Council’s homes deal to boost market

Aug 29 2008 by William Green, Paul James, Dan Warburton, The Journal

Renting is on the cards

RAZA Ghorban, an agricultural researcher at Newcastle University, is adamant that problems with selling his house will not prevent him from making a dream move to Reading.

The 46-year-old is due to begin a new job in the middle of September and is banking on a quick sale to make the move in time.

From his two-floor, semi-detached home in Edinburgh Court, Kingston Park, Newcastle, Mr Ghorban said: “The current housing is very worrying. It’s not easy to sell because people are struggling to get mortgages.

“No one has been round to see the house yet and I’m concerned.”

Mr Ghorban paid £160,000 for the house in 2004, but after extending the reception and converting two bedrooms into four, the property is now on the market for £220,000.

He lives in the house with his wife, Marjan, 41, and his three children, Amir, 14, Ali, six, and Shakiba, three.

He said: “It’s a bad time to sell and we haven’t had much interest. We need to sell so we can buy another home.

“If I can’t buy then I will rent and still try to sell this one.”

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A drop of £30,000 and still no takers

KYRA Humphreys and her husband Matt Collin have had their home on the market for six months.

But the three-bedroom, end-terrace house has had just four viewings and the couple have cut the asking price from £330,000 to £300,000.

They have raised their three children, Seth, six, Esme, four, and one-year-old Amos in the three-storey property in Ripon Gardens, Jesmond, Newcastle.

Mr Collin, a 41-year-old clinician scientist at the Royal Victoria Infirmary and Newcastle University, and Ms Humphreys decided to move because their growing family needs more space.

But they have been frustrated by the slump in the housing market.

Ms Humphreys, 40, a violinist with the Northern Sinfonia, said: “We’ve been living here for six years and we’ve just outgrown it.

“I don’t really want to move. I love everything about the area and I love the house, but it’s just too small for us now. “The house is quite big, but with us both working at home and with three kids we need some place bigger.”

The pair paid £221,000 for the property in 2002, and when they put the house on the market in April it was valued at between £320,000 and £330,000.

A lack of interest has forced the pair to slash their asking price – and now the house is available from £300,000.

Ms Humphreys said: “It was a surprise at how slow the interest was, but I guess nobody is moving at the moment. Some of the people who have come to look at the house have decided just not to move because it’s not the right time.

“I think the whole climate is exaggerated and I know things will come good.

“Sometimes when the whether is really lovely and the house is tidy, I just wonder whether we should just stay and not move at all.”