Taking out a cheap loan to pay for some improvements to a garden could enable potential house sellers to raise the value of their home, with the aesthetic pleasure, privacy and protection offered by a well-developed garden often an enticing proposition for those looking to buy a property.

According to comments from a partner of chartered surveyors Cluttons, while putting money into your garden solely for the purposes of adding value to a house is not that common, it would more likely be used to offer privacy or block out eyesores, especially in areas of the country where gardens are small and properties and buildings are close together.

House price growth has slowed down over the course of this month, a recent Rightmove study has revealed.

During July, the cost of property was reported to have risen by 0.3 per cent, half a percentage point down from the growth noted in the previous month and the lowest increase recorded so far this year. Overall, the typical home is now said to cost 240,000 pounds, compared to June's figure of 239,317 pounds.

Property prices in London grew by a record rate last month, it has been suggested.

In Knight Frank's prime central London index, house prices in the capital rose by some 3.1 per cent over the course of June, which in turn drove the annual rate of inflation to 34.5 per cent. Consequently, the company reported that the month's growth resulted in the highest year-on-year increase noted for some 28 years.

Property price growth slowed over the course of last month, a new survey indicates.

According to research carried out by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics), house price inflation in June fell from the previous month as borrowers were said to struggle to make secured loan repayments. Despite the value of homes being reported to have risen for the 20th consecutive month, this growth was half of that recorded in May.

Consumers are determined to get onto the property ladder, according to a new report.

Figures released in Bradford & Bingley's annual First Time Buyer Report show, some 46 per cent of potential buyers are concerned that house prices are set to become ever more expensive over the coming months, with a quarter stating that if they do not buy a home now than they never will be able to do so in the future.

Despite house prices across Britain increasing over the last three months, a new study by Nationwide has noted a slowing in the speed of growth.

According to the financial services firm, the typical British property rose in value by 2.1 per cent during the second quarter of 2007, compared to the previous three-month period which witnessed growth of some 2.

The switching of energy suppliers could well save consumers hundreds of pounds, it has been claimed.

Research carried out by uSwitch has indicated that just over half (51 per cent) of British households, about 13 million, have claimed to have changed utility providers at least once. Reported to have saved 1.7 billion pounds, these consumers could well find their attempts at making secured loans repayments eased.