Mortgage lifespan falls to record low as lenders pull products due to interest rate uncertainty
The average shelf life of a mortgage fell to a record low of just eight days in March, down from 14 days in February, according to the latest Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report. The previous lowest average lifespan of a mortgage was in July 2023, at just 12 days. Overall product choice has decreased […]
Rightmove calls for stamp duty reforms, as first time buyers pay £4,618 more since relief ended
First-time buyers are paying an average of £4,618 more in stamp duty since the £425,000 threshold was removed last year, according to figures from Rightmove. The property portal is calling on the government to consider reforms to the property tax, as the figures reveal an extra £307 million has been collected from first time buyers […]
Positive BoE lender survey misleading, experts warn, as ‘ongoing turmoil spooks big banks’
Lenders expect mortgage demand to increase over the coming months, according to the Bank of England’s latest Credit Conditions Survey – but experts warn attitudes have shifted since the survey was carried out earlier this year, amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. Demand for secured lending for house purchase was unchanged in Q1, with figures covering the […]
‘Housing market has lost some momentum’ – Halifax
The latest house price data from Halifax suggests the housing market has lost momentum as spring begins. The pace of annual growth has eased to 0.8% from 1.2% the previous month, which Halifax head of mortgages Amanda Bryden says reflects wider uncertainty regarding the conflict in the Middle East. She explained: “Concerns about higher energy […]
RICS reports slowdown of UK housing market as ongoing Middle East conflict raises borrowing costs
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) UK Residential Survey for March 2026 found the market losing momentum as rising borrowing costs and wider geopolitical uncertainty weighed heavily on buyer confidence and sales activity. New buyer enquiries fell to a net balance of -39%, down from -29% in February, marking the weakest reading since August […]
100% mortgages on the rise as buyers struggle with affordability
Sales of 100% mortgages hit a five-year high last year, an analysis of Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) data by Compare the Market has found. The comparison site warns the rise indicates buyers are increasingly struggling with affordability. In the first three quarters of 2025 (January to September) sales of no-deposit mortgages reached 574, compared with […]
Rightmove faces £1.5bn class action as agents claim portal has overcharged for services
Property portal Rightmove is the subject of a class action as estate agents claim it has overcharged for its services. The claim, first reported in November 2025. has now been submitted to the Competition Appeal Tribunal by Jeremy Newman, a former panel member of the Competition and Markets Authority, claiming the property portal has been […]
‘The biggest shock to the UK mortgage market since the 2022 mini-budget’
The Iran conflict has triggered the sharpest shock to the UK mortgage market since the 2022 mini-budget, the financial information company Moneyfacts has said, with rates soaring in the space of just one month. Mortgage deals have been rapidly repriced, with average two-year fixed rates jumping from 4.84% to 5.84% in a month, while five-year […]
‘Ominous signs’ as Middle East conflict clouds positive housing market indicators
The latest indicators from HMRC and Nationwide paint a positive picture of the housing market, but experts warn the figures “set an ominous tone” as the Middle East conflict slows economic growth. Seasonally adjusted UK monthly residential property transaction figures from HMRC show a 6% increase on January’s figures, with 102,410 transactions. Although the figures […]
National Housing Bank launches with £16bn fund for new homes and regeneration
A National Housing Bank, first signposted last year, is officially open for business, providing public finance “to accelerate the delivery of new homes and communities, whilst also enabling the regeneration of towns and cities across England”, the government has announced. The institution is a subsidiary of Homes England and is backed by the government to […]
‘Market conditions are shifting’ as demand falls 13%
Zoopla’s March house price index shows a 13% drop in demand compared to this time last year, with “a clear trend” of a growing gap between buyer demand and sales agreed. Although the market remains active, it is increasingly dependent on a smaller group of committed buyers, Zoopla said. “We’re seeing a growing divergence between […]
Future Homes and Buildings Standards advocate for cleaner, more efficient home heating
Updates to the Building Regulations as part of the Future Homes and Buildings Standards have come into effect, in an effort to reduce reliance on fossil fuels for home heating by improving energy efficiency standards for new homes, which should also help reduce energy bills. In a circular letter published by the Ministry of Housing, […]
Banks to contact those on fixed rates to ease risk of rising rates shock
The chancellor Rachel Reeves has brought together the six largest banks and building societies to secure a commitment they will support customers coming to the end of fixed term mortgage deals, as rates rise following the global uncertainty caused by the conflict in Iran. In a unanimous 9-0 vote by the Bank of England’s monetary […]
Membership opens for initiative which aims to create ‘faster, more certain property transactions’
An initiative which launched last year and set out eight industry commitments to facilitate “faster, more certain property transactions” is opening its doors to membership and inviting property organisations of all sizes to play a part in improving the home buying and selling process. Launched in September 2025, Project 28 is the work of 23 […]
ONS figures suggest modest housing market growth but experts warn confidence will ebb
UK house prices rose by 1.3% in the year to January 2026, down from the revised estimate of 1.9% in the 12 months to December 2025. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, average house prices in the UK decreased by 0.3% between December 2025 and January 2026, compared with an increase 0.4% from the same period […]
Young home buyers rely on parents and TikTok for information, Lloyds research finds
Parents are the most trusted source of information for prospective homeowners, according to new research from Lloyds Banking Group, with TikTok the source of choice for a third of young buyers. The study of 2,000 prospective first-time buyers reveals the ‘knowledge bank of mum and dad’ now ranks above mortgage brokers, estate agents and even lenders when it comes to […]
The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 published, with £7,000 fines for non-compliance
An information sheet detailing the responsibilities of private landlords and letting agents in England in complying with the Renters Rights Act has been published by the government. The official document must be provided to tenants by 31 May 2026. The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 is designed to give tenants helpful, practical advice on […]
Housing market “gradually regaining momentum” according to Propertymark report
The housing market is “stabilising rather than surging” suggests the latest Housing Insight report from Propertymark. But the report draws on data published before the recent Bank of England decision to hold base rate and the current volatility in the Middle East which commentators predict will have an impact on the property market. Provisional data […]
Smart property data could add £2bn to GDP; but only with legislative intervention
The application of smart data to the property market could contribute up to £2bn to UK GDP by the 2040’s according to a new report published by government his week. The Department for Business and Trade report “Economic analysis: understanding the costs and benefits of smart data use cases” analysed five use cases for smart […]
New plans announced to reshape how England protects and manages land
England’s first Land Use Framework sets out a plan for managing the country’s finite land more efficiently. Marking a “significant shift” in how the government intends to oversee land resources, it aims to balance the demands of housing, food production, nature recovery and renewable energy. The framework was developed by the Department for Environment, Food […]