Rents in England and Wales rose for the first time in three months in April, according to the latest buy-to-let index from LSL Property Services. The lettings agent chain recorded a 0.5% average increase, to £709 per month, although the annual rate of gain steadied to 2.4%, compared to 2.7% in March. Rents rose in [...]
Government fails to “get Britain building”
The UK’s leading housing groups have warned that the Government is failing to tackle the country’s growing housing crisis. In a collaborative report, the National Housing Federation, Shelter and The Chartered Institute of Housing highlight five key areas in need of urgent as follows: Affordability of the private rented sector; help with housing costs; homelessness; [...]
Homes too small to store household basics
Some of Britain’s homes are so small and lacking in storage space that people are taking extreme measures to squeeze into their living space. New research from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) highlights the case of a household where the vacuum cleaner has to be stored off site and reveals that in some [...]
Homes too small to store household basics
Some of Britain’s homes are so small and lacking in storage space that people are taking extreme measures to squeeze into their living space. New research from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) highlights the case of a household where the vacuum cleaner has to be stored off site and reveals that in some [...]
Private rental yields fail to satisfy institutional investors
A new report from Hamptons International takes a look at the challenges faced by institutional investors considering investing in the UK private rental market. According to the study, low yields are the biggest barrier – target gross yields were assumed to be between 4.5% and 5% compared with 5.5% to 6% for commercial property. The [...]
Private rental yields fail to satisfy institutional investors
A new report from Hamptons International takes a look at the challenges faced by institutional investors considering investing in the UK private rental market. According to the study, low yields are the biggest barrier – target gross yields were assumed to be between 4.5% and 5% compared with 5.5% to 6% for commercial property. The [...]
First-time buyers mortgage approvals fall on eurozone fears
First-time buyers were hard hit by tighter lending conditions in April, as loans for new buyers dropped to their lowest level for nine months. According to e.surv, part of the LSL Property group, mortgage approvals for house purchases fell to 49,165 last month, with the average deposit requirement rising to 40% as renewed fears over [...]
First-time buyers mortgage approvals fall on eurozone fears
First-time buyers were hard hit by tighter lending conditions in April, as loans for new buyers dropped to their lowest level for nine months. According to e.surv, part of the LSL Property group, mortgage approvals for house purchases fell to 49,165 last month, with the average deposit requirement rising to 40% as renewed fears over [...]
Repossessions landscape stable
Lenders took back 9,600 homes in the first quarter of 2012, up from 8,700 in the final three months of last year, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). However, the increase is in line with seasonal trends and the UK’s repossessions landscape would appear to be stable for the time being. The first [...]
DIY spend hits 15 year low
Spending on DIY has declined to its lowest level in over 15 years, according to research from Lloyds TSB, with the continued squeeze on household finances and a subdued housing market blamed for the squeeze. Last year saw a total DIY spend of around £7.8 billion, equating to a miserable £300 per household, and with [...]
DIY spend hits 15 year low
Spending on DIY has declined to its lowest level in over 15 years, according to research from Lloyds TSB, with the continued squeeze on household finances and a subdued housing market blamed for the squeeze. Last year saw a total DIY spend of around £7.8 billion, equating to a miserable £300 per household, and with [...]
Halifax launches advanced homebuyer smartphone app
Halifax has launched an advanced smartphone app for house hunters, claiming a UK first. The app combines property search facilities, mortgage affordability calculators, local area information and property buyers’ guides. It allows users to book viewings, rate properties, add comments and images of the property during viewings and subsequently share their thoughts with family and [...]
Housing market rally runs out of steam
The UK’s recent housing market rally has run out of steam, according to the latest poll from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Following the upturn in activity seen towards the expiry of the stamp duty holiday in March, prices edged lower in April with 19% more surveyors reporting falls rather than rises. Looking [...]
House prices down 0.9% on the year
UK house prices edged down by 0.2% in April, according to Nationwide, and were 0.9% lower than a year earlier, at an average £164,134. The monthly decline followed a 1% fall in March, prices now having slipped for the fourth time in five months. In part, Nationwide attributes the recent softening of the market to [...]
April rise in house sales and new listing
The UK housing market showed continued signs of improvement in April, according to leading “For Sale” board contractor, Agency Express. Nationwide, residential property sales increased by 9.5% compared with March, marking the third consecutive monthly increase, and new “For Sale” listings rose by 13.3%, demonstrating an upward trend for the third consecutive month. Of the [...]
April rise in house sales and new listing
The UK housing market showed continued signs of improvement in April, according to leading “For Sale” board contractor, Agency Express. Nationwide, residential property sales increased by 9.5% compared with March, marking the third consecutive monthly increase, and new “For Sale” listings rose by 13.3%, demonstrating an upward trend for the third consecutive month. Of the [...]
House prices slip 0.6%
Land Registry figures show house prices in England and Wales slipping by 0.6% in March, compared with February, taking the value of the typical home to £160,372. However, the North East, which has been hard-hit by the house price crash, turned in an impressive performance with property prices shooting up 5.6% on a monthly basis. [...]
House prices slip 0.6%
Land Registry figures show house prices in England and Wales slipping by 0.6% in March, compared with February, taking the value of the typical home to £160,372. However, the North East, which has been hard-hit by the house price crash, turned in an impressive performance with property prices shooting up 5.6% on a monthly basis. [...]
Crackdown on “beds in sheds” landlords
A national taskforce has been set up to tackle the issue of “beds in sheds” and take action against criminal landlords harbouring illegal immigrants. Housing Minister, Grant Shapps, and Immigration Minister, Damian Green, are holding a series of cross-Whitehall summits with representatives from the police, the UK Border Agency and local government. Together, they intend [...]
Crackdown on “beds in sheds” landlords
A national taskforce has been set up to tackle the issue of “beds in sheds” and take action against criminal landlords harbouring illegal immigrants. Housing Minister, Grant Shapps, and Immigration Minister, Damian Green, are holding a series of cross-Whitehall summits with representatives from the police, the UK Border Agency and local government. Together, they intend [...]
Rents soon to level out
Rental prices in the private rental sector (PRS) could be levelling out, according to letting agents. Research from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) shows that in the first three months of the year, 50% of members were confident of increased achievable rent levels, in line with news of rising rents across the UK. [...]
Rents soon to level out
Rental prices in the private rental sector (PRS) could be levelling out, according to letting agents. Research from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) shows that in the first three months of the year, 50% of members were confident of increased achievable rent levels, in line with news of rising rents across the UK. [...]
Landlords continue property acquisition spree
Landlords continued buying extra properties during the first three months of the year, according to buy-to-let lender, Paragon, typically increasing portfolio sizes by 1.8 properties to an average holding of 10.8. Twenty per cent of landlords questioned said they expect to purchase property in the next 12 months, with terraced houses still the top choice [...]
Landlords continue property acquisition spree
Landlords continued buying extra properties during the first three months of the year, according to buy-to-let lender, Paragon, typically increasing portfolio sizes by 1.8 properties to an average holding of 10.8. Twenty per cent of landlords questioned said they expect to purchase property in the next 12 months, with terraced houses still the top choice [...]
Mortgage lending jumps 17%
Gross mortgage lending stood at around £13.4 billion in March, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), with the figure up 17% year-on-year. The ending of the stamp duty concession resulted in the highest monthly total for March since 2008, meaning gross lending for the first quarter of of the year increased 13% on [...]
