Monthly archives: December 2025

FTBs looking to buy in cities

First-time buyers increasingly prefer city living, reversing the pandemic’s ‘race for space’  Dundee, Edinburgh and Doncaster show the largest rises in FTB city enquiries  London demand has dipped, highlighting the impact of high house prices on affordability  More FTBs are setting their sights on city living, new data reveals1.  The analysis compared FTB enquiries between January and […]

Residential Property Review – December 2025

Rising taxes on rental income may squeeze buy-to-let yields and prompt some landlords to reassess investment strategies  The Renters’ Rights Act marks a major shift toward periodic tenancies, limiting rent increases and strengthening tenant protections  Housing happiness is closely linked to community, safety and environment, with smaller towns outperforming many larger cities  Budget changes reshape the housing market  November’s […]

Commercial Property Review – December 2025

Business rate reforms aim to support smaller retail assets but may unintentionally impact high-value offices and logistics buildings  Regional office rents reached record growth as ESG-compliant, prime stock remains scarce across major UK cities  Investor confidence strengthened in the West End, while occupiers increasingly favour flexible, fully fitted office space  Business rate changes announced in Budget  In the Autumn Budget 2025, […]

News in Review

UK GDP contracted unexpectedly in October, reflecting production declines, construction weakness and businesses delaying decisions pre-Budget Budget measures may ease inflation from April 2026, while economists anticipate a Bank Rate cut to support growth  Mortgage lending surged in Q3, with higher loan-to-value borrowing reaching levels last seen before the financial crisis  “We are determined to defy forecasts on […]

Personal pension age change delays access to savings

From April 2028, pension access rises to 57, impacting those born after April 1973  Early pension access will be limited to those with ill health or protected pension ages  Many are worried about the upcoming change, so seek advice and review your plans  A two-year increase in the normal minimum pension age could impact retirement planning for […]

Owning a home offers significant savings opportunities

Owning a home can create significant long-term savings when compared with renting  Renters in London and Bristol are missing out the most on savings opportunities  Despite challenges, many younger renters are optimistic about owning their first home  Research1 has compared the average cost of buying versus renting, highlighting the investment opportunities that homeowning can offer.  By […]

When gifts backfire

Gifting can reduce IHT, but poor record-keeping could cause the exemption to be rejected  Gifts with reservation (e.g. continuing to benefit from gifted assets) often trigger unexpected IHT bills  With frozen thresholds and pensions joining IHT, careful planning is more important than ever  With pensions set to join the list of assets liable for IHT, for many families, […]

News in Review

Global growth is set to cool as tariffs bite, though resilient economies and easing inflation support longer-term stability  UK conditions remain mixed, with modest growth, persistent inflation pressures and regional housing markets moving at varied speeds  Construction output weakens sharply while long-term energy network investment pushes household bills higher over the coming years  ‘The global economy has […]

Life insurance – time to redress the gender gap

Women are less likely than men to hold life insurance or understand its benefits  Many women have not been educated about life insurance and believe they can’t afford it Life insurance provides financial support to loved ones if the policyholder dies during its term Women are falling through the cracks when it comes to life insurance. According to a […]