Housing Special

Available for over a year

On this week's Money Box with Ruth Alexander, the programme tackles the housing market and offers tips to minimise the damage to your wallet when you're moving - whether you're renting or buying. The programmes investigates how some estate agents are putting undue pressure on customers to use their in-house financial services. We'll be asking the National Association of Estate Agents why its members are breaking the rules, and asking the Property Ombudsman what action they'll take. An MPs' report has exposed the hidden and unreasonable fees being charged to tenants and landlords by some letting agents. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has described the lettings sector, which is unregulated, as "the property industry's wild west." We'll be asking what constitutes a fair price for services, and finding out how you can challenge an agent if you think you've been overcharged. Earlier this week, the Chancellor announced more information about the second phase of Help to Buy, the government's mortgage guarantee scheme which will be available from January next year. We'll be going through the details with mortgage expert Ray Boulger from brokers John Charcol. And finally, with interest rates as low as they are, it can make sense to make overpayments on your mortgage, if your deal allows you to. But we'll be hearing from Money Box listeners, who have found out their extra payments haven't been paying off either the interest or capital.