News & Insight

Growing numbers of property investors are looking to buy holiday homes to let out in the UK in response to increasing demand for UK holidays. ...

Following a somewhat sluggish year for the property market in 2019, there are signs that 2020 is off to a more positive start. ...

On January the 6th, the first working day after Christmas, #DivorceDay was trending on Twitter. January is unofficially known as ‘divorce month’ as it’s widely believed to be the busiest month for enquires about divorce received by solicitors....

Spring is usually considered the best time to sell a property, but in fact there’s no time like the present, according to new research. ...

One in three of us would take out pet insurance for our furry friends, yet more than eight out of ten don’t have or wouldn’t buy financial protection for ourselves in case we’re unable to work. ...

Around 140,000 mortgage deals are due to mature this April, so if you’re one of them it’s worth looking into remortgaging as soon as possible. ...

After all that festive spending, the New Year is the ideal time to review your finances and look at ways you might be able to save money in 2020. ...

As we enter both a new year and a new decade, the weekend’s financial press took a look at changing times within the mortgage market. ...

Political and economic uncertainty may have dominated 2019, but homeowners and buyers have continued to benefit from rock-bottom mortgage rates. ...

Is sorting out your finances one of your New Year’s resolutions? Whether you’re thinking about taking out a mortgage or if you already have one, it will probably be your biggest monthly outgoing, so should be a priority on your resolution list. Here are a few ideas to help you get going...

First-time buyers in Scotland will receive financial help to buy a property under a recently launched pilot scheme. ...

Want to get in touch with us over Christmas? No problem, here’s when we’ll be available for you to give us a call: Christmas Eve – 9am – 2pm Christmas Day – Closed Boxing Day – Closed New Year’s Eve – 9am – 2pm New Year’s Day – Closed Otherwise it’s business as usual!...

Ongoing political and economic uncertainty has failed to deter first-time buyers, with growing numbers managing to get on to the property ladder. ...

House price growth remained subdued in October, with many homebuyers and movers putting plans on hold amid ongoing Brexit uncertainty. ...

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to keep interest rates at 0.75% again in November, although two of the nine members voted in favour of a cut. ...

With the general election confirmed for the 12th December, the weekend’s financial press highlighted the potential policy pledges and the impact they might have on our economy. ...

Thousands of homeowners who’ve previously been barred from moving to cheaper mortgage deals could now be able to switch, thanks to new rules. ...

Thousands of lower earners will be given the opportunity to get onto the property ladder under plans for a new model of shared ownership announced by the Government. ...

The number of landlords buying properties to rent out is on the up, according to latest data from trade body UK Finance. ...

Follow our handy flow chart to find out if you should remortgage...

House prices are rising at the slowest annual pace for six years according to Halifax, with ongoing political and economic uncertainty continuing to weigh on the market. ...

There are nearly 5m self-employed workers in the UK but getting a mortgage if you work for yourself can be tricky if you don’t have the right paperwork in place. ...

Over the last decade millennials have received a lot of flak for relying on the Bank of Mum and Dad. ...

Sainsbury’s Bank has become the latest lender to exit the mortgage market, just six months after Tesco announced that it was pulling out of mortgages. ...

October 1st marked the start of National Home Security Month (NHSM), designed to raise awareness of the importance of keeping your property secure. ...

Take a trip on the underground to find out if you should remortgage...

More than half of first-time buyers (57%) believe they’d be able to borrow up to 10 times’ their income when they take out a mortgage, according to new research. ...

The share of mortgages advanced to those with deposits of less than 10% of the property value has reached its highest level since 2008, according to the Bank of England. ...

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously to leave the base rate unchanged this month, at its last meeting before the UK is due to leave the European Union....

More than half of properties in the UK are in areas that are affordable for first-time buyers, according to new research, with Blackpool, Hull and Lincoln among the ‘affordable hotspots.’ ...

Homebuyers and owners wanting the security of a long-term fixed rate mortgage now have a much wider range of options to choose from following the launch of several new 15-year deals. ...

Over half of homeowners never overpay on their mortgage, even though doing so could potentially save them thousands in interest and reduce their mortgage term. ...

Gas Safety Week takes place from 16th – 22nd September, and this year focuses on the most vulnerable members of society and how they can stay gas safe. ...

Lloyds Bank has agreed a deal to buy Tesco Bank’s mortgage book, in a takeover which will see more than 23,000 residential mortgage customers moved over to Lloyds’ Halifax division. ...

People will be able to buy more of their own home more easily under changes to the shared ownership scheme announced last week. ...

Growing numbers of university students are becoming landlords, buying properties that they can live in whilst also collecting rent from their student housemates. ...

With over £24 billion worth of mortgages due to come to an end in October, the Times reported this week on the ongoing battle for remortgage business. ...

Getting onto the property ladder can seem daunting. Here, we explain how much you should aim to save, and some of the things you might be able to do to reach your goal more quickly. ...

Older homeowners have typically been in their properties around 10 years longer than younger owners, as home mover activity in the UK remains subdued. ...

First-time buyer and homemover mortgage numbers dropped slightly in June, with many people putting their plans on hold due to current political and economic uncertainty. ...

The number of homes purchased using Help to Buy increased by 9% in the year to the end of March 2019, with 52,404 properties bought using the scheme over this period. ...

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously to keep the base rate at 0.75% in August amid ongoing Brexit uncertainty. ...

If you're selling your home you'll want to get the best price possible, but there could be things you aren't even aware of that are affecting its value. Here we reveal six surprising things that could affect your property's price....

Inflation-busting increases in school fees mean that some parents may consider using equity tied up in their homes to help cover costs. ...

More than £26 billion worth of mortgage deals will come to an end in October, according to research by Yorkshire Building Society, the largest monthly amount of mortgages maturing this year. ...

May saw a sharp increase in the number of people remortgaging and borrowing extra funds, suggesting that many are choosing to improve their homes rather than move. ...

Despite recent reports that self-employed people often believe they’d struggle to get a mortgage, being your own boss won’t necessarily make it harder to get on the property ladder. ...

Buy-to-let landlords are benefiting from cheaper mortgage rates and a wider choice of deals as lenders compete for their business. ...

All new build homes should be sold on a freehold basis in future, in a bid to tackle unfair and exploitative leasehold practices, the government announced in recent weeks. ...

More than 28,000 mortgages running for 35 years or more were approved in 2017, according to data from the Financial Conduct Authority, with a growing number of lenders now offering terms of up to 40 years. ...

House price growth in the UK remains resilient despite ongoing Brexit uncertainty according to Halifax, with prices rising at their fastest annual rate since early 2017. ...

Recent UK Finance figures revealed a significant increase in the number of people ‘staying put’ and remortgaging to release money from their property, many of whom are using the funds to carry out home improvements including extensions. ...

The government has pledged £5m to help boost the number of green mortgages available to homebuyers. ...

The average price of a flat in England has fallen by 2.1% over the year to an average of £220,146, according to the UK House Price Index for April, whereas all other types of property have increased in value. ...

Fancy a flat-pack home? Up to 162 new factory-built homes could soon be constructed in Worthing if a deal between the council and an affordable housing developer co-owned by IKEA goes ahead. ...

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to keep interest rates on hold at 0.75% earlier this month, with ongoing Brexit uncertainty continuing to hamper economic growth. ...

Most mortgage applications go without a hitch, but there are times when applications are refused, leaving buyers or homeowners wondering which way to turn. The good news is that once you know the reasons why a mortgage might be declined you can work on boosting your chances of being accepted. ...

NHS staff, police officers, firefighters and teachers are among those who’ll be eligible to apply for a new ‘Hero Mortgage’ from specialist lender Kensington. ...

Since its launch in 2013, the Help to Buy equity loan scheme has allowed thousands of struggling buyers to purchase a property. This will come to an end in March 2023, and experts in this weekend’s financial press predicted a subsequent increase in demand for shared-ownership properties. ...

There are nearly 200 interest-only mortgages for borrowers to pick from, according to recent research, nearly double the number available in 2013. ...

Five-year fixed rates were the product of choice in April, reported the Times this weekend, with 45% of all borrowers opting for protection against the possibility of rising rates. ...

Here, we explain what it means for borrowers when a lender stops offering mortgages. ...

MPs have set up an all-party parliamentary group (APPG) to explore ways to help mortgage prisoners who are stuck paying high interest rates because they’re unable to switch to better deals. ...

The Guardian reported this weekend on the ongoing battle for mortgage prisoners to gain access to lower rates. ...

The amount landlords can charge as a deposit will be capped from next month to protect tenants from having to fork out thousands of pounds to secure a property. ...

Despite the fact that interest rates were kept on hold at 0.75% this month, the Bank of England has warned that rate increases could be “more frequent” if the economy picks up. ...

The amount first-time buyers are saving for a deposit has risen by 12% over the past year to reach an average of £30,989. ...

One in six parents who remortgage use it as an opportunity to provide financial support to their children, according to research. ...

The number of first-time buyers getting onto the property ladder is on the up, helped by low mortgage rates which make owning a home more affordable. ...

The competition runs from 10am 04/05/2019 until midnight 31/05/2019. Entries received after this time will not be put forward for the draw. The prize draw is open to residents of the UK aged 18 or over, excluding employees or agencies of London & Country Mortgages, MoneySuperMarket or their respective group companies or families or anyone else connected to the Prize Draw. ...

Steep stamp duty costs are encouraging homeowners to improve rather than move, potentially reducing the number of smaller homes available to first-time buyers, a House of Lords report warns. ...

Not sure whether to remortgage? Here are five reasons why it could be a good idea for you to find a new mortgage deal: ...

The financial press took a look at the pros and cons of longer mortgage terms this weekend, following research produced by Santander that suggested almost half of buyers would consider taking a mortgage over a period of 40 years. ...

More than a quarter of a million homeowners will reach the end of their interest-only mortgages in the next five years but could struggle to remortgage, according to new research. ...

We're excited to launch our latest TV advert, encouraging homeowners to check they’re on the best possible deal and celebrating the fact that L&C is now the UK’s number one online mortgage broker. ...

Non-UK residents buying homes in England and Northern Ireland could soon face steeper stamp duty costs, under proposals being considered by the government. ...

The building society said that it had launched its later life mortgage range in response to growing demand for borrowing into retirement, brought about by demographic and social changes....

For the first time in nearly six decades, a child is at least as likely to be born into a rented home as a home owned by its parents, a report by insurer Royal London found. ...

This weekend’s financial press highlighted the variety of new products coming on to the market, as lenders look for new and interesting ways to attract borrowers. ...

Lenders are increasingly offering mortgages with terms of up to 40 years, helping homebuyers on tighter budgets to get onto the property ladder. ...

The Times reported this weekend that around £22.3 billion worth of mortgage deals will come to an end in April, meaning that potentially thousands of homeowners could be about to move onto more expensive Standard Variable Rates (SVR). ...

UK house prices edged higher in March, according to Nationwide, rising by a modest 0.2% during the month as ongoing Brexit uncertainty continues to take its toll. ...

Thousands of “mortgage prisoners” who are trapped paying high mortgage rates may soon be able to move to better deals under proposals announced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). ...

The Bank of England voted unanimously to leave the base rate unchanged at 0.75% in March, with political and economic uncertainty making it impossible to know which way rates will move next. ...

Council tax bills are on their way up again from April, but if you’re worried about rising household bills, remortgaging could help reduce your outgoings. ...

Good traffic links and nearby scenic walks are top of homebuyers’ wish lists, according to new L&C research, with takeaway delivery services and access to Uber cabs a much lower priority. ...

Joining forces with friends may be the only way some first-time buyers can afford to get onto the property ladder, but it’s important to weigh up all the pros and cons of co-owning a home first. ...

Over 400,000 first-time buyers have been given a leg up onto the property ladder by one or more of the government’s Help to Buy schemes over the past five years. ...

There are just a few weeks to go before the new 2019-20 tax year begins on 6th April, when landlords will see further reductions in the amount of tax relief they can claim. ...

Here’s our rundown of the top financial goals you’ll need to focus on and some of the ways you might be able to reach them....

The competition runs from 10am 01/03/2019 until midnight 31/03/2019. Entries received after this time will not be put forward for the draw. The prize draw is open to residents of the UK aged 18 or over, excluding employees or agencies of London & Country Mortgages, MoneySuperMarket or their respective group companies or families or anyone else connected to the Prize Draw....

Political and economic uncertainty has failed to dent first-time buyers’ enthusiasm, latest UK Finance figures show, with numbers reaching a 12-year high in 2018. ...

Both the Times and Financial Times reported this weekend on recent figures from UK Finance, which show an increase in the number of mortgages given to First Time Buyers last year. ...

Japanese knotweed, the intrusive superweed which strikes fear into the hearts of homeowners, could be under control in 21 years thanks to tighter mortgage lending criteria. ...

It might not be a very romantic question, but would you stay in a relationship to get a foot on the property ladder? Two salaries can make it much easier to qualify for better mortgage deals and help to meet lenders’ affordability tests. But is it worth it?...

There were around 785,000 first-time buyers in England last year, according to the latest English Housing Survey, with many helped by the Bank of Mum and Dad. ...

100% mortgages have hit the headlines recently with the launch of Lloyds Bank’s new ‘Lend a Hand’ scheme, but can homebuyers really purchase a property with no deposit? ...

Thinking about a new kitchen or adding an extension to your property in 2019? If so, you can’t start planning soon enough. ...

Millions of homeowners will be mortgage-free later than they expected, according to new L&C research, but there are plenty of things you can do to pay off what you owe sooner. ...

As uncertainty over Brexit continues, the financial press looked this weekend at the impact on the housing market and consumer confidence. ...