News & Insight

The gap between the cost of owning a home and renting a property is at its widest since 2017, with the costs of owning a home £1,378 cheaper than renting in 2021. ...

The Bank of England has increased base rate from 0.25% to 0.50%. Here's our rundown of how lenders are reacting to the rise, so you can see whether yours has increased its Standard Variable Rate. ...

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has voted by a majority of 8-1 to raise the base rate to 0.25%, providing little festive cheer to homeowners. ...

The number of home moves in the UK reached its highest level in 14 years in the first half of 2021, with more than 265,000 people moving to a new property. ...

If you’re planning a move and want to sell your home before Christmas, you’ll need to get your skates on. ...

Interest rates were held at 0.1% this month, despite inflation in August recording it’s biggest increase since records began in 1997. ...

Annual house price growth slowed slightly in July, according to Nationwide’s latest house price index....

Rock bottom mortgage rates mean that borrowers can now choose from a wide range of two-year fixed rate mortgages at less than 1%, or five-year fixed rate mortgages at just over 1%. ...

Nearly half of all mortgage lending made in the first three months of this year went to home movers , according to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the highest share since records began. ...

More than four out of every five new homes completed in England and Wales in the final quarter of last year achieved one of the top highest energy efficiency ratings, according to latest Government data. ...

...

The stamp duty holiday has been extended until the end of June, benefiting thousands of homeowners who were at risk of missing the original deadline of 31st March. ...

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously to leave the base rate unchanged at 0.1% in February but didn’t rule out rates falling below zero in future. ...

There’s no escaping the fact that moving house can be stressful, but a bit of careful planning will help make the process less painful. ...

Is moving house one of your New Year’s resolutions? If so, check out our list of do’s and don’ts to get your home ready for viewing and see if you can get the best possible price. ...

The current Help to Buy scheme will be replaced by a new scheme in April, which will only be available to first-time buyers and will impose regional price caps on eligible properties. ...

Homeowners with properties situated within one of the government’s proposed new national parks could see their homes increase in value by as much as 20%, according to a new report. ...

It’s been another busy month for the mortgage market, with house price growth showing no sign of slowing. ...

Demand from property buyers showed no signs of slowing in October, pushing up house prices across all parts of the UK, according to the latest RICS UK Residential survey. ...

...

We explain what thew new restrictions in your area mean for your purchase or remortgage ...

Keyworkers who have helped the UK through Covid-19 have been added to Swansea Building Society’s list of professionals who can benefit from lower mortgage rates....

House prices reached a record high in August according to Nationwide, cancelling out the losses seen in May and June. ...

Homebuyers and those looking to remortgage who want the security of a fixed rate deal may want to act sooner rather than later, as rates have started to tick up in recent weeks. ...

The government has confirmed it is extending the completion deadline for new homes to help homebuyers whose property purchases have been delayed due to coronavirus. ...

New homes and planning reforms have been pledged by the government in a bid to “build better homes where people want to live” and boost the UK’s economic recovery post-coronavirus. ...

The Bank of England left the base rate unchanged at 0.1% in August to support the economy’s recovery from the impact of coronavirus. ...

House prices jumped by 1.7% in July following the re-opening of the property market after lockdown measures were relaxed. ...

Homeowners with leasehold properties could find it easier to buy the freehold or extend their leases, under changes to the leasehold system proposed by the Law Commission....

Until recently there has only been a very limited range of mortgage products available for first time buyers with smaller deposits, but there are now signs of improvement....

Homebuyers throughout the UK will now benefit from lower stamp duty costs, with Scottish and Welsh governments both confirming temporary tax cuts. ...

On 8th July Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a major tax cut for home buyers, with a temporary waiver of Stamp Duty Land Tax for all properties valued up to £500,000. ...

...

Nationwide, Britain’s biggest building society, has reduced the maximum amount it will lend so that it can “continue to lend responsibly”. ...

After re-introducing many of their deals for homebuyers with small deposits after lockdown rules eased, several lenders this week pulled their first-time buyer mortgages again temporarily. ...

Homeowners who have taken mortgage payment holidays to help them weather the financial impact of coronavirus may be able to extend their breaks by three months, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed. ...

The Bank of England is reviewing whether to cut interest rates to less than zero to help stimulate an economic recovery, but has said it won’t act until it has fully assessed the impact of doing so....

Now that the property market has restarted again, lenders are busy working through the backlog of mortgage applications they put on hold when physical valuations had to cease during lockdown. ...

Thousands of homebuyers who had to put their moves on hold when the country went into lockdown at the end of March can now proceed with their plans ...

Recent weeks have proved a rollercoaster ride for the mortgage market, with several lenders withdrawing products and then expanding their ranges. But what next for the mortgage market? ...

Annual house price growth rose by 3.7% in April, according to Nationwide’s latest house price index, the highest rate of annual growth for more than two years. ...

Some mortgage lenders have announced changes to their affordability criteria to give more clarity for those who have been furloughed due to coronavirus, or those who receive a variable income which includes bonuses....

...

The Bank of England reduced base rate by 0.50% to 0.25% on March 11th and then cut further to 0.10% on the 19th. Here's our rundown of how lenders are reacting to these cuts....

Home-movers are being advised by the Government to put their plans on hold wherever possible whilst measures are in place to fight coronavirus. ...

The Bank of England cut the base rate again on Thursday to just 0.1%, its lowest ever level, in a bid to support the economy during the coronavirus crisis. ...

Nationwide, the UK’s largest building society, will soon re-enter the interest-only mortgage market - but only high earners will be eligible. ...

Although much of this week’s Budget speech focused on measures to protect people and businesses from the economic impact of the coronavirus, there were several announcements on property. ...

The Bank of England slashed the base rate by half a percentage point to just 0.25% on Wednesday to help shore up the economy during the coronavirus outbreak. ...

A New Homes Ombudsman, Help to Buy numbers, leasehold reforms and house prices ...

House prices in all English cities have finally surpassed price levels recorded at the last peak in 2007, with prices across the UK approaching a three-year high. ...

Paying off your mortgage early is a pretty appealing prospect for most people, so it’s little wonder that many of us plough any cash we don’t have an immediate need for back into our homes. ...

The Financial Times reported this weekend on the increasing number of borrowers looking to split their mortgages to suit their financial circumstances. ...

Buyers will now be responsible for finding out whether the property they are purchasing has been invaded by Japanese knotweed if the current owner isn’t sure. ...

We explain everything you need to know about mortgages and the impact having children can have on your ability to borrow. ...

First time buyers will be able to benefit from discounted new homes under a new ‘First Homes’ scheme proposed by the Government. ...

With Valentine’s Day around the corner you might be starting to feel a bit romantic. Perhaps you’re thinking about moving in with your partner, or even popping the question? There’s a practical consideration you’ll want to think about before you make the big commitment of living together: How will the mortgage work?...

More than 83,500 property and land sales were registered with HM Land Registry in December, with some staggering differences between the cheapest and most expensive properties sold. ...

Homebuyers with only a 5% deposit to put down now have a wider choice of mortgage options to choose from following the launch of a new range of fixed rate mortgages. ...

...

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. ...

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. ...

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

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. ...

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 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. ...

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. ...

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. ...

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. ...

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

...

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. ...

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. ...

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. ...

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. ...

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. ...

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. ...

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. ...

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

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. ...

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. ...

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....

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. ...