The hidden gem homes you can buy for less than £150,000 revealed by property experts: From a thatched cottage in an unexpected place to city centre flats... but move fast!
Indeed, an £80million penthouse in Knightsbridge was recently featured on Channel 4's Britain's Most Expensive Houses.
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The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
Team breaking scams ‘spell' stops £3.5m going to criminals in first half of 2025
A fraud prevention team set up to 'break the spell' on victims has stopped £3.5 million of funds getting into the hands of criminals in the first six months of this year. Santander UK's specialist Break the Spell team intervenes in situations where it is suspected that customers are being tricked and manipulated by scammers such as romance and payments fraudsters. Victims of crimes such as romance fraud can end up being highly manipulated by a complex web of stories. They may also be discouraged by criminals from speaking to anyone or encouraged to lie if their loved ones or their bank ask them what is happening. Santander's specially-trained team, which uses behavioural psychology, encourages people to open up and supports them, for example by signposting them to further sources of support such as Citizens Advice and the Samaritans, depending on the circumstances. Cases may be referred to it when there are 'red flags' with payments that people are attempting to make. Referrals may also be made from branches. Michelle Pilsworth, head of fraud and customer experience, said the crime dealt with by the team 'is a particularly horrible and cruel crime'. She told the PA news agency that the team supports people who have been tricked into sending money to people they believe they are in a relationship with, as well as people who have been tricked into believing they are helping organisations such as the police or HM Revenue and Customs. Ms Pilsworth said: 'The reason it's complex is the level of social engineering… a quick call is not going to 'break the spell'.' She continued: 'We have to work a long time with them to try and help them see that that is a spell that they're under.' Ms Pilsworth said the team was set up to help understand what fraud victims are going through and to 'work with them'. In some cases, victims may be starting to have their own doubts about a fraud following an initial call from the bank, by the time they are contacted by the Break the Spell team. 'Quite often they will say by that point: 'Yes, it doesn't sound right, I've had time to think',' Ms Pilsworth said. 'At that point we will break the spell and we will educate them and stop the payment, protect the funds, all that good stuff.' But for some people, further intervention may be needed, she said, which could be via calls or branch visits. Staff work to build trust with the customer over time. As the customer explains to staff what they have been told, seeds of doubt in the customer's mind may then start to emerge, for example if they recall that they were expecting to meet the romance scammer but they did not turn up. Ms Pilsworth said: 'We get them to realise what's happening to them. And then, it's all about support, how do we support that person.' Scammers will often try to regain their victim's trust, and so for some people, changing their phone number is a way to stop contact. Some scammers may even pretend that they can help victims recoup funds they have already lost. 'Many colleagues keep customers for days, weeks, sometimes months, because it's a long process,' said Ms Pilsworth. Sometimes people may feel embarrassed or angry, but Ms Pilsworth said: 'We say: 'Look, this can happen to anybody, from the work we've done we can see this happens to anyone'.'
Scottish Sun
11 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
What Brits look for in a modern home from a quiet neighbourhood to natural light, survey shows
A home with eco-friendly credentials is 'important' for half of those polled MODERN DIGS What Brits look for in a modern home from a quiet neighbourhood to natural light, survey shows Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITS have revealed what they look for in a modern home - including plenty of natural light, a quiet neighbourhood - and an EV charger. A poll of 2,000 adults, identified the must haves when it comes to buying a property, with a garage, secure fencing and decent mobile signal also key. 2 Brits have revealed the key features they look for when buying a property Credit: Vauxhall/Zoopla Other necessities included having space for a home office, and a downstairs loo, with proximity to shops, pubs, and restaurants also priorities. It also emerged a home with eco-friendly credentials is "important" for half of those polled - with features such as an electric vehicle (EV) charger. The research was commissioned by Vauxhall, which has teamed up with property marketplace Zoopla to introduce a search filter enabling users to find homes with an EV charger or help them locate the closest public charger to a property. This comes after 40 per cent of drivers polled in the study said access to EV charging facilities near a house they were looking to buy would influence their purchasing decision. While 54 per cent admitted it would be helpful if property marketplaces or apps were to show where the nearest EV chargers are. Spokesperson for the car maker, Steve Catlin, said: 'Moving house is one of the biggest decisions most of us make in our lifetime. 'And anyone who's done it knows how important – and difficult - it is to find the perfect home.' Other attributes adults would like in a modern home include energy-efficient glazing (35 per cent) and a low-maintenance garden (34 per cent). But 51 per cent said that if they were choosing their next home now, access to eco-friendly features like an EV charger would be important to them. While 33 per cent would like a home with both old and new features, and 32 per cent would rather it be completely brand new, compared to 17 per cent who'd want an old house. Ring's flying 'spy drone' that monitors your home in the AIR 'coming 2026' – it stalks burglars & even recharges itself Around seven in 10 (68 per cent) currently have access to a driveway, with 58 per cent of motorists using a petrol car, 17 per cent diesel and 25 per cent a hybrid, electric or plug-in hybrid. But 47 per cent would be more likely to buy an electric or hybrid vehicle, if there was easy access to charging near their home, according to the figures. Steve Catlin, spokesperson for Vauxhall, which partnered with Zoopla as part of its 'Electric Streets of Britain' campaign, to improve on-street charging for households without driveways, added: 'As EVs become an even more common sight on our roads, more and more people will be prioritising charging access when thinking about where to live. 'We hope the features we have worked with Zoopla to introduce go some way to make decisions around buying and renting a new home that little bit easier for millions across the country.'
Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Another UK-listed mining firm starts buying up bitcoin - here's why
Hamak Gold has become the third UK-listed miner to start buying bitcoin, spending nearly £1.8million on the cryptocurrency. A number of bitcoin treasury companies (BTCs) have quickly emerged on the London Stock Exchange, with firms listing or overhauling their entire business in order to focus on the new strategy. BTCs accumulate more and more bitcoin, attracting waves of investors looking for exposure to a 'bitcoin yield', which is a return denominated not in fiat currencies like sterling but in units of the cryptocurrency. The trend, pioneered by US-based MicroStrategy, has led to these London-listed firms racking up enormous share price gains over the last couple of months. But small, listed gold miners are now getting in on the action. Hamak told investors on Wednesday it had bought 20 bitcoin at an average price of £88,569 each, marking its 'first foray into digital asset investment'. The firm, which is otherwise focused on a Liberian gold mine, said the move 'reflects a proactive approach to value creation and balance sheet optimisation'. Hamak launched the strategy earlier this year after a leadership shake-up, with the promise of offering investors 'exposure to both gold and bitcoin under a single, transparent structure'. More recently it saw shares soar after appointing well-known US economist Dr Arthur B. Laffer a founding member of its advisory board. Laffer said in a comment on Wednesday: 'I am extremely excited by the direction Hamak Gold is heading, and I'm proud to have been invited to join the company's first-rate team and to be actively involved in helping facilitate Hamak's growth in any way that I can.' It follows similar moves from Zinc miner Panther Metals, which is investing up to £4million in bitcoin as collateral to fund mining acquisitions, and Bluebird Mining Ventures. Victoria Scholar, head of investments at Interactive Investor, highlighted 'gloomy' financial results posted by all three firms. She said: 'Panther Metals and Hamak both reported full-year losses in April while just this week Bluebird Mining announced a first half loss of $2.6million, a sharp increase year-on-year. 'It looks like the companies have decided to take a gamble on the burgeoning cryptocurrency as they haven't got much to lose. 'All three, as you would expect of small mining companies, are losing money. 'Raising fresh capital is essential so perhaps a sexy bitcoin strategy makes it easier to raise cash. And investors appear to be enjoying the bitcoin strategy, as shares in these companies have been performing much better lately.' What does it mean for investors? Bluebird has seen its share price soar nearly 400 per cent since it launched the strategy, reviving the business after struggling with financial losses, while Panther says it is 'redefining what a modern resource company can be'. Hamak shares soared 13.6 per cent to 6.7p by midday on Wednesday having added nearly 980 per cent since the start of the year. The company listed in March 2022 and has never generated revenues, as it is still at the exploration stage. Stockopedia's Stock Rank gives Hamak a 19/100 score overall, with a 14 for quality and just an 8 for value. Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell, says BTCs argue owning bitcoin is a way to 'preserve value and mitigate against inflation and geopolitical risks'. However, he warns, 'investors need to take care in these situations'. Coatsworth said: 'The reality is that many small cap companies are typically cash-poor, constantly raising new funds on the market to keep the lights on. 'They rarely have cash lying around for a rainy day and anything in the bank is needed to support the business. 'Prices can often move fast – both up and down – and valuations have moved out of kilter with the underlying fundamentals of the company.' Sign of the top for bitcoin? Crypto expert Glen Goodman told This is Money earlier in July he has an 'early inkling' that the emergence of bitcoin treasury companies 'may be a sign of the top' for the cryptocurrency's recent run. Bitcoin is up by around 25 per cent since the start of the year at $117,619.10, having hit yet another all-time high of $122,979.87 earlier this month. Goodman said: 'Because it's been successful for those companies. More companies are jumping on the band wagon 'As their shares go up they issue more equity, so they dilute the share price of the existing shares, to buy more bitcoin for their treasury. 'And then that bitcoin attracts new investors who push the share price higher – and then they issue more equity. 'You can see where this is heading.'
