Based on an average priced property, it now costs an incredible £5,551 to move house in the UK and with mortgage lending hitting record highs it is now more important than ever that anyone moving or buying their first home is aware of any hidden costs. Buyers tend to get caught up in the excitement of choosing a new home and run the risk of paying the price financially by not ensuring they get the best value from their mortgage. If you’re willing to bargain over fixtures and fittings it also makes sense to look at the other ways you can get a better deal when you move. Borrowers should start with a mortgage as it will be, in the vast majority of cases, the most expensive commitment. Early Repayment Charges (ERCs) are a part of most mortgages, but some have more favourable terms than others. Some only have ERCs during the initial competitive rate, whilst others have overhanging ERCs which lock a borrower in whilst still paying a lender’s Standard Variable Rate. There is virtually no need for any borrower to have to accept overhanging ERCs with the competitive nature of the UK market and the number of deals available to consumers. Taking a mortgage where there are only ERCs within the initial, favourable term makes sense for most borrowers but it may be a good idea for some to have no ERCs at any time. You are likely to pay a little more in interest for the privilege, but it can be the right decision for those who need the flexibility of not being tied in. However, it is all too easy to get caught up in the now and forget about what might happen later down the line. Leaving your mortgage will incur exit fees. These have recently come under fire for unfairly penalising consumers and as a result, have become a vital part of the decision making process. Exit fees come under a variety of names including, administration charges, sealing fees or deeds-release fees. They tend to be around £195-£295 but this figure is rising as lenders look to recoup lost revenue from competitive rate pricing. It may not seem like a huge sum of money in the scheme of things, but these charges have seen an unnatural rise over the last three years and are a clear sign of lenders simply making money out of the consumer. At the very least, you should be aware of what the fees are on your deal in the first place. Lower ‘Higher Lending Charges’ (HLCs) will apply to borrowers who do not have a large deposit. They are applied by lenders, usually on loans over 90% loan to value, who view these borrowers as a greater risk because they haven’t shored up their borrowings with a down payment. However, first time buyers ma not need to put up with HLCs anymore as lenders are now coming out with more products for those wanting to borrow as much as 100%. The industry is beginning to realise that whilst first time buyers may find it hard to get a deposit together, they are still more than capable of meeting monthly mortgage repayments. Stamp Duty is more often than not more than likely to be the biggest individual cost to home movers outside of the actual purchase, costing Britons £5 million pounds a year. Although the initial stamp duty charge of £125,000 is heavily publicised because of the potential burden to first time buyers, those moving or sometimes purchasing their first property need to be aware of the second and third bracket. Once a property reaches £250,000 the stamp duty charge jumps from 1% to 3%. The variations in stamp duty costs can be dramatic depending on the location of the property. It is vital that homeowners look at the tiers before they make their move or even start looking. Many properties are priced just above different thresholds with the view they will be bargained down. If you’re not aware of these cut off points then it can end up costing you more than you originally expected. Home movers should also look at solicitor and survey fees. The key with both of these is to choose suppliers that are reasonable in their charges but give you the peace of mind that they are doing a good, accurate and speedy job. They are both essential in the home buying process but some people often forget to add them into the cost of moving and receive both a surprise and very unwelcome bill when they can least afford it. The average homeowner needs to factor in £500 in solicitor’s fees and as much as £900 in surveys costs if you want a full structural survey. Moving home can be stressful, time consuming and expensive but there are ways you can cut the cost and the time it takes, it just takes a little research and awareness of what you are getting in the first place. Mortgage prospector provides its clients incisive articles based around mortgage quotesto all uk residents. Related Articles - Mortgages, remortgages, cost,

You can read hundreds of stress management books in seach for ways on how to relieve stress - but the most powerful of all the stress management techniques is right underneath your nose... In recent news, it was reported that: 1. Labor chief Sto. Tomas (Philippines) quits due to stress and workload [1] 2. Stress is causing soaring sickness rates among UK teachers [2] 3. Twenty-five percent of university students have sought counselling in the UK to help them cope with the stress of exams (finals) [3] 4. 97 percent of IT professionals feel traumatized by their daily work. Indeed, 80 percent of them get tense just thinking about going to the office. [4] Is it the heavy workload, multi-tasking requirement, replying to time urgent emails, or performance pressure that is creating all this stress and ill-health? Actually, none of these things cause stress. Did you know that when you are feeling rushed, pressured, on the go all the time or overloaded, physical tension builds up in your chest - your chest muscles contract. This forces you to breathe shorter, sharper and shallower. Consistent shallow breathing has been found to cause fatigue, increase in error rates, emotional tension, forgetfulness, and even health issues such as asthma, colds, anxiety/panic attacks, and indigestion. Rapid and shallow breathing increases neck and shoulder tension and raises the risk of hyperventilation [5] Rapid breathing and tension creates a state of stress. Other research has found that when your body's cells are starved of up to 60% of oxygen they become cancerous. A clinical study of thousands of participants over a 30-year period presents convincing evidence that the most significant factor in peak health and long life is how well you breathe [6]. In a recent interview I conducted with Thomas Goode, from the International Breath Association at http://www.transformbreathing.com, he explained why proper breathing habits are essential to good health and relieving stress. (You can hear the entire interview with Tom at www.BounceBackFast.com/interviews.html ) Stress relief is not about escaping the stress in your life. The key in how to relieve stress is creating a sense of calm inside you. It is not people, emails, deadlines, or workload that creates stress - but the way in which our body physically, mentally and emotionally is conditioned to respond to these events. The key, being, your breathing habits. So, what is the right way to breathe? There are many different breathing techniques, depending on whether it is to prepare for a situation (meeting, conflict, presentation), during the situation or after the situation. I have dedicated an entire chapter to Resilient Breathing patterns in my e-book 'Turn Stress into Energy and Enthusiasm' at www.StressManagementSuccess.com Here is a short exert: "One of the most potent keys to expanding your capacity when you are under pressure is to control your breathing pattern during your day-to-day work. Every day you take between 16,000 and 23,000 breaths, and each breath takes in about 250ml of oxygen and disposes of 200ml of carbon dioxide. ...In many Eastern traditions, breath is seen as the 'essence of life' and healing, and is known as 'Qi' (chi), 'prana', or 'life force'. For centuries the Yoga gurus have trained themselves to control their breathing rate to the point where they are able to slow their heart rate down, reduce their blood pressure, dramatically increase or decrease their body temperature, and control the amount of pain they feel in their body. In his book 'You Can Conquer Cancer', Ian Gawler explains how he used breathing techniques and meditation to block the pain during a root canal procedure - an ordinarily very painful process. The rate, depth and quality of your breathing can increase your energy levels, calm your nerves, clear your mind, enhance your health and even block pain." There are 3 general breathing principles that apply to each situation. They are: 1. DEPTH: Allow your abdomen (belly) to move in and out as you breathe. Allow your breathing to be deep in your abdomen, instead of being shallow in your chest. This allows your diaphragm to efficiently draw air in and out of your body. Sitting for long periods often tenses the abdomen muscles, reducing the depth of each breath. As you breathe in, allow your abdomen to move out. As you breathe out, allow your abdomen to move in. (This is the natural way you breathe when you are asleep) 2. POSITION: Remind your body to be in an upright position, instead of stooped or hunched over posture. Being hunched over a computer all day can get your body into the habit of tensing stomach and chest muscles - which restricts your breathing. Every so often, stop what you are doing and deliberately sit up straight (in fact, try it right now as you read this article). Notice the difference your body position can make to your breathing pattern. 3. FREQUENCY: Taking longer rhythmic breaths both calm your body and help to focus your mind. Breathing in for 4-5 seconds, holding for 2 seconds, then breathing out for 4-5 seconds is a good starting frequency to create positive breathing habits. Remember, using your breathing as a stress relief tool is quick and very efficient. This is the most potent of all the stress management techniques because your breathing patterns controls your emotions, and you can control your breathing. REFERENCES: [1] http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=77469 [2] http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/opinion/viewarticle.aspx?id=372026 [3] http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-5852252,00.html [4] http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news? pid=10000039&refer=columnist_lynn&sid=aJgb6enRsPN0 [5] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/07/030714092134.htm [6] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/ Related Articles - stress management articles, how to relieve stress, stress management techniques, stress reduction techniques, manage stress,