Money blog: The feature that can add up to £52k to your house price - and this will go up (2025)

By Sarah Taffe-Maguire, business and economics reporter

The French political crisis has failed to spook markets, with the euro, benchmark French stock market index the CAC 40 and the country's borrowing cost all relatively unchanged or faring better than in past days.

While Michel Barnier, the prime minister, last night lost the no-confidence vote, uncertainty over his future and the administration of EU's second-largest economy had been moving markets for weeks.

Today, borrowing for the French state, as measured by the 10-year bond yield, is actually cheaper than at most points in the past two months.

The euro is weak against the pound, spelling good news for Britons buying things in euro or heading on holidays to the continent. One pound buys €1.2077, not far off a two-year high. Against the world reserve currency, the dollar, the euro is at about the same place ithas been for the past week, worth $1.05.

Back in Britain, another big business is hitting out at the budget.

This time it's the turn of Frasers Group, the owner of Sports Direct and Flannels.

It's had about £50m added to its costs as a result of upped employer national insurance contributions and higher minimum wages announced in the budget.

It felt like it had been "kicked in the face", its finance chief said this morning.

Local counsellors in Rome have come up with a concept that would see restaurants in the city agree to limit the price of some of the country's most popular dishes.

Nicknamed "the carbonara pact", restaurants that voluntarily sign up will be issued with a special sticker from the city hall that tourists can trust.

The idea was championed by Luigi Gabriele, the president of Consumerismo, a consumer advice association, who said: "Whoever sells an overpriced carbonara that tastes disgusting is committing a crime against the stomach and against the economy."

He's suggested the that the price should be fixed to €12-€14.

His motion also calls for stricter checks on restaurants when it comes to advertising their prices generally to protect customers from paying over-the-odds.

Sales of no and low-alcohol beers in pubs are soaring, with 80% of venues offering alternatives to make money from demand.

Pubs are expected to sell a record 140 million pints of low and no-alcohol beer across the UK this year, according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).

That's up from more than 120 million last year.

Of the 86% of pubs now serving the alternatives, 8% are serving it on draught, a rise from just 2% in 2019.

The increasing range of options for drinkers means the pub is "even more inclusive and welcoming than ever before this festive season", the BBPA said.

The trade association is calling on the government to bring existing thresholds for no and low products with that of other countries, to help drive sales and boost the economy.

Chief executive Emma McClarkin said: "Whether someone is choosing moderation, keeping pace with many Christmas festivities, or just doesn't drink alcohol, these sales show brewers and pubs are catering to all."

Gopuff has announced it will operate a 24-hour service onChristmasDay and Boxing Day in several UK cities, when most supermarkets are closed.

"With most UK supermarkets closed on Christmas Day and operating at limited hours either side, Gopuff is the perfect solution for any late-night or last-minute essentials - whether it's festive treats, groceries or even emergency supplies," a Gopuff spokesperson told The Grocer.

Stores in these locations will have the 24-hour service:

• London
• Cambridge
• Salford
• Swansea
• Liverpool
• Newcastle
• Bristol
• Leeds
• Manchester
• Birmingham
• Cardiff
• Coventry
• Nottingham
• Derby and Sheffield (until 2am each day)

The owner of Guinness is understood to have placed limits on pub and bar purchases of the Irish-made stout in the UK after a rush in sales, which has reportedly sparked some panic buying ahead of Christmas.

The number of kegs that can be ordered from the Diageo-owned brand was being "managed", the company said in response to a request for a statement by Sky News.

The Times, which was first to report on the rush, said the recent spike in demand was understood to be linked to so-called Guinnfluencers' bolstering the drink's popularity among women.

A run of rugby union internationals during November was also blamed for stoking unprecedented sales growth ahead of the key festive season.

The competition watchdog has approved the creation of the UK's biggest phone network by allowing the merger of Three and Vodafone.

Regulator the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued the decision despite previously sayingtens of millions could pay moreas a result of the amalgamation.

CMA approval is contingent on the new entity spending billions to improve 5G internet services across the network, it said.

Legally binding targets have been set out for the combined Vodafone and Three to meet.

They must cap some mobile tariffs and offer preset contractual terms to mobile virtual network operators, mobile providers that do not own the networks they operate on, for three years.

The world's biggest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, has been valued at more than $100,000 for the first time, spurred on by Donald Trump's latest nomination for his presidential team.

Thecryptocurrencywas valued at $103,280 (£81,160) as of 4.10am UK time, leaping in value by 7.9% in the previous 24 hours, according to currency converter XE.com.

It's the high watermark of a surge in buying that started on 5 November, the day of the US election.

Since then, the price has risen by around 45% from $69,374 (£54,608).

The rally has also been stoked by a series of the president-elect's appointments, with Paul Atkins being picked to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the same day that the cryptocurrency reached its benchmark number.

A driveway is a feature many of us look for when buying a home - but how much does it add to the value of a property?

Estate agents Yopa have been doing the calculations and worked out it can add between 5% and 10%.

If you live in a city where parking is difficult, some experts think it could add even more.

Kesha Foss-Smith, area director atJohn D Wood & Co, told Money:"In bigger cities like London this figure would be greater - not only because house prices tend to be higher, but also because car parking spaces are scarce anddriveways are more valuable."

Property expert Trevor Kearney agreed, saying some parking spaces in prime central London sell for £1m.

"It just shows you the value of what that can potentially be. In percentage terms it's quite difficult to place an actual figure, but I would certainly estimate it adding at least 10% to the value of your house quite comfortably," he said.

"If you had a £10m house and the fact that you can park outside on your own driveway, is that worth £1m, it most definitely is."

Here's how much a driveway could add to your property in major cities across the country:

So if you can add one, should you?

Toby Leak, from estate agent organisation Propertymark, said the uplift a driveway brings to a property can depend on market dynamics and demand, with several factors making a difference.

Some of them are:

• Availability of free parking in the local area
• The price of parking permits
• How busy the road is
• How many cars can fit on the driveway

"It is important to bear in mind that many houses were built at a time when cars were not common for most families, but that is no longer the case for most people these days," he said.

"If you're looking to add value to your property, then you must ensure that you get a variety of quotes on works and really look at the detail and quality.

"It's advised to also do research on properties that are similar once works are completed to ensure you don't overspend and push yourself out of line with the market pricing."

Ms Foss-Smith advised sellers to look at other properties in the area to make sure it "blends in with its surroundings".

"If yourdrivewaylooks out of place because of the materials you've used, a lack of security, or simply by virtue of being quite small compared to those around it, then it will generate less value," she said.

"Materials like block paving or resin-bound surfaces enhance the durability and aesthetic appeal of adriveway, so they are common materials to choose."

What about the electric car effect?

One factor that can make driveways more desirable is the ability to charge an electric car at home without faffing with on street parking.

In the UK, electric car sales are increasing, even though overall car sales are decreasing.

In all 29,800 electric cars were sold in the UK in October this year.

That is up by a quarter from a year ago, according to sales data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Mr Leak believes driveways will be more sought after as electric cars grow in popularity.

"With the move to electric vehicles, it certainly makes it easier to transition if you have a private drive where you can add a charging point, so this will likely see an increase in demand," he said.

"With the move towards electrification, it would not surprise me if driveways became highly sought after in the future."

He added that home chargers are more than likely to become a standard part of people's driveways "in the near future".

Ms Foss-Smith suggested adding one to your home now is a good way to boost its value.

"Having charging points installed on yourdrivewaycould be another nice way to bump up the value of your home by a few thousand pounds," she said.

With uncertainty over the Bank of England's coming interest rate decision,Savings Championco-founder Anna Bowes tells us how we could be making the most of our money with regular saver accounts...

After the base rate cut early last month, we have seen some of the top savings rates available falling too, as you might expect, and a number of providers have announced cuts that will happen in the next few days and weeks, writes Anna.

However, there have also been some surprising bright spots - with ISA rates being the main heroes once again, but this time across the board.

A few of the top easy access cash ISA rates have actually increased as competition hots up between some of the newer app-based savings accounts such as Plum, Trading 212 and Moneybox, but some have also announced rate cuts that are coming.

Overall, the easy access ISA rates have been defying gravity so far - but it feels like the tide is turning.

The picture is not quite as rosy with non-ISA easy access accounts, as overall the best rates available have been falling, and there are more cuts to come.

On the fixed-term accounts, once again some of the top non-ISA bond rates have fallen, though the longer term, five-year rates have actually increased slightly since last month.

Atom Bank has launched one to five-year bonds, all paying 4.6%, which has pushed them into second place in the two-year table, but into the top spot over three years and five years. Other providers have also hiked some of their rates, illustrating the expectation that although the general trajectory for interest rates is downwards, it's likely that rates will stay a little higher than previously predicted for longer.

What is surprising, though, is that the top fixed-term ISA rates have increased over the past month, across all terms - so there are plenty of competitive accounts to choose from, especially for those who have already fully utilised their Personal Savings Allowance but have not yet used their ISA allowance.

If this is the case, it's probably best to get a move on, to take advantage of this anomaly while it lasts.

Tesco has a lesser-known Clubcard scheme - but not everyone is entitled to the benefits.

The Colleague Clubcard grants employees at the supermarket and a plus-one a number of discounts, including 10% off purchases in stores, online and in Tesco cafes - which rises to 15% for four days after every pay day.

You're also able to get50% off health checks at Tesco Pharmacy and entitled to a20% for car, pet, travel and home insurance.

The benefit applies to staff who have worked at Tesco for at least three months and employees are able to share their membership with one other person.

"After three months with us, you'll get your Colleague Clubcard, giving you access to lots of discounts in-store and online. And you can even get one for a family member too," Tesco says on its website.