The number of people moving home increased by 10% in the first half of 2024, with detached properties the most popular,...
Archive
The number of mortgage approvals for house purchase fell for the third consecutive month in June but property professionals remain optimistic...
30 July 2024
From: Breaking News
A global payments issues that could have hit home sales has now been resolved, the Bank of England has confirmed. A statement...
18 July 2024
From: Breaking News
The number of mortgage approvals for house purchase fell for the second consecutive month during May, Bank of England data shows. Banks...
02 July 2024
From: Breaking News
The UK housing market has returned to its pre-pandemic size, Savills claims. Research by the agency brand suggests the total value of...
17 June 2024
From: Breaking News
Major lenders including Barclays, HSBC, and TSB have reduced their interest rates on new fixed mortgages, offering a glimmer of hope...
08 June 2024
From: Features
Lenders are predicting a busy quarter for supply and demand of mortgages. The Bank of England’s latest Credit Conditions Survey showed lenders...
12 April 2024
From: Breaking News
House prices dipped on a monthly basis during March but annual growth improved, Nationwide data shows. The latest Nationwide House Price Index...
03 April 2024
From: Breaking News
Mortgage approvals rose for the sixth consecutive month in February and are at the highest level since September 2022, Bank of...
03 April 2024
From: Breaking News
In the first of a short series of articles, David Beaumont, managing director of Compliance Matters, casts a professional eye over...
23 March 2024
From: Features
Today, I am reflecting on the Chancellor’s surprise Spring budget decision to abolish multiple dwellings relief for Stamp Duty Land Tax...
16 March 2024
From: Features
Dave Sayce, Founder and Managing Director of Compare My Move, reflects on the legal changes that will make leasehold purchase more...
24 February 2024
From: Features
There are several pros to cohabitation, and it’s always a wonderful experience when you’re handed your set of keys as a...
03 February 2024
From: Features
Mortgage lenders are expecting a quieter year for home loans in 2024. Forecasts from banking trade body UK Finance suggest lending for...
28 December 2023
From: Breaking News
The number of mortgage approvals for house purchase has hit a three-month high, Bank of England data shows. Figures from the Bank...
30 November 2023
From: Breaking News
SmartSearch looks at the importance of incorporating Source of Funds checks into KYC processes It is no secret that the UK property...
29 November 2023
From: Features
It was actor Charlies Sheen who said: ‘I have one speed. I have one gear. Go!’ The same might not be said...
25 November 2023
From: Features
The number of mortgage approvals for home purchase hit an eight-month low during September, Bank of England data shows. Mortgage data from...
31 October 2023
From: Breaking News
Mortgage lenders are braced for a slower market over the rest of the year. The latest Bank of England Credit Conditions Survey...
13 October 2023
From: Breaking News
UK housing market activity "remains weak" according to the Nationwide. Its latest house price index shows that prices declined 5.3 per cent...
03 October 2023
From: Breaking News
I sometimes wonder just how far our national obsession with buying our own homes will stretch. First-time buyers are prepared to save...
02 September 2023
From: Features
The number of mortgage approvals edged up for a second month in a row during June but remains below 2022’s monthly...
01 August 2023
From: Breaking News
Barriers to entry are a big concern for any sector, particularly those who need a greater number of technology innovations to...
06 July 2023
From: Breaking News
The value of mortgage lending has slumped to its lowest level since the second quarter of 2020, Bank of England data...
14 June 2023
From: Breaking News
The property market appears to have stalled in April and May, with official data showing a dip in house prices and...
02 June 2023
From: Breaking News
The impact of last year’s mini-Budget on the property market are “fading,” agents have claimed after the latest Nationwide housing data...
03 May 2023
From: Breaking News
Last week was the first ever National Conveyancing Week, which I hope registered with agents and perhaps you even took up...
08 April 2023
From: Features
Average UK house prices were hit by the largest annual decline since July 2009 last month. Nationwide’s latest House Price Index suggests...
03 April 2023
From: Breaking News
Increasing numbers of property buyers are now taking out mortgages with terms of more than 30 years, new figures show. The latest...
08 December 2022
From: Breaking News
A report earlier this month warned that conveyancing firms should stress test their businesses for a sharp decline in work volumes. These businesses...
03 December 2022
From: Features
The Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB) has written off its investment in collapsed challenger portal Boomin. The broker entered a strategic relationship with,...
01 December 2022
From: Breaking News
New mortgage lending data from the Bank of England has indicated a slowdown in property market activity during October but agents...
30 November 2022
From: Breaking News
The Bank of England has prompted new warnings of a housing market slowdown after revealing a ‘significant decrease’ in mortgage approvals...
01 November 2022
From: Breaking News
Let’s be completely honest - as challenges go, estate agents are up against it trying to persuade reluctant vendors to take...
06 October 2022
From: Breaking News
Annual house price growth slowed to single digits in September and was flat on a monthly basis, Nationwide figures show. The lender’s...
03 October 2022
From: Breaking News
House price growth slowed in August but remains in double digits, Nationwide figures have revealed. The lender’s August House Price Index shows...
02 September 2022
From: Breaking News
I am somewhat disappointed, yet not surprised, when I see the headlines ‘blaming’ various fractions of a property transaction as the...
24 August 2022
From: Breaking News
Fewer than 20% of Scots homeowners paid more than 83% of all house purchase tax north of the border, according to...
22 August 2022
From: Breaking News
The current challenges facing the conveyancing sector have put the industry in the spotlight. Here, property expert Colum Smith, Chief Vision...
16 July 2022
From: Features
The Property Redress Scheme (PRS) is putting together an advisory panel to improve governance, accountability and sector representation when formulating policies. It...
12 July 2022
From: Breaking News
House price growth slowed in June but remains in double figures, Nationwide data shows. The latest Nationwide House Price Index shows property...
01 July 2022
From: Breaking News
Annual house price growth figures returned to double digits in April but there are warnings that this could be as good...
23 June 2022
From: Breaking News
Estate agents use property technology each and every day for residential property transactions, but is there more they can do with...
28 May 2022
From: Features
A property lender claims to have identified signs that the property market is slowing. Analysis of Bank of England mortgage approval data...
17 May 2022
From: Breaking News
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) has long been the bugbear of many property transactions. Even the very wealthy will lose interest...
07 May 2022
From: Features
The property market could be set for further upheaval when the Bank of England makes its latest interest rate decision today. The...
05 May 2022
From: Breaking News
Buyers are focusing increasingly on green fixtures and fittings according to a new study. Insurance firm Aviva says the most in-demand features...
31 March 2022
From: Breaking News
Until a few years ago, you would have been forgiven for not knowing who or what Coadjute was. But the company, founded...
26 February 2022
From: Features
The level of house price growth is at a 17 year high at 11.2 per cent according to the Nationwide. The annual...
02 February 2022
From: Breaking News
A stamp duty cut would provide a long-term to improve energy efficiency on homes, the Chancellor has been told by an...
31 January 2022
From: Breaking News
Mortgage lenders serving the housing market are set for a quieter 2022 after the unprecedented levels of activity seen in 2021,...
11 January 2022
From: Breaking News
For the first time since before the global financial crisis of 2008, the number of first-time buyers is estimated to have...
06 January 2022
From: Breaking News
The latest figures for mortgage approvals show demand as being relatively unchanged - a development welcomed by agents. House purchase mortgage approvals...
05 January 2022
From: Breaking News
The surge in Omicron cases and possible future restrictions are set to hit the housing market in 2022 - and may...
04 January 2022
From: Breaking News
House prices in the UK have ended the year of yet another record high. The Nationwide says annual house price growth increased...
31 December 2021
From: Breaking News
Lenders’ umbrella group UK Finance has given its housing and mortgage market forecasts for 2022 and 2023 together, plus a year-end report for 2021. It estimates...
15 December 2021
From: Breaking News
Buyers are being warned about scams conning people out of hundreds of thousands of pounds. The Law Society of England and Wales...
25 October 2021
From: Breaking News
The value of mortgage lending hit a record high in the final months of the stamp duty holiday. Figures from the Bank...
15 September 2021
From: Breaking News
A highly influential think tank says stamp duty should be scrapped for all house purchases once and for all. Alexander Hammond of...
17 August 2021
From: Breaking News
Annual house price growth remains above 10 per cent despite a small monthly dip in July according to the Nationwide. A 0.5...
29 July 2021
From: Breaking News
The leading reason for property sales falling through is gazumping, according to new research from Comparethemarket. Over the past year, nearly two-fifths of...
01 July 2021
From: Breaking News
Some 80 per cent of the property market will remain free of stamp duty for first-time buyers, even after the current...
20 April 2021
From: Breaking News
First time buyers are now saving more than £800 a year in comparison with tenants, new analysis suggests. The Halifax says the...
06 April 2021
From: Breaking News
Mortgage approvals declined slightly in January as the market braces itself for the end of the stamp duty holiday - currently...
02 March 2021
From: Breaking News
Chancellor Rishi Sunak will extend the stamp duty holiday deadline until the end of June - a three month extension. The lead...
24 February 2021
From: Breaking News
A mortgage has been launched targeting borrowers who believe they are unlikely to complete their purchase before the stamp duty holiday’s...
05 February 2021
From: Breaking News
Mortgage approvals decreased slightly in December but remain well above pre-Covid levels thanks to the continuing incentive of the stamp duty...
02 February 2021
From: Breaking News
The coronavirus pandemic has somewhat eclipsed Brexit this year – which is no mean feat. Cast your mind back to pre-Covid...
12 December 2020
From: Features
Annual house price inflation is now running at 6.5 per cent according to the latest Nationwide index after a 0.9 per...
02 December 2020
From: Breaking News
The housing market may be slowing as we enter December but the latest snapshot suggests there’s still momentum with mortgage approvals...
01 December 2020
From: Breaking News
Tenants, landlords, agents, and house buyers all breathed a sigh of relief on Halloween when the government announced that home moves...
21 November 2020
From: Features
Purplebricks is the first estate agency in the country to launch a meditation service to ease “the emotional rollercoaster felt by...
22 October 2020
From: Breaking News
A Bank of England survey suggests it may be more difficult for prospective buyers to get a mortgage later this year. In...
16 October 2020
From: Breaking News
Agents have universally welcomed new Nationwide data showing annual price growth picked up to 5.0 per cent last month - the highest rate...
01 October 2020
From: Breaking News
Mortgage approvals for house purchases have soared to a 13 year high according to Bank of England figures up to the...
30 September 2020
From: Breaking News
A specialist property lender says transactions are being delayed by key staff being furloughed. Gareth Lewis, commercial director of property lender MT...
02 September 2020
From: Breaking News
All my recent Natters have been focused on one particular topic, the coronavirus crisis, for obvious reasons. But there has been...
23 May 2020
From: Features
Two financial trade bodies say most mortgage providers will give customers who have exchanged contracts the option to extend their mortgage...
30 March 2020
From: Breaking News
The government has at last issued extensive advice on home moving and the activities of estate agents during the continuing Coronavirus crisis. This...
27 March 2020
From: Breaking News
Mortgage lenders approved the highest number of loans for house purchase in nearly four years in January, according to Bank of...
03 March 2020
From: Breaking News
The Law Society is telling prospective house purchasers to probe flood risks in the light of a new practice note it...
07 February 2020
From: Breaking News
Logbooks about properties must be made available up-front at the point of marketing and not later in the buying process if...
28 January 2020
From: Breaking News
Annual UK house price growth exceeded one per cent for the first time in 12 months in December according to the...
06 January 2020
From: Breaking News
Agents have interpreted the latest house price figures as evidence that the market is in limbo waiting for the Brexit -...
30 October 2019
From: Breaking News
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has given more details of the trial of reservation agreements likely to take...
21 October 2019
From: Breaking News
House price growth in the UK 'ground to a halt' last month, according to the latest Nationwide figures. The lender's house price...
02 October 2019
From: Breaking News
A distinctly autumnal storm seems to be gripping the UK for the early part of the weekend but as ever, nothing...
09 August 2019
From: Breaking News
Seemingly-endless uncertainty over Brexit and now speculation over whether there will be an easing of stamp duty on transactions is making...
01 August 2019
From: Breaking News
Data from UK Finance, which represents most of the country’s lenders, shows that gross mortgage lending across the residential market in...
25 July 2019
From: Breaking News
I feel I am in a fortunate position. I have been central to the PropTech movement for a number of years,...
24 July 2019
From: Breaking News
Online estate agency Yopa is warning of price falls ahead in London and south east England - although price rises elsewhere...
17 July 2019
From: Breaking News
There’s a silver lining to another set of stodgy housing market figures - at least one sector, for those buying their...
02 May 2019
From: Breaking News
A lawyer appears to be suggesting that ‘clean and tidy’ clauses be inserted into house purchase deals, allowing buyers to retain...
29 April 2019
From: Breaking News
The number of movers has declined by around 50 per cent since the halcyon days of 2006, before the global financial...
20 February 2019
From: Breaking News
The latest Bank of England mortgage figures suggest that approvals for home buyers are running at more than a fifth below...
08 January 2019
From: Breaking News
Mainstream bank lending for house purchases grew by 3.6 per cent in October compared to the same month last year. However the...
27 November 2018
From: Breaking News
New figures from the Mortgage Advice Bureau give an insight into the changing demographics of home buyers and buy to let...
30 October 2018
From: Breaking News
Mortgage approvals fell again in September - this means that every month of 2018 so far has seen a drop against...
25 October 2018
From: Breaking News
Out and about recently, I got to thinking: how often do I actually have the call for cash anymore? Or, for...