Mortgage lending up by 29 per cent in June as political uncertainty ends July 16, 2015 The amount of money lent to UK home buyers in June showed a significant rise compared to May as political uncertainties waned, according to new figures Read more: UK house price growth slows to lowest rate in over a year Gross mortgage lending rose 29 per cent compared with May, climbing to an estimated £20.5bn, according [...]
Misconceptions about housing: These five charts show how wrong we are about rent, house prices and deposits July 14, 2015 Hot on the heels of the Ipsos Mori poll showing that most of us have no idea how much raising children, buying a house, or paying for education cost, the research institute has dug deeper into our insights on housing – and it turns out we’re pretty far off. Just over three quarters of British [...]
David Cameron’s housing construction shake-up fails to build market confidence: Experts disagree residential planning overhaul is game changer July 12, 2015 Housing developers had a bit of a rollercoaster ride last week. First the Budget rocked shares, with changes to tax relief on buy-to-let mortgages – and then, on Friday, the government unexpectedly put house building at the centre of its plan to boost the UK’s productivity. With the cost of a home jumping by 45 [...]
Is your home worth over £1 million? Over half a million people in Britain are now “property millionaires” July 11, 2015 The total number of people sitting on properties worth more than £1m now exceeds half a million for the first time. There are 524,306 “property millionaires” in the UK, a rise of 8.3 per cent in a year, according to property website Zoopla. There are now 10,958 streets where the average property price is more [...]
Rollercoasters, virtual reality tours and music videos: The extreme lengths homeowners go to to sell their houses July 10, 2015 It may not be a buyer's market, but that doesn't mean trying to shift your home doesn't come with its challenges. For some, the stress of trying to entice buyers has clearly become too much – causing them to resort to extreme methods. While some have gone "back to basics", drawing attention to their [...]
Mansion blocks are real British antiques that can command impressive prices July 9, 2015 Most people think of estate agent hyperbole as a modern affliction. After all, what’s a contemporary house viewing if it isn’t peppered with “generous” reception rooms stocked with “state-of-the-art” smart systems in “vibrant” neighbourhoods? In fact, we may have the Victorians to blame for this, starting with the “mansion flat”. The term was coined in [...]
Barratt Developments to beat forecasts with 45pc rise in profits July 9, 2015 The figures Housebuilder Barratt Developments is expecting a 45 per cent increase in profits for the year to the end of June, it said in a trading update today. The company is set to beat analysts’ forecasts, with a full-year pre-tax profit up to around £565m, while total forward sales are expected to have risen 29.6 per [...]
July Budget 2015 at a glance: From a new tax-free dividend allowance to the raid on buy-to-let landlords and new inheritance tax rules July 8, 2015 The chancellor outlined £12bn of welfare cuts, introduced new inheritance tax rules & vowed to crack down on tax avoidance. UK ECONOMIC OUTLOOK ● The UK is expected to be the fastest-growing advanced economy again this year. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expects the economy to grow by 2.4 per cent in [...]
July Budget 2015 summary: All the personal finance measures announced by George Osborne during his speech July 8, 2015 Today's Budget may not have included as many measures aimed at pensioners and first-time buyers as last time; today, George Osborne seemed more intent on telling firms that Britain was "open for business". Osborne's headline grabber this time around was inheritance tax and the creation of a family home allowance which will help people "pass on [...]
July Budget 2015 – changes to mortgage tax relief: Here’s what to do now if you’re a buy-to-let landlord July 8, 2015 A major shake-up of the buy-to-let housing market could be about to take place, after chancellor George Osborne announced plans to change mortgage tax relief for landlords. In his Budget speech today, the chancellor said the relief will be cut to 20 per cent, from 40 to 45 per cent, in an effort to "level [...]