Category archives: Mortgages & General Property News

Selling a house is the biggest financial deal many people will ever make. Understandably, sellers want to get the best possible price; new research1 has cautioned, however, that aiming too high is not without risk.  Discount dangers  Analysis by Rightmove of sales over the past five years has revealed the risks associated with pricing your […]

Did you know that 46% of aspiring first-time buyers would consider buying a home with a friend or sibling to help them get onto the property ladder?1  Most people (62%) would ideally like to purchase a home with a partner; however, many have been forced to look at alternative options. The main reason for considering […]

The UK buy-to-let (BTL) market has seen notable changes recently.  The number of new BTL mortgages granted has decreased sharply. This decline is largely due to higher interest rates and stricter taxation measures, which have served to cool investor enthusiasm.  Additionally, the overall size of the BTL mortgage market has contracted. Investors are encountering more […]

Research has found that 28% of young UK homeowners do not have life insurance1.  It is estimated that 1.7 million adults aged 18-40 do not have appropriate cover in place, despite having a mortgage. This oversight puts their dependants in a precarious financial position in the event of their death.  Why risk it?  Of those […]

Data suggests that confidence is growing among new and existing equity release customers.  Equity release customers rose by 12% in Q2 of this year, with total lending increasing by 15% to £578m1. There was also a quarterly and annual increase in the average loan size, which indicates that customer confidence is being restored.  More taking […]

Northern cities surge in mortgage searches   As buyers consider more affordable housing options beyond the capital, the six major Northern cities of Leeds, Bradford, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Newcastle have witnessed a significant increase in purchase mortgage searches and now account for almost 11% of all mortgage search activity, up by two-thirds on last year1. […]

The Labour government has designed a Renters’ Rights Bill, aiming to improve the rights and protections for tenants.    Changes have already been made to improve rights in Scotland and Wales, so the proposed Bill will be applicable to renters in England, with some elements stretching to Wales.  No more no-fault evictions   The Bill will include […]

The proportion of homebuyers choosing to pay in cash has hit a 10-year high1, analysis has found.  In 2023, cash buyers were responsible for a third (34.5%) of all property transactions – the highest percentage seen since data became available in 2013. This trend carried on into this year, as 32.8% of market activity was […]

The summer was largely positive for the housing market due to a boost in confidence following the General Election and the reduction to Bank Rate. So, where are we now and what does the autumn have in store?  Lenders and buyers alike were already showing signs of confidence before the election, as mortgage approvals steadily […]