Crest Nicholson - Two new show apartments are now open at Harbourside, a 170-home development located by the city's floating harbour.

This week. Marc Da Silva continues his series of interviews with senior figures in the new homes industry by posing the questions to Lesley Stringer, regional residential development and investment director at Hamptons International.

What areas do you cover? We market new homes for sale in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire.

What are housing market conditions currently like in those areas? There is improved market sentiment and a general feeling that we have turned the corner since the market downturn in 2007. Without doubt, we have seen a steady improvement across the regions, particularly in the western region of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire over the last 18 months.

One of our schemes, Thirlestaine Park in Cheltenham, a Berkeley Homes scheme of 60 luxury homes was 60% sold in the first few months of off-plan marketing - this emphasises the encouraging confidence returning to the market. In particular, during the last six months accelerated growth has occurred since the introduction of the Help to Buy equity scheme - this has kick-started sales of new homes as purchasers only need 5% deposits.

Consumer confidence is certainly growing, but purchasers have become more discerning and risk adverse and are now more than ever seeing their new-build purchases as long-term investments.

What types of properties are your firm selling? We are selling one-bedroom apartments from £135,000 up to five-bedroom luxury detached houses for just under £3m.

How much does a new home offered by Hamptons International typically cost to buy? We are averaging around £500,000 for the purchase of a new home.

Why should more buyers consider buying a new-build home as opposed to older property? There are some fantastic advantages of buying new homes. For example, most new-build properties are built to the latest environmental standards thereby significantly reducing utility bills.

The ten-year building warranty is also a huge positive when comparing a new build with a re-sale option as it gives purchasers fantastic peace of mind. New-build homes are also sold chain-free and are metaphorical ‘blank canvases', buyers are able to put their own stamp on their home without inheriting a design style which can be costly to change.

Another real selling point for new-build over re-sale is that developers quite often offer incentives such as stamp duty paid - this is hugely attractive to buyers especially at the lower to mid end of the market.

Is it worth buying property during the off-plan stage of construction? For the right buyer, purchasing off-plan can bring many positives. For instance, buyers can personalise their home by selecting kitchen, floor covering and wall tiling and within reason the developer will undertake internal layout changes.

Very early buyers might also benefit from greater levels of discounts and incentives as developers seek to gain sales momentum and set benchmark values. It may even be a condition of their funding to sell a number of homes off-plan. In the current market however, developers can be reasonably firm on asking prices in the knowledge that sales are strong with plenty of pent up demand.

What is Hamptons International's USP? At Hamptons International we offer clients exceptional end to end service from land acquisition, valuation, development funding, social housing through to new home sales across London and the south of the UK. We are a local, national and international agent so we have unrivalled market knowledge and excellent levels of customer service.

Hamptons is also part of Countrywide, which is the largest estate agency group selling one in ten houses in the UK. The RDI team at Hamptons draws on an extremely large knowledge base covering all areas of the market with members of the team coming from varied backgrounds including commercial and property development.

Which Hamptons development has the best chance of winning a What House? Award? Long Walk Villas, Windsor by Octagon. Long Walk is a development comprising traditional-style villa properties - Octagon's team of talented in-house designers and architects have created a magnificent terrace of just nine homes, traditionally built in mellow brick with lavish York stone dressings, each with an integral garage, private rear garden and stunning roof top terrace. Long Walk Villas' homeowners have privileged views over Crown land from the privacy of their secluded and sheltered top-floor terraces.

The Scottish government is under mounting pressure to do more to boost the supply of much needed affordable homes in Scotland after fresh data showed that the number of new affordable homes being delivered dropped by a quarter in Q3 2013.

New housing statistics from the Scottish government revealed that for the year to the end of June 2013, there were a total of 13,478 new-build completions, down 14% compared to the previous year.

The data shows there were 761 housing association completions in Q3 2013, bringing the total for the year to end September 2013 to 3,116, down 24% on the 4,093 completions recorded in the year to end September 2012.

The biggest fall in affordable homes in Scotland was witnessed in the private sector, with the volume of starts to the end of June 2013 falling by 11% compared to the preceding year.

Despite the decline in the volume of low-cost homes being built, housing minister Margaret Burgess said that the Scottish government remains well on target to reach its commitment of 30,000 affordable homes by 2016.

She said: "For this government, housing is and will remain a priority. We have boosted our budgets for new affordable homes considerably and in the three year-period between April 2012 to March 2015 plan to invest £970m in affordable housing. This will increase the supply of affordable homes and deliver vital support for construction and house building companies throughout Scotland."

But despite the housing minister's optimism, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) instead that it wasimportant to get the affordable housing programme back on track.

Susan Torrance, SFHA policy manager, commented: "SFHA identified the downward trend in completions of new homes and more worryingly, starts on site from 2011 onwards. The latest figures confirm what our members had been telling us about the difficulties of developing at £42,000 benchmark subsidy per unit."

"Since the Scottish government increased the subsidy rate earlier this year, we do expect more new homes to be underway next year. The rise in subsidy rates effective from July this year will assist with getting more projects off the ground and we are grateful that the Scottish government listened to our case.

"However, getting the affordable housing supply programme back on track is no easy matter and not helped by the difficulties in raising private finance to complement the subsidy levels."

Only a Labour elected government will be able to deliver the new-build homes that this country urgently requires to plug the growing supply-demand imbalance, according to shadow chancellor Ed Balls.

Mr Balls said that a Labour government would invest billions of pounds into a major housebuilding programme designed to deliver at least 200,000 new-build homes each year by 2020.

The shadow chancellor insisted that under a Labour government, the Treasury would underwrite the cost of building a number of new towns to free up more land in order to construct a greater number of residential properties.

Ed Balls said: "Housing must be at the centre of Britain's economic policy. New homes are currently being built at less than half the level that our country needs and it is the youngest generation that is set to lose out. Under this government, housebuilding is at its lowest peacetime level since the 1920s. And by 2020, we are on course to have a shortfall of over two million homes."

The latest figures from the Home Builders Federation (HBF), which provide the property industry with a forward indicator of future levels of home building, showed that there was a sharp rise in the volume of housing planning permissions granted in the third quarter of this year.

According to the data, there were 44,251 permissions granted in Q3 in England on 826 sites, up 31% year-on-year and 19% on the previous quarter when 37,053 consents were issued. The HBF said that this is the highest total number of permissions granted in a Q3 since 2007 and the highest volume of sites granted planning approval since Q2 2008. The total number of consents for the 12 months to September is 166,978, up 44% on the trough in 2011.

"This is the latest indicator to show how the industry is looking to quickly increase output," said Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the HBF.

He added: "We have already seen evidence of a rise in new homes starts and these figures show the industry's intent to increase and sustain that over the next few years. Developers are building out current sites more quickly and are now looking to invest in new sites and begin development sooner than previously planned."

While the choice of mortgage deals is as wide as it has been for several years, there are lots of reasons why a lender may still decline your mortgage application. One common problem that many borrowers have faced is failing a lender's credit score.

While each lender assesses your creditworthiness in a different way, almost all use information held on your credit file as part of their decision making process. So, ensuring your credit file is good is key to being approved for a home loan. Here, we give you five tips to improving your credit record.

Use credit wisely

A common myth is that lenders want to see that you have no outstanding credit. Actually, having a small amount of credit that you manage responsibly can actually increase your chances of being approved for a mortgage.

"It can help for you to use small amounts of credit regularly and manage it well," says Keith Osborne, editor of Whathouse.co.uk. "If you stay within your credit limit and make all repayments on time a mortgage company will be able to see that you're a responsible person who manages their finances well."

Make sure you're on the voter's roll

If you are not registered on the electoral roll at your current address you will find it tough to be approved. Lenders need to verify your identity and it can be very difficult to prove an address history without official records.

Don't take out a payday loan

Payday loans have been in the news this year and many mortgage brokers have evidence that lenders are blacklisting borrowers who have taken out payday loans.

The Independent reports that "mortgage advisers have warned would-be borrowers that lenders are rejecting applications or significantly reducing the amount they will lend to people who have taken out payday loans, even when paid on time and in full."

Don't apply for credit just before applying for a mortgage

It can help you if you don't make any other applications for credit immediately prior to going for a mortgage. Although rejections for credit are not recorded, each time you apply for credit it leaves a ‘footprint' on your report and making several applications over a short period can signal financial stress.

James Jones from Experian, a credit reference agency, says: "It's really important to not apply for other credit just before you submit a mortgage application. The lender might think you're trying to borrow your deposit from another lender, which will do you no favours."

Don't miss any payments

The simplest way to make sure your credit file is clean is to make sure you manage your borrowing responsibly and not to miss any payments on loans, credit cards or hire purchase agreements.

Neil Munroe of Equifax says: "People are often surprised by the depth and breadth of data on their report. It includes information on mobile phone accounts, mail order accounts, even Sky subscriptions, so be mindful that these could have impact if they haven't been paid properly."

Click here to find out more about how Whathouse.co.uk can help you find the right mortgage.

Marc Da Silva brings you news from the affordable new homes market across the UK with the latest headlines on housing schemes in Northamptonshire, Tyne & Wear, Northumberland, Cambridgeshire, Cumbria and Warwickshire.

New affordable homes in Wellingborough

Six new homes for shared ownership and 25 affordable houses and flats for rent have been created by Derwent Living and Westleigh Partnership Homes on a disused allotment site on the edge of the market town of Wellingborough. The new homes will be initially offered to local people.

Affordable homes in Tyneside

Up to 400 new homes could be developed in Shields and Jarrow over the next five years as part of a drive to help more people get on to the property ladder. Under a new approach, South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust Ltd is to take the lead role in building desperately needed affordable homes for rent or shared ownership on behalf of the council.

Affordable new homes in Glendale

A one-off fund to provide affordable homes in Glendale is expected to reach £100,000 by Christmas.The community bond scheme - which was launched by the Glendale Gateway Trust in October - currently stands at £94,000, according to the trust chair Patsy Healey.

Affordable homes in Cambridgeshire

More affordable housing is set to be built in South Cambridgeshire, after South Cambridgeshire District Council pledged to invest £7m to kick-start a new affordable housing scheme in the region. The project will aim to meet high demand for good-quality rental properties in the area.

New affordable homes in Cumbria

Planning consent has been awarded for the construction of new affordable homes on the site of a failed swimming pool in Grange. The new homes - a mix of 43 houses and flats - were given the go-ahead this week by South Lakeland District Council's planning committee. The plans for the development were developed by Two Castles Housing Association.

Affordable new homes in Nuneaton

The site of a former furniture store in Bedworth is to be transformed into an affordable housing development. Members of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council's Planning Committee have approved an application to develop 38 affordable homes in Leicester Road.

With the residential property market continuing to go from strength to strength, home prices are expected to rise further next year, official figures from yesterday's Autumn Statement estimate.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts that the average price of a residential property in the UK will appreciate by 5.2% next year, then by 7.2% in 2015.

The details are contained in the small print of the OBR's official handbook released after Chancellor George Osborne made his annual Autumn Statement in the Commons.
"Britain's moving again; let's keep going," said Mr Osborne during his speech in the Commons.

Property price growth is being fuelled by the Help to Buy scheme, which allows buyers to purchase property worth up to £600,000 with a relatively small deposit, and a general shortage of new build homes coming onto the market - contributing to the overall housing shortage in this country.

The latest figures from Nationwide building society, the UK's second-largest mortgage lender, shows that the average price of a home rose by 6.5% year-on-year in October, up from 5.8% in the previous month.

It said the average price of a property in the UK is now £174,566, the highest since April 2008.

Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist, said that the improvement in the housing market was the result a "brighter economic outlook" and falling unemployment.

Every week we'll tell you about the events being held at new homes developments across the UK over the next seven days, as well as recent news you may have missed. Find out about the launch of the very latest developments, the unveiling of new show homes, open days and much more.

South West

Taylor Wimpey - Saturday 14 December, from 11.00am - Launch of Dunstone Gardens, a development of 16 four- and five-bedroom homes in the suburb of Elburton in Plymouth, Devon. The event takes place at the offices of estate agent Julian Marks, located on the Broadway in Plymstock.

Redrow Homes - Saturday 14 December, from 11.00am to 4.00pm - Open House event at Vision in Devonport, where property hunters can view a two-bedroom show apartment and enjoy the hospitality of the Redrow team, with mulled wine and mince pies on offer.

Redrow Homes - Tuesday 17 December, from 6.30pm - Christmas carol service at St Aubyn's Church on Chapel Street in Devonport, situated next to Redrow's Vision development.

Midlands

Barratt Homes - Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 December - Christmas events at a number of developments across the regions, giving buyers a chance to enjoy some festive food and chat to the Barratt team at Churchill Park in Burslem, Gloster Gate in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Pipers View in Stoke-on-Trent.

North West

Redrow Homes - Saturday 14 November, from 11.00am to 4.00pm - Special event at Summerhill Park in Liverpool, where the housebuilder is previewing a new phase of apartments which will be released in the New Year.

You may have missed...

Bodicote, Oxfordshire - Taylor Wimpey - Now open, a collection of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes at Longford Park. Current prices start at £255,000.

Banbury, Oxfordshire - Taylor Wimpey - Just released, 27 new three- and four-bedroom homes at Arberry Hill, off Crouch Hill, priced from £210,000.

Moulton, Northamptonshire - Taylor Wimpey - Now open to view, two new show homes at Countess Manor, a four-bedroom ‘Bramford' and a five-bedroom ‘Wilton'.

Sedgley, West Midlands - Morris Homes - The first show apartment is now open at Eden Fields on Charles Haywood Drive.

Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire - Barratt Homes - Recently unveiled, two new show homes at Barratts@Parklands, a three-bedroom ‘Balvenie' and four-bedroom ‘Dornoch'.

There's a lot you can learn about the latest interior trends from a show home, whether you're in the market for a new-build home or not. In this article we highlight some of the very best show homes currently available to view across the UK, to inspire you to re-create the professional look in your own home - or even to start looking for a new home to use as your canvas!

You may prefer understated elegance or have a yearning for an eye-catching splash of colour - the work of these interiors experts is sure to give you plenty to think about for your own home.

Taylor Wimpey - master bedroom at Countess Manor, Moulton, Northamptonshire

Morris Homes - kitchen at Eden Fields, Sedgley, West Midlands

Gladedale - lounge at Jubilee Hall, Quartermile, Edinburgh

Ben Bailey Homes - bathroom at Brierley Hills, Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire

Kebbell Homes - master bedroom at Leven Mews, Stokesley, North Yorkshire

The era of rock-bottom mortgage rates could be set to come to the end after the Bank of England announced it was scaling back a scheme that had been supporting the UK mortgage market. The new Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has announced that the Funding for Lending scheme will cease for mortgage business from 2014 in an attempt to cool house price rises.

The scheme has helped mortgage borrowers by driving down the cost of borrowing to record lows. So, is the withdrawal of the scheme set to result in increased mortgage rates?

The Funding for Lending scheme has been providing lenders with access to low-cost funds since its launch in summer 2012. In return for increasing lending to homeowners and small businesses the Treasury has been providing cheap funds to lenders and they have been able to offer unprecedented rates of borrowing.

Now, Funding for Lending is to be restricted to small business lending. This means that banks and building societies will no longer have access to cheap government funds for mortgages.

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said: "Over the past year the Funding for Lending Scheme has contributed to the recovery by helping to significantly improve credit conditions, especially for households. The changes announced today refocus the Funding for Lending scheme where it is most needed - to underpin the supply of credit to small businesses over the next year - without providing further broad support to household lending that is no longer needed."

The Daily Mail reports that the change to Funding for Lending "is significant as it has the potential to make mortgages more expensive for lenders to fund, meaning higher mortgage rates down the line".

Keith Osborne, editor of Whathouse.co.uk, says: "Many lenders still have an unused Funding for Lending allowance and can still draw down funds cheaply. This means that there may not be an initial spike in the rates that borrowers are being charged but I expect that rates will start to creep up when government help finally disappears."

Since the launch of Funding for Lending mortgage rates have fallen to record lows. Two year fixed rates have fallen to around 1.5% while five year deals have been available at just 2.5%.

"It does look as if rates have finally hit rock bottom," adds Osborne. "So, if you've been thinking about remortgaging for a while I'd suggest that now was the time to consider finally taking the plunge."

Click here to find out more about how Whathouse.co.uk can help you find the right mortgage.

Richmond Homes has launched a range of exclusive luxury new-build homes for sale across three different residential developments in the idyllic Perthshire countryside which are sure to appeal to many different buyers, including golfing enthusiasts.

The new homes in Perthshire, an area that has a number of renowned golf courses, feature three, fou- or five bedrooms, with prices ranging from £290,000 to £600,000.

Richmond Homes' managing director, Calum Stewart, says: "With excitement building about the Ryder Cup coming to Gleneagles next year, we're hoping to attract golf lovers to our new properties where they can enjoy inspirational live-in luxury and their favourite sport just minutes from their home."

At Richmond Homes' Iolaire development of three- and four-bedroom homes in historic Auchterarder, keen golfers will find various golf courses nearby including Auchterarder, Whitemoss, Aberuthven and Dunning as well as the world-class championship courses of Gleneagles.

The developer is also selling a selection of five-bedroom houses at two small developments at Blairgowrie and Kinloch Rannoch, close to the Rosemount golf course.

Stewart adds: "As an enthusiastic golfer myself, living close to some of the country's top courses has much appeal as does playing the sport against a backdrop of rolling hills, rivers, lochsides and deciduous forests."

John East, director for land and new homes at Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, takes time out of his busy schedule to talk to Marc Da Silva.

Which regions do you cover? Our two Land and New Homes branches are strategically placed with one in Hammersmith, London, and another in Surrey Quays, so that we are able to sell land and new homes developments within Greater London while tapping into the KFH branch network of more than 50 offices across the Capital.

What are housing market conditions currently like in those areas? We've noticed strong demand coming from all types of buyers across the board. The introduction of phase one of the government's Help to Buy scheme in April was predicted to have far-reaching effects, but in reality, here in London many of our schemes weren't offering it to purchasers and subsequently we didn't see a huge number of sales as a result.

On the other hand the new homes market in southeast London has soared, spurred on by renovation in areas including Peckham, Forest Hill, Bromley and Lee. Additionally the East London Line extension has seen many developers now look to build schemes nearby in the hope of benefiting from its success. Many areas in southeast London have grown in popularity not only because of the easy commute into the City but also because properties here tend to price quite a bit below those in other parts of the Capital. We recently marketed six townhouses in Crystal Palace where 50% of the flats were reserved off-plan, further proving that a well-located property within a regeneration area is in high demand.

Southwest London is also thriving, with areas like Tooting, Southfields and Wimbledon now benefiting from new homes. Well-known developers such as Bellway, along with some smaller names, are all launching schemes in the area. We are currently marketing a new development in Wimbledon Park called Ibex House which has seen 75% of all units reserved before the show flat was even open. The choice of studio, one-, two- and three-bed apartments, which start from £270,000, have been incredibly popular among buy-to-let investors, who like the ease that new-build offers and the scheme's location to Wimbledon Park underground station.

What types of new-build property is your firm selling? As a business, we primarily tend to focus on the middle market with the majority of our properties priced between £300,000 and £2m, which covers a very broad spectrum of the market. We are able to offer a range of new-builds from studio and one-bedroom flats to detached family homes in residential areas. In addition, the size of the developments that we handle also varies from smaller, boutique schemes right up to larger developments from some of the big-name housebuilders.

Why should more buyers consider buying a new-build home as opposed to older property? Most new homes these days are built to incredibly high standards and specification and we find that many buyers find the 10-year National House Building Council (NHBC) guarantee a very appealing option. In addition, our developer clients provide buyers with the latest in quality kitchen and bathroom designs and energy-efficient features, which will help to keep on-going costs at a minimum. Developers are required to build new homes using eco-friendly construction materials such as green roofs, which improve rainwater absorption into the ground, provide good sound insulation and improve the appearance of developments in green and rural areas so often there is also a significant long-term saving which can be made.

New homes also require the minimum amount of maintenance making them easy to look after and more conducive to a ‘lock-up-and-go' lifestyle. Developments are often built near good transport links and in regeneration areas and as a result tend to be popular among buy-to-let investors. The NHBC guarantee, which covers around 80% of new homes built in the UK has also given hesitant buyers more confidence when purchasing new builds.

Is it worth buying property during the off-plan stage of construction? Yes of course, the benefits of buying at the off-plan stage of construction means that as a buyer, you are given more option to incorporate bespoke changes such as a kitchen, bathroom or flooring of your choice before the fit-out stage. In addition, purchasing in the early stages of the development allows buyers to handpick the best plots and often there are incentives or discounts that can make it an even more appealing option.

Have you noticed any particular trends recently? There are two trends that I have noticed recently. Firstly, the level of demand for our new homes has seen the number of off-plan reservations on new developments increase throughout the year. Secondly, there are certain pockets of London where developers are focusing construction due to the availability of land at a reasonable cost and the demand from buyers for that location. Tooting is one of these areas which has seen an uplift in the number of new developments, including Fusion by Bellway ,and we have just launched our most recent development at 158 Tooting High Street which is a boutique scheme of just 9 units very near to Tooting Broadway station. In southeast London, Forest Hill, Peckham and East Dulwich have also seen a higher volume of new-build units constructed and sold recently and we have recently launched a development of houses in this area at Talbot Mews with prices starting at around £690,000.

What is KFH's USP? Our biggest selling point is the fact that we are one of London's largest independent estate agencies with more than 50 offices and 650 employees distributed across London. In addition to offering a full scale sales and lettings offering, we have a range of additional dedicated services which include land and new homes, financial services, conveyancing, commercial property and survey.

The Chancellor George Osborne has announced plans to introduce Capital Gains Tax (CGT) for foreigners who own property in the UK but do not reside here. From April 2015, UK CGT of 28% will be imposed on the profit made by overseas investors when sell their UK properties, providing that it is not their primary residence.

While some property professionals have slammed the Chancellor's decision to introduce the tax as it may deter some overseas nationals from buying property in the UK, the move to impose a tax on wealthy foreigners is likely to prove popular with most Britons. After all, that is what British second homeowners are required to do.

"It seems perfectly reasonable to me," said Hugo Thistlethwayte of Prime Purchase, a London-based property-search agency. Phil Nicklin, real estate tax partner at Deloitte, said that overseas investors will now "pay their fair share of tax", after being placed on a "level playing field with UK investors".

He added: "This is an extension of last year's rules for residential property owned by overseas companies and other ‘non-natural' persons, but it's not just limited to properties over £2m."

Despite some concerns that the new tax will drive many existing foreign investors out of Britain and drive down property prices, particularly in London, Gary Hersham, managing director of Beauchamp Estates, believes that there will be "only have a marginal impact on demand and pricing" of property as a result of the decision to tax foreign property investors.

With rising demand from buyers continuing to heavily outstrip the supply of new housing coming onto the market, supported by easier access to cheap mortgage finance, UK property prices are expected to appreciate further in the coming months, a new survey shows.

The findings from the newly released RICS November 2013 UK Residential Market Survey show that expectations for future residential property price growth reached its highest level for more than 14 years during November. Some 59% more chartered surveyors across the country predict prices to continue their upward trend rather than fall back over the coming three months - the highest reading since September 1999.

According to RICS, property prices rose last month across all regions of the UK - the second successive month of growth, as more buyers took advantage of improving housing market conditions, supported by government-backed incentives, such as Help to Buy.

Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist, commented: "It's no secret that the housing market is on the way up and prices are surging ahead in many parts of the country. The Bank of England's recent decision to withdraw the Funding for Lending scheme - which allows banks to borrow more cheaply and pass the benefits on to mortgage applicants - could well have some impact on the number of people able to purchase a home. Although the improvement in wholesale and retail funding markets may mean the impact on mortgages is relatively limited.

"One thing we are very concerned about, however, is the lack of both new and existing homes coming on to the market. As the Chancellor pointed out last week, housebuilding is on the up, but it is rising nowhere near quickly enough to make up the shortfall that has built up in recent years. If there is not meaningful increase in new homes, the likelihood is that prices, and for that matter rents, will continue to push upwards making the cost of shelter ever more unaffordable."

As demand grows, Andy Frankish, new homes director at Mortgage Advice Bureau, agrees that it is vital the housing supply catches up.

He commented: "Active steps promised by the government to ‘unblock' housing developments across the country and co-operation from the construction industry will help provide more affordable housing and better serve a wider range of needs. Confidence among construction companies is at its highest since the recession, and every positive sign of market growth is an added incentive for them to act quickly to boost the supply of new homes."

The government have denied claims that they put pressure on one of the UK's leading lenders to join its flagship Help to Buy scheme. Launched in October, take-up of the new initiative has been slow and now the Nationwide building society has confirmed that they have no plans to participate in Help to Buy.

Two leading mutuals have already confirmed that they won't be taking part in the scheme and believe they can fund competitive 95% deals without government help.

The Nationwide has become the first of the ‘big six' lenders to announce that it will not be joining the Help to Buy scheme. The initiative is designed to make competitive 95% mortgages widely available to first-time buyers and home movers but the mutual believes it can better fund these deals itself.

A spokesman from Nationwide said: "It is true that we are not planning to offer Help to Buy 2 at present as we are already very active in the market - as our interim results demonstrated."

The lender also refused to deny reports that the government had put pressure on it to join the mortgage scheme. A Treasury spokesman strongly denied the rumours, saying: "Help to Buy is a voluntary scheme. Participation is a commercial decision for lenders and, so far, over 65% of the mortgage market are committed to the scheme."

Coventry also set to reject Help to Buy

The UK's third largest mutual lender, the Coventry Building Society, has also announced that it will not be participating in the scheme. A spokeswoman for Coventry said: "Given the strength of our capital position, we are in a position to do this without using government schemes and for this reason have no current plans to join. The matter will be kept under review."

Paul Broadhead, head of mortgage policy at the Building Societies Association, defended mutuals who did not want to be part of Help to Buy. "Some mutuals will still be considering their options but others will have reached the conclusion that it is better value for them and their members to remain outside of the scheme," he said.

"Broadly, the government has got its objectives right with this scheme; early signs are that it is reducing the market failure in higher loan-to-value products by encouraging those large lenders that had not been operating in this space in recent months to come back and increase the supply, and that is to be welcomed."

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A couple were so impressed after their initial viewing of a show home at Taylor Wimpey's Copt Oak Gardens development in Leicestershire that they reserved it there and then - and have moved in just eight weeks later.

Pete and Tracy Allen were only intending to browse the detached, four-bedroom ‘Thornwick' home in the village of Narborough, just six miles from Leicester - but they were so taken by everything the property and its location had to offer that they decided to reserve it on the spot.

Copt Oak Gardens is made up of a wide range of house styles priced from £289,995 to £375,995, all situated within easy reach of Narborough's lively village centre, which is home to pubs, restaurants, two supermarkets, a bakery, takeaways, primary schools, two doctors' surgeries, a post office, banks, a chemist and a private gym. The village is also conveniently close to the M1 and M69, while Narborough railway station offers direct services to Leicester within 10 minutes and Birmingham New Street in less than an hour.

Having chosen to buy one of the fully furnished show homes, Pete, 32, and Tracy, 45, were able to move in quickly and celebrate their new lifestyle in comfort.

"We weren't really intending to buy straight away but we ended up buying on the day we came to look because we were very impressed by Copt Oak Gardens," explains Pete. "The houses are beautiful and there are lots of different styles available. The interiors are very modern and really suit our tastes, and we like the house because all of the rooms are really large."

With two properties to sell - their own home and an investment property they had been renting out - the couple were able to take advantage of two Taylor Wimpey incentive schemes: easymover and Part Exchange.

Their existing home was sold under the easymover scheme, whereby buyers choose their new family home and then allow Taylor Wimpey to find a buyer for their current property. This also took care of Pete and Tracy's estate agents' fees. Meanwhile, their buy-to-let investment property was sold through the Part Exchange scheme, offering a fixed price for the property based on the average from independent professional valuations.

Throughout the process, from their first show home viewing to the sales of their two existing properties, the couple has been impressed with Taylor Wimpey's customer service.

"Both incentives removed a lot of stress and hassle for us," says Pete. "The Taylor Wimpey staff at Copt Oak Gardens were brilliant - they answered all of our questions and were very accommodating when we returned several times to show our new home to our friends and family."

Marc Da Silva brings you news from the affordable new homes market across the UK with the latest headlines on housing schemes in Essex, Yorkshire, Oxford, Greater Manchester, Bristol and Norfolk.

New affordable homes in Southend

Despite the lack of affordable housing, Sandhurst New Homes has applied to scrap the requirement to build any affordable homes as part of its planned and recently approved 100-home scheme at Pavilion Drive in Leigh. The housebuilder is threatening to pull the plug on the project unless the council grants its wish as it claims that affordable housing would make the scheme financially unviable.

Affordable homes in Yorkshire

York Housing Association has announced plans to invest around £5m in a wide selection of affordable housing projects across York, East Riding and Scarborough, including the development of 140 homes.

Affordable new homes in Oxford

Three of the 19 new homes under construction at Arncott Fields, a £2.3m scheme located off Murcott Road, Arncott, near Bicester, are now complete. The new homes have already been handed over to housing association Sanctuary. Ten of the homes, built by Bloor Homes, will be rented out and the other nine sold on a shared ownership basis.

Affordable homes in Stockport

Stockport Homes is the biggest builder of affordable housing in Stockport, it has been announced. The developer, thanks mainly to funding from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), has developed 107 properties over the past four years, with a further 46 under construction and 58 due to start on site early next year.

New affordable homes in Bristol

Bristol Council plans to develop up to 2,500 new affordable homes in Bristol by April 2018, according to the city's affordable housing delivery framework which was released this week by Stephen Williams, under secretary for the Communities and Local Government department, and George Ferguson, the mayor of Bristol.

Affordable new homes in South Norfolk

South Norfolk Council achieved its target of building 500 affordable homes across the region, with the release of the 500th property this week. The target, set in March 2011 for a March 2014 deadline, looks set to be exceeded, with a further 70 affordable homes, in locations including Diss and Long Stratton to be made available, although they are subject to planning consent. Diss, Bunwell, Tibenham, Harleston, Pulham Market and Wacton have all had affordable housing made available to their residents as part of the initiative.

Often referred to as the gateway to the Highlands, Perth and Kinross is a great place to settle down. A vibrant city combined with stunning scenery offer the best of both worlds. Buyers looking to find a new home in Perth and Kinross are spoiled for choice, with everything from one-bedroom terraced homes to five-bedroom exclusive villas on the market.

Kingswell is a Bett Homes development of three-, four- and five-bedroom detached properties. Located in Auchterarder, the site offers six house types to choose from including the ‘Kirkham', which costs £355,000. A formal lounge is nestled to the front of the house while the rear comprises an open-plan kitchen, dining and family area. Upstairs two of the five bedrooms have en suite shower rooms. A family bathroom, utility room, downstairs WC and an integral garage complete the home.

Three house types remain on the market at Stewart Milne Homes' popular Strathearn View development in Crieff. The site offers a collection of one- and two-bedroom homes and is ideal for first-time buyers and couples. Prices start from £90,995 for a terraced mews property comprising an open-plan living room and kitchen and a double bedroom featuring a walk in wardrobe. There is also a study, bathroom and ample storage space.

Ogilvie Homes has a new development in the village of Bridge of Earn. Buyers here have a choice of four-bedroom detached family villas starting from £245,000. For example, the ‘Tweed' house type boasts a lounge, open-plan kitchen and dining room, en-suite to the master bedroom and an integral garage. The scheme is just 10 minutes away from Perth, making this an ideal location for commuters.

Situated in the Friarton are of the city, Bellway Homes' development at The Inches is conveniently located for Perth city centre as well as the railway station and the M90 motorway. Available properties here include the ‘Avondale I'. Priced from £241,995, this four-bedroom detached villa features a spacious living room, breakfasting kitchen/dining area, two en suites and a garage.

A selection of three- and four-bedroom homes is available at Barratt Homes'Innis Park development in Inchture, 14 miles from Perth. The rural setting affords properties scenic views while local amenities include a primary school, post office and a hotel with bar and restaurant. Prices here range from £146,995 for a three-bedroom terrace home with lounge, open-plan kitchen/dining area and an en suite to the master bedroom to £264,995 for a detached four-bedroom villa featuring a formal lounge, open-plan kitchen/dining/family area, a study and a detached double garage.

With mortgage lending set to increase in the New Year as the housing market continues to strengthen, the first-time buyer market is one that most lenders are keen to offer new products.

Virgin Money has announced the launch of its new 90% and 95% loan-to-value (LTV) residential mortgages as part of the government's Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme, several weeks ahead of schedule. The products are available with immediate effect through all mortgage distribution channels, including Virgin Money's stores and intermediary partners. Two-year fixed-rates mortgages are available at 5.29% at 95% LTV and 4.29% at 90% LTV. Three-year fixed-rate deals are available at 5.39% at 95% LTV and 4.69% at 90% LTV. For customers who wish to fix their mortgage rate for a longer period, Virgin Money is offering five-year fixed rate of 5.49% at 95% LTV and 4.89% at 90% LTV.

None of the mortgages from the new range have a product fee and purchase customers are eligible to claim £300 cashback as a contribution towards legal fees, valuation fees or the general cost of moving home.

Anthony Mooney, director of financial services at Virgin Money, said: "We want to continue to build our support for people's homeownership ambitions. Joining the Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme, several weeks ahead of our original plans, further strengthens our commitment to consumers in this under-served part of the market. It is encouraging to see that the scheme has got off to a strong start, and we are pleased to be widening the choice of products available to those looking to get on to or move up the housing ladder."

HSBC is offering to beat a range of High Street providers with its low-deposit range for first-time residential buyers with deposits of as little as 10%. The bank promises to match the published rates of a range of its competitors on mortgages with booking fees up to £999 on loans up to 90%.

The two-year fixed-rate High Street Special at 90% LTV is 3.59% while the five-year fixed-rate High Street Special is currently 4.39% at 90% LTV. Both products have fees of £1,400, reduced to £999 for HSBC current account holders. Lifetime tracker products offer interest rates of 4.19% with fees of £999, reduced to £499 for current account holders.

Beverly Building Society is currently offering a two-year fixed-rate mortgage at 90% LTV at 3.49% on mortgages up to £150,000 with completion fees of £495, while the Post Office two-year fixed-rate mortgage at 3.59% with an arrangement fee of £1,495. Both lenders may require either a Valuation Survey or Homebuyer survey.

A number of lenders are offering 95% LTV products. The Yorkshire Building Society Flexi Fixed mortgage offers a fixed rate for three years at 4.99% on mortgages up to 95% LTV, with no fees and £250 cashback, while the NatWest five-year fixed rate at 95% LTV is 5.49% with no fees, or 4.99% fixed for two years, again with no product fee.

Nationwide Building Society 95% LTV Flex deals for first-time buyers cost 5.59% fixed for three years with fees of £499 or 5.89% with no fees, while five-year fixed-rate rates are 6.29% with £499 fees or 6.49% without fees.

One of the best fixed-rate deals for first-ime buyers at 95% LTV is the Cumberland Building Society, at 3.29% fixed for five years, reverting to the society's variable rate after the fixed period, currently 4.49%. The product is available to existing customers on mortgages up to £250,000 with fees of £299.

Clydesdale Bank is offering a First Time Buyer rate of 4.99% for its 95% LTV, fixed for three years, with no fees and £250 cashback on completion. This special rate is available to existing Clydesdale account holders and those who do not have an account with the bank.

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