News & Insight

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. ...

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

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. ...

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. ...

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. ...

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? ...

Growing numbers of first-time buyers are getting onto the property ladder, new figures show, helped by low mortgage rates and government schemes such as Help to Buy. ...

Your mortgage is likely to be your biggest monthly outgoing, so it’s a great place to start if you’re looking to cut costs. Here’s our rundown of some of the mortgage resolutions you might want to consider making. ...

So-called ‘supersized’ mortgages have hit the headlines following the launch of a new mortgage enabling professionals to borrow up to six times their salary. ...

One in five (22%) first-time buyers is hoping their parents will cough up more than half the funds they need to get onto the property ladder, according to recent research. ...

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. ...

One in five mortgage holders, equivalent to three million people, believe they will still be paying off their mortgage beyond the age of 65, according to new L&C research. ...

Nearly two-thirds of people trying to move up the property ladder say they’re finding it harder than it was to buy their first home. ...

Thousands of first-time buyers every year manage to get onto the property ladder with help from their parents, but not everyone is lucky enough to have financial support from family. ...

Fixed rate mortgages have proved hugely popular in recent years, but with increasingly attractive variable rate deals on offer, is it time for borrowers to consider other options? ...

L&C recently ran a study to find out the real world value of video game properties. You might be surprised to find out that more people Google ‘How to buy a house in Skyrim’ than ‘How to buy a house in London, Paris, or even New York! So what could this mean in reality? We’ve put together a comparison so you can figure out whether you’d be hanging out in Hyrule or slumming it in Fallout 4’s Home Plate....

First-time buyers who are currently renting could find it easier to get onto the property ladder now that rental payment information will be included on their credit reports. ...

The 2018 Autumn Budget included a range of measures focused on the housing market. Here’s our rundown of the changes. ...

The Chancellor Philip Hammond will unveil his Autumn Budget on October 29th, with many speculating that he could announce a range of measures affecting the property market. ...

Lenders are urging the government to clarify the future of the Help to Buy scheme, warning that major changes could risk “significant market disruption.” ...

The number of self-employed people in the UK continues to grow, but getting a mortgage if you work for yourself isn’t always straightforward. ...

The challenges of achieving home ownership were highlighted once again this weekend, with the Financial Times reporting on recent figures published by the Office of National Statistics. ...

Growing numbers of lenders are launching Help to Buy mortgages, increasing the options available to buyers of new build properties. ...

This year’s Gas Safety Week, which runs from September 17-23, aims to raise awareness of the dangers of poorly maintained gas appliances, which can cause fires, explosions, gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning. ...

Longer term 5 and 10-year fixed rate mortgages are becoming increasingly popular, as borrowers seek to protect themselves from further interest rate rises. ...

The Bank of England today voted to keep the base rate unchanged at 0.75%. ...

This weekend’s financial press looked at the future of Help to Buy, with experts sharing their views on whether the Government scheme should be amended, extended or scrapped beyond its current end date of 2021. ...

Gross mortgage lending reached £24.6bn in July, according to latest figures from trade body UK Finance, its highest level since March 2016. ...

UK house prices fell at their sharpest rate for six years in August, according to Nationwide’s latest monthly House Price Index, bringing the average cost of a home to £214,745....

The Financial Times reported this weekend on the increase in the number of Retirement Interest Only (RIO) mortgages coming onto the market, as lender confidence in this type of product grows. ...

Clydesdale Bank has become the latest lender to introduce a new range of mortgages specifically for professionals. ...

The desire for home ownership was a talking point in this weekend’s press, following recent research by Barclays which revealed that more than 60% of First Time Buyers view buying a home as a greater sign of commitment than marriage. ...

Homeowners with only a limited amount of equity now have a greater choice of remortgage options, with lenders including Virgin Money, Tesco and Atom Bank improving their offerings at this end of the market. ...

Whilst first-time buyers often rely on the Bank of Mum and Dad to help with their deposits, those planning their next move also depend on their support, according to the latest ‘Second Steppers’ report from Lloyds Bank. ...

Competition in the mortgage market has been heating up recently, with new figures revealing the ever-shrinking margin between average 2 and 5 year fixed rates. ...

First-time buyers who manage to get onto the property ladder could save an average of more than £2,200 a year compared to renting, with buying now cheaper than renting in all areas of the UK. ...

More than 40,000 homeowners remortgaged in April, according to latest figures from trade body UK Finance, up 36% compared to the same month last year. ...

According to new L&C research, if house prices continue to rise at the rate they have in recent years, the proportion of properties which qualify for this exemption will fall dramatically by 2028....

Saving for a deposit is often the biggest challenge first-time buyers face but increasing numbers of lenders are introducing new mortgage deals which only require a 5% deposit. ...

The Sunday Telegraph reported this weekend on the narrowing gap between 2 and 10 year fixed rates, as lenders compete to attract borrowers looking for longer term peace of mind. ...

House prices fell by 0.2% in May, according to latest figures from Nationwide, with ongoing pressure on household budgets helping push down prices. ...

More than half of millennials – those aged between 18 and 35 - are considering buying a home with friends or family to achieve their aim of getting on the property ladder. ...

Both ends of the lending spectrum were covered in this weekend’s financial press, and in particular the criteria that is enabling different generations to either get onto the property ladder, or stay on it. ...

Four in 10 millennials are living in rented private accommodation at the age of the 30, according to a recent report by think tank the Resolution Foundation....

The Post Office has introduced a new ‘Family Link’ mortgage aimed at first-time buyers that can afford monthly mortgage payments but who don’t have a deposit to put down. ...

A new stamp duty system is being introduced in Wales next month, which means many buyers won’t pay the tax when purchasing a property costing up to £180,000. ...

After several years of steady increases, the number of people working on zero hours contracts has plateaued. ...

NatWest has launched the ability for brokers to extend the offer period on mortgages for new build homes, which could increase it from six to as much as 12 months. ...