Middle class run on equity release: Cash-hungry home owners squeeze nearly £5bn out of their properties April 9, 2022 Equity release payments in the UK increased by almost £1bn in 2021, as more and more people look for alternative ways of ensuring healthy and happy retirements. Between 2020 – 2021, the amount of money released in the UK rose from £3.9bn to £4.8bn, an annual increase of £940 million, or 24.4 per cent, according [...]
Number of properties available for purchase before being constructed soaring to levels ‘never witnessed before’ April 5, 2022 Record numbers of homes sold will be “off plan” by the end of the year, a property group told City A.M. this morning. The National Association of Property Buyers believe the number of properties available for purchase before they have been constructed will soar to levels never witnessed before. According to data shared with this [...]
Home buyer demand bouncing back across UK with Blackpool, Swindon and Newcastle leading the pack April 2, 2022 Zoopla this morning said the supply of homes being put up for sale generally is building momentum, although the overall choice of properties remains constrained. Blackpool and Swindon are among the urban areas seeing a bounceback in home buyer activity, according to the property website. The stock of homes available to buy is still 42 [...]
Home buyers face stamp duty of up to 881 per cent higher after Covid-inspired tax holiday March 24, 2022 Since the pandemic-inspired stamp duty holiday came to an end, the amount of SD the average homebuyer in England is now required to pay is 84 per cent higher than it was before the tax break was introduced, and some areas have seen this cost increase by as much as 881 per cent, according to [...]
Saturday Sitdown: Soho Housing’s chief on why ‘we need to rethink the way we use central London’ March 19, 2022 Insurance giant Admiral recently warned that nearly nine out of ten Londoners can no longer afford the average cost of rent in the capital. The demand for rooms to rent is much higher than the available supply, thereby leading to such increases that most Londoners cannot keep up with, the company cited as the main [...]
House prices increase at fastest annual pace since 2007 as property values jump by almost 11 per cent March 7, 2022 House prices increased at the fastest annual pace since 2007 in February to reach a new record high, according to an index. At 10.8 per cent, the annual rate of house price growth was the strongest since June 2007, Halifax said. The increase took the average house price across the UK to a new record [...]
As first time buyers save for an average of four years, half of them give up on ownership dream March 5, 2022 First-time buyers are saving for an average of four years in order to raise the deposit to get on the property ladder, new research showed today. The number of first-time buyers rose to nearly 410,000 last year with average deposits estimated at around £53,935 but affordability is still being squeezed with house prices estimated to [...]
Average UK property almost £30,000 more expensive than a year ago as house prices accelerate March 2, 2022 The average UK house price has topped £260,000 for first time, after surging by nearly £30,000 over the past 12 months. The typical property value reached £260,230 in February, Nationwide Building Society said. In cash terms, the average house price in February was £29,162 higher than a year earlier, the biggest annual cash increase the [...]
UK home to fourth largest rental market trailing US, Germany and Japan March 1, 2022 When it comes to the total volume of privately rented properties, the UK ranks fourth in the global rankings, with just the United States, Germany and Japan home to more rental homes, according to new research shared with City A.M. this morning. Across the UK there are estimated to be over 29.5m homes within the [...]
Saturday Sitdown: Mortgage guru Colin Bell on why Brits are ready for 50 year fixed rates February 26, 2022 Following the Bank of England’s recent interest rate rise and all the implications it has for the property and mortgage market, one firm is offering loans at a 30 year fixed rate, with plans to offer 40 and 50 year fixes in the near future. Sold as a massive lifestyle enabler and gives people much [...]