How to get your children on the property ladder: Five of the best options for the Bank of Mum and Dad July 14, 2016 Buying a first home used to signal the start of a new era of independence, a turning point into adulthood. But the astronomical rise in London prices has put paid to that. Home ownership is at its lowest level for 25 years. Not only are people buying their first home later – the average age has [...]
Property bubble shows no sign of popping yet as mortgage lending marches higher April 13, 2016 Mortgage lending grew by one-fifth over the last twelve months as the number of first time buyers, people moving homes, buy-to-let investors and remortgages all grew according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). In total, £8.7bn was taken out for new mortgages in February 2016, up 21 per cent on last year, while another [...]
New homes: Spanking new property going on sale this weekend in Greenwich, Blackwall, Southfields, Hendon and Old Isleworth February 17, 2017 Kidbrooke Village, Greenwich From £850,000 Buy a home that you can grow into over time by snapping up an adaptable Urban House. Berkeley Homes has designed these three to four bedroom houses on its development in Greenwich so you can upgrade them over time, depending on your living situation. The ground floor, for instance, can [...]
Lack of homes is stopping older Londoners downsizing, according to YouGov and McCarthy & Stone poll April 4, 2016 More than one in four older Londoners feel there is a lack of homes to downsize to despite more than a third considering a move, a new study released yesterday has found. The poll, which was conducted by YouGov on behalf of retirement housebuilder McCarthy & Stone, showed that 32 per cent of adults aged [...]
Buy to let stampede not enough to stop mortgage lending from rising in April May 19, 2016 The housing market shows no sign of letting up as mortgage lending came to a post-crisis high for the month of April, despite the buy to let stampede in March. Gross mortgage lending – the amount dished out by lenders to people buying new homes – came in at £18.5bn in April, up 16 per cent over the year [...]
UK property prices: A third of all house sales are now to first time buyers March 30, 2015 A third of all house sales are now made to first-time buyers, a new report has found, suggesting the UK's housing market is becoming less hostile towards those attempting to climb the first rung on the property ladder. The report, by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), said 30 per cent of all house [...]
Mortgage borrowing rises in January as landlords race for stamp duty deadline March 17, 2016 Would-be landlords made a mad dash to secure mortgages in January as new rules on stamp duty for buy-to-let homes loomed, new figures show. Data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) shows landlords borrowed £3.7bn in January, up nine per cent from the month before – but a whopping 42 per cent year on year. New [...]
UK house prices rose in June – but will Brexit hit house prices? Three experts give their view June 29, 2016 It seems the nation's house buyers were unperturbed at the prospect of a Brexit vote, after new figures showed house prices rose in June – despite warnings by the chancellor. Figures from Nationwide this morning showed prices crept up 0.2 per cent in June, or 5.1 per cent in the year to the end of [...]
First-time home buyers are being priced out of UK cities – Countrywide October 12, 2015 Renters are looking further afield for their first property as housing affordability in cities begins to bite, research from the UK’s largest estate agency group reveals this morning. To get on the first rung of the housing ladder, 36 per cent of London renters end up buying outside the M25, up from 21 per cent [...]
British homeowners think they’re sitting on a good investment as Brexit effect recedes February 17, 2017 UK homeowners are the most positive on the value of their biggest asset since before the EU referendum, according to a survey. An index of perceived current value of house prices rose to 57.5, according to research by Knight Frank and IHS Markit, its highest point since the Brexit vote led homeowners to think prices [...]