Agents call for CMA investigation into Rightmove pricing
Estate agents have hit back at property portal’s latest price increase describing it as “unfair and unsustainable” as an online petition gathers momentum. Rightmove has historically increased its prices at the beginning of each year which often results in outrage on social media. But this year’s increase of 18% has left one estate agent calling […]
50,000 more properties for sale in 2025 compared to start of 2024
The property market appears to be in rude health and ready to tackle any concerns of a post-March slump after SDLT nil rate band increases for first time buyers after analysis of stock levels across the country identified an additional 50,000 homes on the market at the end of January 2025 compared with the same […]
Solo buying still achievable for first time buyers
Research into the number of people buying their first home alone has been published showing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and affordability challenges with a slight decline in the number of buyers purchasing alone has fallen by 4% over the last four years; decreasing from 51% of purchasers in 2021 to 47% in 2024. […]
New towns will drive largest post-war building initiative say Labour
Prime Minster Sir Keir Starmer says his government is ‘paving the way’ for the largest house building programme since the second world war. Speaking at a new housing development the Prime Minster said “For so many families, homeownership is a distant dream. After a decade of decline in housebuilding, the impact is a disconnect between […]
Property market lags below pre-pandemic norms
An average of 2,984 property sales per day in 2024 represented a 7% increase on 2023, but sits some way below the more than 3,200 daily transactions each year between 2014 and 2019. According to analysis of transaction data by Moverly there were 1.09m transactions in the UK in 2024. England (2,512) and Northern Ireland […]
25% uplift on activity ahead of SDLT deadline – Rightmove
Rightmove say it estimates more than 550,000 homes are currently going through the completion process, an uplift of 25% compared with the same time in 2024; providing an indication of the current intensity of the market. Most of it’s other demand metrics are up as well compared with 2024; the number of new sellers is […]
meh! Conveyancers respond to modernisation announcement
Conveyancers have responded to the government’s modernisation of the home moving process with a degree of scepticism according to a poll run by Today’s Conveyancer. One in three (34%) said the government’s proposed ‘modernisation’ of the home buying and selling process was a positive move, with the remaining respondents describing it as a ‘negative’ move […]
Proportion of FTBs the highest on record in 2024 – Halifax
The number of people who bought their first home increased by 19% in 2024 against 2023 with 341,068 first time buyers (FTBs) accounting for over half (54%) of all property purchases with a mortgage; the highest proportion of FTBs against other buyers on record according to the Halifax. A sizeable proportion of FTBs sought their […]
Conveyancing prices static despite workload and financial pressures
Conveyancing fees have remained broadly static and in some cases have fallen despite the pressures of workload, SDLT cliff edges, and inflation according to a recent survey of 100 law firms. Average conveyancing fees for sale have slightly risen – by 0.21% – from £1,187.98 in early 2024 to £1,190.52 inclusive of VAT. Average residential […]
Stalling momentum but sentiment remains strong for 2025 volumes
Positive sentiment around the current state of play in the property market plays out in the latest RICS UK Residential Property Survey in which respondents indicate despite a broadly flat picture around demand and sales, agents remain upbeat about 2025, in part due to the number of properties continuing to come to market. The slight […]
Affordable Homes Programme get £300m boost ahead of rogue landlord crackdown
The Affordable Homes Programme is to receive a £300m boost to help build nearly 3,000 additional homes to enable more people to get on the housing ladder. The announcement is part of the government’s continued efforts to ‘Get Britain Building’ and deliver ‘the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.’ Half of […]
First time buyers dominate conveyancing comparison site enquiries
A home moving lead generation website has reported first time buyers (FTBs) have a dominant share of enquiries submitted through its conveyancing comparison calculator, reaching a record 64% in December 2024; an indicator of the impact the current reliefs on stamp duty for FTBs currently has on the property market. reallmoving.com says the stats, which […]
What does ‘modernising’ home moving actually look like?
Enabling smart and trustable shared data is at the heart of government’s plans to modernise home buying and property transactions but what does this mean for consumers and the firms who represent them at every stage of the transaction? To find out, Today’s Conveyancer speaks to the Open Property Data Association, a trade association comprising […]
HM Land Registry cases to be down to less than 12 months by the end of March
HM Land Registry (HMLR) aims to have all outstanding case down to less than 12 months by the end of its financial year in March 2025 says a senior leader at the organisation. Speaking on the Conveyancing Matters YouTube chat, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Customer and Strategy at HM Land Registry (HMLR) Mike […]
In favour of digitalisation; welcoming the modernisation of home moving
Professionals from across the property sector have broadly welcomed plans to modernise the home buying and selling process after the Government announced a 12 week project to design and implement rules that would enable better sharing of data throughout the property transaction. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MCHLG) has said it will […]
New build figures show scale of challenge for 1.5m homes target
New build figures published by the National House Building Council (NHBC) and the BBC in recent days differ in absolute numbers but demonstrate the scale of the task facing the Government if it is to build 1.5m homes in the course of this Parliament. The NHBC say 124,144 new homes were completed in 2024, 7% […]
Shared data to sit at the heart of home buying and selling reforms
In a widely publicised announcement on Sunday 9th February, the Labour government announced it would be ‘modernising’ the home buying and selling process to make it fit for the 21st Century and significantly reduce transaction delays; including digitising property information and single, shareable ID verification throughout the transaction. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local […]
Government to consult on reintroducing EPC C minimum standards for lettings
The government have announced a consultation on mandatory EPC minimum standards for private rental property by 2030; 18 months after former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak scrapped similar plans. As it stands EPC E are minimum standards for private rented property, and with 48% of private rented homes in England already EPC C or above ministers […]
January price high follows seasonal dip in sales
House prices hit a record high in January 2025, up 0.7% after dipping 0.2% in December 2024; driving average property prices to £299,138 according to the latest house price index from major lender Halifax. The average property price in January 2024 was £290,357; but January 2025 that has risen to £299,138; a 3% change year […]
Reclassification of green belt to grey belt could release 27,000 homes
Nearly 3,500 historic planning applications could be reviewed and approved following the reclassification of green belt land to grey belt; releasing land that could yield 27,000 new homes. Data from development site sourcing firm Searchland has revealed previously rejected planning applications could be approved because the proposed land would now be classified as grey belt […]