Shortly after the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act was granted Royal Assent in May, we surveyed members of the Association of...
Archive
One key point of difference in the parties’ housing policies during the recent general election campaign was that the Conservative Party...
17 August 2024
From: Features
There is no doubt that the residential market in the UK slumped last year. Transactions were at around 1 million, whereas...
27 July 2024
From: Features
The new Government’s plan to ‘Get Britain Building’ is ambitious, to say the least. And it is central to their mission, not...
20 July 2024
From: Features
It's more than a week since we saw the removal vans enter Downing St and Labour’s promise to hit the ground...
15 July 2024
From: Breaking News
The General Election had a “less dramatic” impact on the property market than in previous years except for at the high-end...
11 July 2024
From: Breaking News
So it’s a Labour landslide but it’s not like 1997. I remember the last time as if it were yesterday. May 1st, 1997....
06 July 2024
From: Features
The nation heads to the polls today to help choose the next Government. Housing hasn’t been a main feature and most of...
04 July 2024
From: Breaking News
An industry expert has called on agents to actively lobby new MPs to influence housing policy – whoever wins the election. Neil...
03 July 2024
From: Breaking News
The Conservatives are set to lose nearly half of homeowner votes on Thursday, latest polling from national estate agency Jackson-Stops reveals. In...
02 July 2024
From: Breaking News
The Stamp Duty exemption for first-time buyers will be returned to £300,000 under a Labour Government. The Labour Party, which is currently...
01 July 2024
From: Breaking News
The manifestos of all major parties tell us little about their true tax and public service plans, a respected financial think...
25 June 2024
From: Breaking News
In the later stages of an election when the Conservatives’ best chance of success is forcing an own goal by Labour,...
22 June 2024
From: Features
You have to wonder who is advising Rishi Sunak these days. Months ago, Silverstone must have seemed a terrific venue to hold...
15 June 2024
From: Features
The latest residential market sentiment survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors suggests confidence in the housing market is beginning...
13 June 2024
From: Breaking News
The Conservative Party’s General Election manifesto has committed to resurrecting the Help to Buy Equity Loan Scheme and temporarily removing Capital...
12 June 2024
From: Breaking News
The Conservatives appear to have abandoned plans to reverse Stamp Duty thresholds for first-time buyers if the party returns to power...
10 June 2024
From: Breaking News
Stamp Duty reform and first-time buyer support tops the list of what Foxtons would like to see from the next Government. The...
10 June 2024
From: Breaking News
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has pledged not to raise Stamp Duty as part of a Family Home Tax Guarantee. Writing in the Daily...
07 June 2024
From: Breaking News
Political parties have been pretty quiet on housing policy during the General Election campaign and industry groups are hopeful that tonight’s...
04 June 2024
From: Breaking News
And so we wait. The election, still only a week old and with almost five left to go, has served up main...
01 June 2024
From: Features
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has become the latest high-profile MP to announce he would step down ahead of July’s General Election. Gove...
28 May 2024
From: Breaking News
So we’ve been sent the ‘Save The Date’ card - it’s July 4. Now all we need is the invitation to the...
25 May 2024
From: Features
The Government’s controversial Renters (Reform) Bill has fallen victim to Rishi Sunak’s election announcement and has been shelved. The legislation – which...
25 May 2024
From: Features
The Labour Party has committed to building 1.5m new homes across the country over the next parliament. Shadow Housing Secretary Angela Rayner...
22 May 2024
From: Breaking News
A stamp duty cut would see house prices go up and evictions soar, a property industry commentator claims. Reports in the past...
07 May 2024
From: Breaking News
You don’t have to be a mind-reader to believe there will be a large majority Labour government by the end of...
04 May 2024
From: Features
Sky News is reporting that up to 30 Conservative MPs are threatening to rebel against the government’s approach to ground rents...
02 May 2024
From: Breaking News
There was a long-awaited return to the House of Commons this week when the Renters (Reform) Bill finally rose to the...
27 April 2024
From: Features
A report in the Times newspaper says Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is planning a stamp duty cut in the early autumn. The paper...
22 April 2024
From: Breaking News
The CEO of leading Scottish property portal ESPC, Paul Hilton shares why a discerning pricing strategy can improve the prospects of...
09 March 2024
From: Features
I was chatting to a genuine city gent the other day (someone who has enjoyed a career in suits, ties, shares...
02 March 2024
From: Features
The CEO of leading Scottish property portal ESPC shares why a discerning pricing strategy can improve the prospects of your property...
02 March 2024
From: Features
The complexities of the government’s leasehold reform proposals affecting millions of homeowners came under the spotlight at a seminar organised by...
02 March 2024
From: Features
Rumours of the launch of a 1% mortgage deposit scheme have re-emerged with just weeks to go until the Spring Budget Chancellor...
23 February 2024
From: Breaking News
Last weekend, Levelling Up and Housing Secretary, Michael Gove wrote in the Sunday Times that the nation’s housing crisis was so...
17 February 2024
From: Features
Housebuilders have indicated that they would prefer a Labour government is formed after the next General Election. The latest Land Index and...
30 January 2024
From: Breaking News
Sir Simon Clarke’s call for Rishi Sunak to be ousted from Downing Street may well express what many of his MP...
27 January 2024
From: Features
After months of negative messaging and anti-development sentiment, espoused both nationally by the Government, and locally during May’s local election campaigning,...
13 January 2024
From: Features
The factor most likely to influence the housing market next year is entirely outside the industry’s control: the General Election. Knight Frank...
16 December 2023
From: Features
So Christmas is coming – soon. Traditionally a time for reflection on what’s past and prediction on what’s to come. Last week...
09 December 2023
From: Features
The United Kingdom stands on the precipice of a historic overhaul in property ownership. With the King's speech unveiling the anticipated...
25 November 2023
From: Features
A proposed cut in stamp duty by the Westminster government would be a welcome boost to homebuyers and would need to...
27 October 2023
From: Breaking News
Stamp Duty reform was back in the news over the weekend amid reports that the Government plans to reform the controversial...
23 October 2023
From: Breaking News
Housing supply rather than the private rented sector (PRS) made the headlines during the Conservative and Labour Party conferences this year...
14 October 2023
From: Features
Talk about a wasted opportunity. The Conservative party conference - just finished, and possibly the last one before a General Election -...
07 October 2023
From: Features
I listened carefully, and I even played it back afterwards. But, even now, I remain astonished by what I didn’t hear. On Wednesday, in his...
06 October 2023
From: Breaking News
More families need a home they can call their own, the Housing Secretary Michael Gove has claimed. Speaking at the Tory Party...
04 October 2023
From: Breaking News
Propertymark is extending its political engagement and reach by exhibiting at the party conferences this week. The agency trade body will be...
02 October 2023
From: Breaking News
Since the Bank of England base rate started making large jumps around the middle of last year, mortgage rates have increased...
23 September 2023
From: Features
Introduced to Parliament in May, the Renters (Reform) Bill seeks to improve the private rental sector for both tenants and landlords....
15 September 2023
From: Sponsored Content
The Government is facing calls to resurrect the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme. The housing support scheme, which provided a Government-backed...
11 September 2023
From: Breaking News
And suddenly it’s autumn. It’s just six weeks before the clocks change, days are getting shorter and - the real sign...
09 September 2023
From: Features
I recently wrote that the long-gestating Renters Reform Bill, finally introduced in Parliament back in May, could be poorly timed, both...
26 August 2023
From: Features
Keir Starmer’s announcement about building on the Green Belt attracted some contentious headlines. It immediately thrust housing and planning into the...
26 August 2023
From: Features
It was a genuine pleasure to read this week about Yorkshire estate agent Ian Bradbury who clocked up 40 years selling...
19 August 2023
From: Features
After months of negative messaging and anti-development sentiment, espoused both nationally by the Government, and locally during recent local election campaigning,...
19 August 2023
From: Features
There is much debate about energy efficiency right now and about expected changes to minimum EPCs for private rental properties and...
12 August 2023
From: Features
The process from a Local Plan allocation to a digger on site typically stretches beyond the length of a five-year political...
12 August 2023
From: Features
It may be all change - again - at the Department of Levelling Up, Communities and Local Government if media speculation...
17 July 2023
From: Breaking News
The National Association of Property Buyers’ Jonathan Rolande gives his take on why it’s those working across the sector who will help drag us...
07 July 2023
From: Breaking News
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has ruled out providing financial support for struggling mortgage borrowers as rates hit new highs. Average mortgage rates hit...
21 June 2023
From: Breaking News
Two former housing ministers have criticised the Government for scrapping housebuilding targets. The Government officially watered-down proposals for mandatory local housebuilding targets...
07 June 2023
From: Breaking News
It has been another busy week in the property sector. In his latest column, property commentator Jonathan Rolande, provides his take on...
19 May 2023
From: Breaking News
Labour leader Keir Starmer took to the airwaves yesterday, promising to "back the builders not blockers" when it comes to homeownership. Speaking...
18 May 2023
From: Breaking News
Sleight of hand, optical illusion, card up the sleeve – we all love a good conjuring trick, don’t we? And they say...
13 May 2023
From: Features
Rishi Sunak has admitted Conservative Party members were a factor in ditching centralised housing targets. The Government officially watered-down proposals for mandatory...
14 April 2023
From: Breaking News
LSL Property Services’ share price dipped yesterday after posting an operating loss in its 2022 annual accounts. Its results showed a group...
14 April 2023
From: Breaking News
The property market is broken, Housing Secretary Michael Gove acknowledged yesterday. Despite the Conservative Party being in power since 2010, Gove insisted...
04 April 2023
From: Breaking News
The property industry may be going to great effort to digitise and improve the process of buying and selling a home...
13 March 2023
From: Breaking News
Purplebricks is considering an alternative ownership structure to ‘better realise the potential of the group.’ The beleaguered online agent launched a strategic...
17 February 2023
From: Breaking News
Lucy Frazer became the 13th Housing Minister to leave the role in the past decade yesterday after she was promoted to...
08 February 2023
From: Breaking News
Conservative MPs are continuing to question when new estate agency regulations will come in as the Government sticks to its stock...
17 January 2023
From: Breaking News
Happy New Year, to you all. Now that we’re all back in harness and Christmas feels like a long-distant memory, I...
14 January 2023
From: Features
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday repeated previously debunked claims that the Government is building record numbers of homes. Housebuilding have returned to...
01 December 2022
From: Breaking News
A former Housing Secretary has outlined why the Conservative Party mustn’t abandon its commitment to housebuilding. It comes as some 47 Conservative...
24 November 2022
From: Breaking News
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt should be wary of placing a greater financial burden on homeowners in next weeks’s Autumn Statement, an agent...
10 November 2022
From: Breaking News
The Government is being urged to create a mortgage protection fund to support homeowners who are struggling with repayments. It comes as...
08 November 2022
From: Breaking News
Recent political changes – and there have been quite a few in recent weeks – have brought about something of a...
29 October 2022
From: Features
A Bill to bring the Government’s Stamp Duty reductions into legislation reached its second reading in the Houses of Parliament this...
26 October 2022
From: Breaking News
Rishi Sunak has been confirmed as the new Conservative Party leader and will become the next UK Prime Minister. He will replace...
24 October 2022
From: Breaking News
A week-long race to be the next Conservative Party leader and the Prime Minister kicks off this week, or may already...
24 October 2022
From: Breaking News
I can’t really write about anything else this week, can I? Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have...
22 October 2022
From: Features
Liz Truss became the shortest serving UK Prime Minister yesterday, resigning after just 45 days and prompting a new Conservative Party...
21 October 2022
From: Breaking News
Simon Clarke is set for his first grilling by MPs as Levelling Up and Housing Secretary. Clarke will be questioned by the...
18 October 2022
From: Breaking News
The new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, has reversed almost all of the tax cuts set out in Kwasi Kwarteng's disastrous mini-Budget three...
17 October 2022
From: Breaking News
How did the housing market transform from incredibly strong - almost too strong - early in the year, to a situation...
15 October 2022
From: Features
As I watched Liz Truss take to the stage at this week’s Conservative Party conference, my eyes were drawn to the sign behind her. “Getting Britain...
08 October 2022
From: Features
Who would be in the shoes of Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng? I don’t mean who would like their power, pay and...
01 October 2022
From: Features
Housing minister Lee Rowley is set to make one of his first official public appearances at a Conservative Party fringe event...
30 September 2022
From: Breaking News
There has been an understandable focus on things other than Government since the death of Queen Elizabeth was announced, but Prime...
24 September 2022
From: Features
The latest housing minister has been revealed as the prospect of Stamp Duty reform returns to the property market. New ministerial appointments...
21 September 2022
From: Breaking News
Analysis: What did Boris Johnson do for the UK property market during his 3 years as Prime Minister?
Time is up for Boris Johnson's tenure as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, serving 3 years and 44...
17 September 2022
From: Features
First off, my own quick tribute to the Queen, who died on Thursday afternoon aged 96. Despite her age and declining...
10 September 2022
From: Features
New Housing Secretary Simon Clarke may be an unknown entity to many agents but he has a track record of supporting...
07 September 2022
From: Breaking News
The results are finally in, and to no-one’s surprise Liz Truss has been named the new leader of the Conservative Party...
07 September 2022
From: Breaking News
From housebuilding to planning laws and stamp duty reform, agents and property professionals were ready with plenty of suggestions for Liz...
06 September 2022
From: Breaking News
Jacob Rees-Mogg is reportedly being lined up as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities should Liz Truss win...
22 August 2022
From: Breaking News
We are only a fortnight away from having a new Prime Minister, following a contest in which housing has played a...