Kirstie and Phil Launch House Hunter App
By Bbc Worldwide, PRNETuesday, June 28, 2011
HARROGATE, England, June 29, 2011 -
Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer, the TV property gurus, have
launched new research revealing UK home hunters overspent their
combined budgets by a staggering £3.7 billion last year, despite
falling house prices and what should be a buyers’ market.
The survey of 2,000 home buyers, announced to coincide with the
launch of the new
iPhone app ‘Kirstie & Phil’s House Hunter‘, has revealed
that almost half (49 per cent) blow their budget on average to the
tune of over £10,000.
For one in ten home buyers (10 per cent) the situation is even
more extreme, with finances stretched to cover an additional spend
of up to £50,000, whilst for a frivolous few (2 per cent) it topped
the scales at more than £100,000.
One in five buyers (20 per cent) admit to getting caught up in
the excitement of the moment, letting their heart overrule their
head, whilst one in ten (10 per cent) don’t factor in the cosmetic
work required to make their new house a home. A similar number (11
per cent) are caught out by the level of legal and estate agent
fees they need to build into their buying budget.
Stamp duty is another major issue, with more than half of house
hunters (58 per cent) saying they are clueless as to the level they
are required to pay when shopping and budgeting for their new
home.
The House Hunter iPhone App is packed with videos and audio tip
guides from Kirstie and
Phil and contains a definitive guide to finance, mortgages,
dealing with agents and legal processes.
Kirstie Allsopp said: “Going over your intended budget isn’t
always a bad thing if it means getting your dream home for a price
you can still afford. However with house prices as low as they are
at present it should be a buyers’ market, and so it’s worrying to
hear how many people are spending too much either because they’re
not striking a deal or because they’re not on top of their
finances.”
Phil Spencer added: “We know from helping hundreds of people
through the buying process that the same problems and pitfalls
arise time and time again and that’s why we’ve created the app.
It’s the first to combine an extensive property search function
with great tools to help buyers manage their individual
search.”
Kirstie & Phil’s House Hunter app is available from the
iTunes store now and integrates the Zoopla search engine to enable
users to search for properties anywhere in the UK.
House Hunter is packed with
videos as well as
tips and guides from Kirstie and Phil providing a comprehensive
guide to buying a home.
The app has been jointly developed and produced by The Talent
and Brand Ventures team at BBC Worldwide and Raise The Roof
Productions.
Further details about the app can also be found on Kirstie and
Phil’s website, the
Facebook and YouTube Channel which features an exclusive
introduction to the app from Kirstie and Phil.
Notes to Editors:
The survey of 2,000 UK home buyers was undertaken by One Poll in
February 2011.
About BBC Worldwide:
BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly
owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The
company exists to maximise the value of the BBC’s assets for the
benefit of the licence fee payer and invest in public service
programming in return for rights. The company has six core
businesses: Channels, Content & Production, Sales &
Distribution, BBC Magazines, Consumer Products (including DVD
publisher 2 entertain) and Brands, Consumers & New Ventures,
with digital ventures incorporated into each business area. In
2009/10, BBC Worldwide generated profits of £145 million (operating
profit before specific items) on sales of £1074 million (including
Group revenue and the Group’s share of joint-ventures’
revenue).
PR contact:
Emma Campbell
Town Centre House
Cheltenham Crescent
Harrogate
North Yorkshire
HG1 1DQ
+44(0)845-4567-251
www.kirstieandphil.com
.
Tags: Bbc Worldwide, England, Harrogate, June 29, United Kingdom
