Mortgage rates also continue to fall as interest rates soften, with some deals for first-time buyers now below 5%. It is a trend which is expected to continue and should encourage this segment of the market to become more active.Source: Dataloft, Rightmove, MoneySuperMarket
As households across the nation dust off the age-old recipe for gingerbread houses, we’ve taken a look at what house builders have cooked up recently.
Almost 200k new homes were registered in the year to end of 9/ 2022, the highest total since before the Global Financial Crisis.
The UK's top ten mortgage lenders lent an eye-watering £260 billion in 2021, increasing their market share to 84.4%, up from 82.4% in 2019 (data released in August 2022, UK Finance).
First-time buyers could save up to £6,250, because they will now be exempt from stamp duty on the first £425,000. The purchase price at which they can take advantage of this relief has been raised too, from £500,000 to £625,000.
A net balance in demand of +64% was reported by survey participants for renter demand. The strongest result since 1999.
In the sales market, participants recorded a net balance of +16% for new buyer enquiries, up from +9% in December. This is the strongest figure since May 2021.
Demand rose 13% between February and March, with Rightmove reporting sales in the first week of March up 12% year-on-year. The number of buyers enquiring per available property was 34% higher.
Demand levels and sales activity remain buoyant in the UK housing market. Rightmove report agreed sales were up 50% in October, with properties selling (sold SSTC), in just 49 days, 15 days faster than a year ago.
Energy efficiency of houses in England has improved over the last decade. The announcement of the Green Home Grant will help cut energy emissions further, which is important to many households.
31% of Britons' second homes are purchased in the UK. With staycations on the rise, accelerated by Covid-19, could we see an increase in holiday homes purchased in the UK?
Mortgage products are returning following a collapse in availability during lockdown. 77% of mortgage brokers expect lending to return to pre-pandemic levels within nine months
Rightmove report that new instructions were up 2.1% in January, the first positive rise in over a year, but how do prospective sellers choose their agent?
Labour Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s closure of Harwood Terrace continues to backfire. The campaign to re-open gathers strength across Fulham & Chelsea.
The top 10 most mispronounced place names in the UK have been revealed by the creators of language app Babbel. Frome in Somerset, most commonly pronounced as rhyming with ‘home’, tops the list. Whereas Beaulieu tops the price league with ave. prices exceeding £500k.
The rental market is about to enter its busiest time of the year. Analysis from Dataloft Rental Market Analytics reveals that, over the last three years, on average 22% of each year’s tenancies have begun during August and September.