It’s TWICE as expensive to move to a family home as 10 years ago

Experts have warned that a ‘second stepper’ housing crisis may be looming as the cost of buying a home for a growing family continues to spiral. The price gap between the first and second rung of UK property ladder has more than doubled since the financial crisis – and in some towns is as much … Read more

Home buyers disappointed as stamp duty cut fails to arrive in the Budget

Home buyers were left disappointed today after a hoped-for stamp duty cut failed to materialise in the Budget.  There had been speculation that the Chancellor could tweak the tax to help stimulate the housing market. However, Chancellor Rishi Sunak chose not to include any stamp duty changes for UK buyers. Instead a 2 per cent … Read more

More signs of the housing market heating up as sales hit highest level for two years in January

Housing market looks set for spring surge as January sees highest level of property sales for two years House transactions were 5.2% higher than in January last year, HMRC said Some 102,810 home sales transactions were recorded last month  But the figures reflect sales agreed in September and October as transaction figures only settle after … Read more

MPs call on lenders to halt all repossessions against mortgage prisoners

MPs call on lenders to halt all repossessions against mortgage prisoners until help arrives By Will Kirkman For Thisismoney.co.uk Published: 18:26 GMT, 9 March 2020 | Updated: 18:26 GMT, 9 March 2020 MPs have called on firms to cease all repossession proceedings against mortgage prisoners until a working group is established to help them. Members … Read more

How likely are you to get planning permission approved in your area?

How likely are you to get planning permission? New tool reveals approval rates for your town – with Carlisle at 97% but Harrow bottom of the pile Majority have planning permission applications granted  Homeowners in the North East have the best chances of getting approval  West London has the lowest average planning approval rate in … Read more

House prices steady but coronavirus could dent recovery, says Halifax

The housing market continued to show signs of improvement in February, but coronavirus could dent the nascent recovery, Halifax said today. House prices rose 2.8 per cent in the year to February, with the average property gaining £6,443 annually to reach a new record high of £240,677, according to Britain’s biggest mortgage lender. That marks a … Read more

What can first-time buyers get for £248,000 across the country?

The number of homes bought using a Lifetime Isa in 2019 boomed 215 per cent, according to figures from the first building society to offer the Government-backed savings scheme. While the average first-time buyer bought a home worth £197,384 in December 2019 according to the most recent figures, those who took advantage of the 25 per … Read more

Best mortgage rates: Compare fixed rate and tracker rate mortgage deals

This is Money recently reported that 10-year fixed rates are currently at some of their lowest ever levels as banks and building societies battle for their business.  A fierce mortgage price war has seen the number of 10-year fixed rate mortgages on offer grow substantially over the past year, pushing rates down to an average 2.76 … Read more

Kensington offers £1,000 mortgage cashback to eco-proof a home

Climate change concerns have resulted in more people paying attention to their own carbon footprint. While it’s the eco-warriors who grab the headlines and divide opinion, most see the benefits of taking steps to reduce their energy consumption. Not all of these benefits have to be virtuous – for one, it’s obviously cheaper to use less … Read more

Is mortgage ‘mis-selling’ the new PPI? GEORGE NIXON investigates

‘You could be entitled to compensation up to £250,000’, ‘thousands owed for hidden loan charges and mortgages’ and ‘don’t delay – start your free application today’. Barely were my feet back under the desk in 2020 before I was bombarded with emails telling me I could be entitled to compensation for a mis-sold mortgage. In … Read more