Latest news with #cashgifts
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How much cash should you give at a wedding, according to etiquette experts
In lots of countries and cultures it's the norm to give couples cash when they tie the knot. In fact, it's often an integral part of the celebrations. In Greece and Cyprus guests pin bank notes to a dancing bride, while in Nigeria couples are literally sprayed with money as well wishers dance around them, throwing cash one note at a time. While it's becoming increasingly common for British couples to turn their backs on the traditional gift registry and ask for cash gifts too, working out just how much to give and how to go about handing it over is something of an etiquette minefield. Here Telegraph Money talks to two etiquette experts and a personal finance specialist to share their tips. 'First and foremost, you should give what you can afford, and never feel pressured into giving beyond your comfort zone,' says Liz Wyse, etiquette adviser at Debrett's. 'If the couple getting married are relatives or very close friends, you will naturally be more generous.' But, if it's a destination wedding, or you've had to spend a lot of money just to attend, she adds that it's fine to downgrade the amount you give. You shouldn't, however, use any pre-wedding antics as a reason to give less. 'Stag and hen-dos should not really come into the equation, because they are organised by the best man or chief bridesmaid, not the couple,' she says. Laura Windsor, who runs the eponymous Etiquette Academy, says that as a guide, the typical gift is between £50 to £150. 'If you are close friends or family, a gift of around £75 to £150 is appropriate. Those less closely connected to the couple may spend considerably less.' Rather than debating the merits of a bank transfer (too crass?) or cash in an envelope (might get lost?), it's best to get a steer from the couple tying the knot. Considerate couples should provide you with some guidance. An online wedding cash registry makes it easy for your guests to give you money – they can choose how much they want to give and it may feel less demanding (or risky) than presenting them with your sort code and account number. However, our etiquette experts warn that you still need to take care when telling friends and family you'd prefer cash gifts. Although it's becoming more common for couples to ask for money on their wedding day, 'a bald request for money will still be disconcerting for many people,' says Wyse. Laura Windsor, who runs an Etiquette Academy, agrees and says you should never ask for cash on your wedding invitations. 'Word of mouth is still considered the most polite method of telling guests about gifts, so if you are asking for a cash fund, getting your friends and family involved to spread the word about the registry is the most delicate approach and will help move things along.' It is still worth adding the registry link to your invitation and then adding cash as one option for giving. It can also help if you tell your guests what you'll be spending the money on – especially if some guests aren't on board with the idea. 'Be upfront about where the money is going, whether it be for home improvement, your honeymoon or a down payment on a house.' Wyse agrees: 'If you suggest that a guest might like to make a contribution towards, for example, your honeymoon or a large purchase, such as a sofa, it is much more acceptable.' Many online cash registries will let you customise your fund, so guests can see where their money will be going when they log on to contribute. In recent years some couples have opted for an even more online option, putting out QR codes at the wedding itself with a link to give money on the day. 'It's their day so I guess if you are a guest you have to play by their rules,' says Windsor. 'It's a little transactional but today it's all about convenience and practicality as well as instant gratification.' This is a tricky one. Wyse says it's your prerogative to give whatever you like, but she warns that you might need to put your thinking cap on if you decide to buy them a gift instead. 'Generally, if couples are asking for money, that means there will not be a conventional wedding gift list, probably because the couple have already set up their home and do not have any pressing household needs. So if you want to give a gift instead of money you will need to find something quirky, unique or original.' But there is always the risk that the couple won't be thankful – especially if their taste is not the same as yours. Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, points out there's always one person at every wedding that turns up with homewares the couple didn't want or need. 'If you're very close to them, and giving them a really special gift they'll treasure for life, there's an argument that this is the exception to the rule,' she suggests. 'If it's a more distant relative, and you're hoping to give them a vase or a candle, then chances are they'd prefer the cash.' However much you have spent attending the wedding, all our experts agree it's not OK to turn up without a gift at all. Not only is a wedding a significant life event, but it's a lavish act of hospitality too. 'It's traditionally frowned upon to show up and not give a gift at all – in the same way you wouldn't rock up to a child's birthday party without a present,' says Coles. Wyse adds: 'You really should comply unless, of course, the couple stipulate that they do not want presents, or ask you to make a donation to a charity instead.' If you really can't afford either a gift or to attend the wedding, Coles says it's important to be upfront with the couple. 'Bear in mind that you're not duty bound to go to the wedding if it will cause financial issues. Just thank them for the invitation, explain the situation, and arrange to meet up for a cut-price celebration later.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
05-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
How much cash you should give at a wedding, according to etiquette experts
In lots of countries and cultures it's the norm to give couples cash when they tie the knot. In fact, it's often an integral part of the celebrations. In Greece and Cyprus guests pin bank notes to a dancing bride, while in Nigeria couples are literally sprayed with money as well wishers dance around them, throwing cash one note at a time. While it's becoming increasingly common for British couples to turn their backs on the traditional gift registry and ask for cash gifts too, working out just how much to give and how to go about handing it over is something of an etiquette minefield. Here Telegraph Money talks to two etiquette experts and a personal finance specialist to share their tips. The couple have asked for cash – but how much should I give? 'First and foremost, you should give what you can afford, and never feel pressured into giving beyond your comfort zone,' says Liz Wyse, etiquette adviser at Debrett's. 'If the couple getting married are relatives or very close friends, you will naturally be more generous.' But, if it's a destination wedding, or you've had to spend a lot of money just to attend, she adds that it's fine to downgrade the amount you give. You shouldn't, however, use any pre-wedding antics as a reason to give less. 'Stag and hen-dos should not really come into the equation, because they are organised by the best man or chief bridesmaid, not the couple,' she says. Laura Windsor, who runs the eponymous Etiquette Academy, says that as a guide, the typical gift is between £50 to £150. 'If you are close friends or family, a gift of around £75 to £150 is appropriate. Those less closely connected to the couple may spend considerably less.' What's the best way to give money? Rather than debating the merits of a bank transfer (too crass?) or cash in an envelope (might get lost?), it's best to get a steer from the couple tying the knot. Considerate couples should provide you with some guidance. We're getting married – how can we ask for cash without causing offence? An online wedding cash registry makes it easy for your guests to give you money – they can choose how much they want to give and it may feel less demanding (or risky) than presenting them with your sort code and account number. However, our etiquette experts warn that you still need to take care when telling friends and family you'd prefer cash gifts. Although it's becoming more common for couples to ask for money on their wedding day, 'a bald request for money will still be disconcerting for many people,' says Wyse. Laura Windsor, who runs an Etiquette Academy, agrees and says you should never ask for cash on your wedding invitations. 'Word of mouth is still considered the most polite method of telling guests about gifts, so if you are asking for a cash fund, getting your friends and family involved to spread the word about the registry is the most delicate approach and will help move things along.' It is still worth adding the registry link to your invitation and then adding cash as one option for giving. It can also help if you tell your guests what you'll be spending the money on – especially if some guests aren't on board with the idea. 'Be upfront about where the money is going, whether it be for home improvement, your honeymoon or a down payment on a house.' Wyse agrees: 'If you suggest that a guest might like to make a contribution towards, for example, your honeymoon or a large purchase, such as a sofa, it is much more acceptable.' Many online cash registries will let you customise your fund, so guests can see where their money will be going when they log on to contribute. In recent years some couples have opted for an even more online option, putting out QR codes at the wedding itself with a link to give money on the day. 'It's their day so I guess if you are a guest you have to play by their rules,' says Windsor. 'It's a little transactional but today it's all about convenience and practicality as well as instant gratification.' Can I ignore a request for cash and give a gift instead? This is a tricky one. Wyse says it's your prerogative to give whatever you like, but she warns that you might need to put your thinking cap on if you decide to buy them a gift instead. 'Generally, if couples are asking for money, that means there will not be a conventional wedding gift list, probably because the couple have already set up their home and do not have any pressing household needs. So if you want to give a gift instead of money you will need to find something quirky, unique or original.' But there is always the risk that the couple won't be thankful – especially if their taste is not the same as yours. Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, points out there's always one person at every wedding that turns up with homewares the couple didn't want or need. 'If you're very close to them, and giving them a really special gift they'll treasure for life, there's an argument that this is the exception to the rule,' she suggests. 'If it's a more distant relative, and you're hoping to give them a vase or a candle, then chances are they'd prefer the cash.' Is it OK to turn up without a gift? However much you have spent attending the wedding, all our experts agree it's not OK to turn up without a gift at all. Not only is a wedding a significant life event, but it's a lavish act of hospitality too. 'It's traditionally frowned upon to show up and not give a gift at all – in the same way you wouldn't rock up to a child's birthday party without a present,' says Coles. Wyse adds: 'You really should comply unless, of course, the couple stipulate that they do not want presents, or ask you to make a donation to a charity instead.' If you really can't afford either a gift or to attend the wedding, Coles says it's important to be upfront with the couple. 'Bear in mind that you're not duty bound to go to the wedding if it will cause financial issues. Just thank them for the invitation, explain the situation, and arrange to meet up for a cut-price celebration later.'
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New homes discounts and incentives: the best and worst in London
Cash gifts! Free sofas! Celebrity interior designers to help you style up your home! House builders have long handed out great-sounding freebies to encourage buyers to take the plunge. But with sales flagging the great giveaway bonanza has reached new heights in 2025. Buyers are being offered tens of thousands of pounds worth of handouts if they agree to buy a new home. Cynics may suggest that the generosity of the freebies is linked to a recent collapse in sale numbers, and experts urge buyers to think carefully about whether the offers are actually a great deal or just sound good. According to Savills, between 2013 and 2015 some 20,000 new homes changed hands each year in the capital, in a market where interest rates were rock bottom, buy to let was a highly profitable endeavour, and international buyers were keen to invest. Last year sale numbers plunged to just 7,500, an 11 per cent decline compared to 2023, as the industry grappled with the loss of the Help to Buy scheme (in 2022) which gave buyers with small deposits and modest borrowing power the chance to get onto the ladder by way of a Government equity loan. 'As the market softens there are more offers and goodies available,' agrees Jeremy Leaf, principal of Jeremy Leaf estate agents in north west London. 'Developers need to sell so they can pay off their loans. They are prepared to be perhaps more flexible than owner occupiers – they have to be. It is a buyers' market and they have to bend over backwards to sell.' Most of the deals out there centre on cutting upfront costs, by contributing to buyers' deposits or stamp duty and, certainly, it can get you onto the ladder. Without enough savings to cover a deposit Jayson Masaya, 32, and his wife Irish, 30, both nurses, believed home ownership was out of reach — until they heard about a deposit contribution scheme on offer to key workers. The scheme allowed them to buy at Sterling Place, a Barratt London development in New Malden, where one-bedroom flats start at £409,000 ( They bought off plan, putting down a five per cent deposit. Barratt contributed another five per cent, and they moved in in December, having saved another five per cent while waiting for the flat to be completed. 'A real draw for us was how spread out the deposit payments are,' says Irish. Different developers offer different variations on the theme. At the £8bn Brent Cross Town project in north-west London, for example, developer Related Argent will pay stamp duty for incoming buyers of studios, one, two, and three-bedroom homes (up to £41,250, providing they are UK residents buying a main home). Prices start at £420,000 ( And Barratt has a whole range of incentives depending on your circumstances. If you are a key worker and buy a home at Hayes Village, a reboot of the former Nestle Factory with 1,500 you'd get a £15,000 contribution towards your deposit if you buy either a £355,00,000 one-bedroom flat or a £432,500 two-bedroom flat. If you already have a ten per cent deposit saved up, Barratt will give you another five per cent at several of its sites, upping your deposit to 15 per cent which will give you access to lower interest rates when you go mortgage shopping. This offer is in play at Bermondsey Heights, a 26-storey tower at the heart of regeneration of the under-utilized swathe of south London around the Old Kent Road. Prices start from £449,000 for a one-bedroom flat, which means you will need a deposit of almost £50,000 to qualify (ouch) but will get a 'free' almost £25,000 in return. If location is more important to you than size then Pocket Living's Forest Road E17 gives you a chance to buy a small slice of real estate in fashionable Walthamstow ( Prices start at £300,000 for a one-bedroom flat measuring 453 sq ft. First-time buyers don't pay stamp duty on purchases of £300,000 or less, but for those buying a more expensive £325,000 property the developer will pay the £1,400 stamp duty bill. And all buyers can book a style consultation with Banjo Beale, interior designer and winner of BBC's Interior Design Masters 2022, to advise you on colour schemes and finishes. Pocket says this assist is worth another £500. For those considering the shared ownership route, buyers who reserve an apartment at SO Resi Wembley Way, just around the corner from the stadium, this summer will be given a five per cent deposit contribution. Prices start at £87,000 for a 25 per cent share of a one-bedroom apartment, which means that if buyers put down a five per cent £4,350 deposit they will be gifted another £4,350 ( Monthly costs, including mortgage, rent, and service charge will tot up to just under £1,200pcm. Broadly speaking the bigger your budget the more headline grabbing the freebies. At The 1840 St George's Gardens, the redevelopment of a Grade II listed Victorian hospital building in Tooting, The Old Dormitory, a two-bedroom duplex apartment with double height living room, a study, utility room, and two bathrooms, is on sale for £875,000. Interested? Then the developer will pay your £33,750 stamp duty and furniture and accessories worth up to £32,291, adding up to a freebie total of just over £66,000, or some 7.5 per cent of the sale price. But buying agent Nina Harrison, of Haringtons, advises buyers to avoid getting over excited about designer furnishings and styling, and concentrate on cash benefits. 'At high-end developments there's often a big song and dance about bespoke interiors – everything from choosing your own marble to working with their in-house designer,' she says. 'It's a way to make buyers feel they're getting something truly one-of-a-kind, but rarely does it come with the kind of financial sweeteners you see in other parts of the market.' Leaf agrees that 'goodies' should be treated with caution. 'Look at the bigger picture,' he says. 'How does the development itself compare? Is it overpriced? What would its rental value be if plans change and you needed to move to a new area? 'There is a lot of information and misinformation out there.' A major issue buyers of new homes need to consider is the ongoing cost of annual service charges, which can quickly wipe out any early cash advantages. At Kew Bridge Rise, for example, you will pay £2,777pa for a one-bedroom flat and £3,756pa if you buy a two-bedroom flat, while at Hayes Village the bill for a one-bedroom flat is £2,100pa, rising to £2,465 for a two-bedroom flat. The buyer of The Old Dormitory will pay just over £4,000pa. And some offers are so convoluted it is easy to lose sight of what you are actually saving. At the 150-acre, £8.4m Greenwich Peninsula scheme taking shape next to the O2, developer Knight Dragon is offering a 'rent to buy' scheme. Put really, really simply you put down a five per cent deposit on a flat, move in, then spend a year leasing the property and paying monthly rent in order to amass another five per cent. Twelve months later you are free to buy the flat with your ten per cent deposit. To use a real time example, currently for sale at Greenwich Peninsula is a one-bedroom, 564 sq ft flat, priced at £570,000. Your initial five per cent deposit would be £28,500, and you would then pay a hefty £2,375pcm rent for a year. At the end of the year you would have £57,000 to put down and officially buy the flat. Although the scheme does give you some breathing space to save, ultimately the only cash benefit you are getting here is that you won't have to pay service charge or ground rent that first year. For the one-bedroom flat comes in at around £5,200. You can also claim up to £1,500 for legal costs. And there you have your real cash saving – less than two per cent of the asking price. You might think that developer prices are fixed – but you would be wrong. The reality is that many firms will discuss lowering the sale price as well as offering incentives to buyers. 'If it was me I would not hesitate to offer 15 per cent below the asking price,' says Marc Schneiderman, sales director at Arlington Residential. 'Saying that, if you manage to get 10 per cent off I'd say you are doing very well.' You are more likely to get a cut price home if you are ready to buy immediately, and are able to buy off plan – because buying early means you are helping a builder with their cash flow while they are still on site. Year end is another good time to haggle hard as firms want to hit their sale targets. Check with Companies House when your builder's end of the financial year is. For Harrison getting in early is the best strategy. 'Developers want to secure early adopters to build momentum and create the illusion of demand,' she says. 'Once that critical mass is in place, the tone shifts. Suddenly, it's 'we're nearly sold out' and 'there are only a handful left' – and at that point, any talk of incentives disappears. The window for negotiation shuts quickly.' And even if a developer shuts down your pleas for a discount Schneiderman suggests a Plan B. 'Sometimes developers will not negotiate on price because they don't want it in the public domain that they are discounting,' he says. 'That would open the floodgates. But they will give very good incentives that are not necessarily advertised, like paying stamp duty or giving you a store room or a parking space.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
News.com.au
12-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Brutal truth about how Gen Z and Millennials are buying homes
Younger Australians are increasingly climbing the property ladder on the blood, sweat and tears of others because they can't do it themselves. Exclusive mortgage research has uncovered the sources of home buyers' deposits and the other upfront costs of home purchasing, exposing a brutal truth: a lot of the time it's not their money. Close to a quarter of Gen Z and Millennial home buyers polled in the survey said they funded their home deposits with borrowed money. And a similar proportion said they got help in the form of a cash gift from their parents, while government handouts were becoming another popular method for buying, especially among Gen Z. The Mortgage Choice survey also revealed home buyers below the age of 43 – making them either a millennial or part of Gen Z – were increasingly relying on sources outside of savings to crack the market. It comes as separate analysis showed the deposit hurdle has become the biggest barrier to homeownership for many aspiring home buyers due to cost of living pressures and runaway home price growth. Simply put: many younger home seekers have been watching home prices grow at a faster rate than they can save and have struggled to come up with a deposit large enough to support their purchase plans. Mortgage Choice CEO Anthony Waldron said cash gifts from family were becoming a particularly common way for younger Australian to buy a home. 'As property prices have reached new record highs, getting into the market has become harder, so we asked survey respondents how they were doing it,' Mr Waldron explained. 'We found that more than a fifth of Gen Z respondents were funding their home loan deposit with a cash gift from family making the bank of mum and dad one of the largest lenders in the country.' 'Our survey supports what we hear from Mortgage Choice brokers, particularly those in Sydney where median home prices have climbed to over $1.1 million. 'Our brokers tell us that many first home buyers can't afford to buy in Sydney without a cash gift, and those gifts range in value from $10,000 to as much as $500,000.' The Mortgage Choice research followed a recent poll, which showed a significant proportion of Aussies were not supporting their lifestyles with their own earnings but with debt. Finder noted that many Aussies were overextending themselves to keep up appearances and the higher cost of their holidays, cars and clothes were limiting their ability to save or plunging them into debt. Credit reporting agency Equifax had a similar finding, showing more than half of Aussies 18-24 were using Buy Now Pay Later services, which was dragging on their credit scores. MORE FIRST HOME BUYERS LOOKING Mortgage Choice home loan submission data revealed an uplift in first-home buyer activity over the March quarter, with the number of loans rising 5.6 per cent. The value of loans rose 12.3 per cent year-on-year. Mortgage chalked the rise down the recent drop in home loan interest rates – and the prospect of more cuts – driving renewed optimism in the housing market. About a third of survey respondents said interest rates had made them more confident to buy – up from 23 per cent in the previous quarter and up 20 per cent year-on-year. By comparison, a year ago, 63 per cent of survey respondents said interest rates were adversely impacting their confidence.
