Petition calling on Labour to scrap Stamp Duty launched by Conservative party
The Conservative party have launched a petition calling on Labour to abolish Stamp Duty Land Tax. The policy was a surprise inclusion in party leader Kemi Badenoch’s speech at the party conference in October 2025 and is now a major policy objective outlined in their policy renewal programme. At the time Badenoch said the housing […]
March housing market remains steady despite global uncertainty, Rightmove finds
Market activity in March appears stable so far despite the new geopolitical uncertainty created by the Iran war, according to Rightmove’s latest figures. The property portal’s real-time snapshot of daily market activity on Friday revealed the number of sales being agreed is only 2% behind the strong market of this time last year, and 5% […]
Rightmove reveals Britain’s most expensive streets
New data from Rightmove reveals that all but one of Britain’s most expensive streets are in London, with East Road in Elmbridge, Surrey the only street outside the capital to make the top 20. Properties on Winnington Road in Barnet, which borders Hampstead Heath (pictured), have an average price tag of £12,538,095, retaining the street’s […]
Buyer demand dips amid interest rate pessimism, RICS finds
Buyer demand has dipped amid renewed concerns over the interest rate outlook, according to the latest residential market survey from RICS. The UK Residential Market Survey from the chartered surveyor body shows a housing market still struggling for momentum, with renewed geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty weighing on buyer sentiment and near-term expectations. While some surveyors […]
Housing market regaining momentum but affordability still stretched – Halifax
The housing market has built on a steady start to the year in February and conditions are gradually improving, according to the latest house price index from Halifax. Although affordability remains a challenge for many, particularly those without financial support from family, the latest figures suggest the market has regained some momentum, Halifax head of […]
Strong home ownership ambitions persist despite affordability challenges, study reveals
Around two thirds of UK adults surveyed for an annual lending study say they hope to purchase a property, despite ongoing financial pressures and mounting concerns about credit history. The survey of 4,000 UK adults carried out for The Pepper Money Specialist Lending Study 2025 revealed that young people are the most optimistic about stepping […]
Islamic finance paves the way for faith-aligned home ownership
Sakeeb Zaman, founder and CEO of halal finance company StrideUp, outlines the fundamentals of Islamic financing in home purchases, and explains why conveyancers should be aware of this increasingly popular model. Islamic home finance has grown steadily in recent years. Britain’s housing market remains challenging, with 40% of young adults reportedly unable to afford […]
Nationwide’s February house price index ‘reinforces modest recovery’
The February house price index from Nationwide reinforces the view of a modest recovery following a dip at the end of last year, the building society has reported. The number of mortgages approved for house purchase are close to pre-pandemic levels, Nationwide’s chief economist Robert Gardner pointed out, with improved affordability and an easing in […]
Upsizers account for 70% of market as affordability improves
Homeowners trading up to more expensive properties made up 70% of simultaneous sellers and buyers in the first quarter of 2026, according to property data platform reallymoving – the highest proportion in nearly five years. The company attributes the steady resurgence in upsizing activity to a gradual easing in borrowing costs which have made it […]
Mortgage figures show a strong 2025 but slow start to 2026
New mortgage figures released by UK Finance and the Bank of England reveal strong growth for lending in 2025, followed by a reduction in January of this year. The Household Finance Review for Q4 2025 from UK Finance shows a 16% increase in mortgage lending – the highest level since 2021. But Bank of England […]
January transaction numbers ‘no indicator of current market conditions’
The latest property market transaction figures published by HMRC are not reflective of the current market conditions and represent the last of the hangover from the uncertainty created by the autumn budget and the run up to the traditional December slowdown, property sector experts have said. The provisional seasonally adjusted estimate of the number of […]
HMLR confirms action for those impacted by PM Law closure
HM Land Registry (HMLR) has confirmed it is taking action to support the home movers and conveyancers impacted by the sudden closure of PM Law earlier this month by contacting outstanding applications and publishing responses to frequently asked questions (FAQs). The Sheffield-based law firm, along with some 20+ affiliates entities, closed suddenly at the start […]
Treasury losing out on half a billion in SDLT revenues as a result of fall throughs, Rightmove claims
Fall throughs could be costing the property economy as much as £900 million in lost estate agency fees and tax revenue, according to research by property portal Rightmove. The figure does not include lost conveyancing fees, or the wider spend on white goods and soft furnishings associated with moving home. The figure is based on […]
CHAPS times extended as Bank of England works toward 24/7 settlement
The Bank of England has confirmed it will extend the operating hours of the high value payments system CHAPS from its current core operating hours of 6am to 6pm, as efforts to operate settlement on a 24 hours a day, seven days a week basis continue to move forward. Following a 2025 consultation paper on […]
A record month for property listings, and up to half of homes now cheaper to buy than rent
Zoopla has recorded its highest number of new homes listings in a decade in February, and says up to half of the homes available now cost less to buy than rent. The monthly house price index from the online property portal reveals that mortgage payments on 40% of UK homes cost less than average rents […]
Conveyancers call for wider industry support in the wake of PM Law closure
The personal stories of the impact the PM Law closure has had on home movers has been widely publicised in the national press with families in limbo, and many left paying two mortgages as redemption funds were caught up in the fallout from the stricken firm. A Facebook group set up by those affected now […]
‘Demand remains resilient’, ONS housing market figures suggest
Average UK house prices increased by 2.5%, to £271,000, in the 12 months to November 2025, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. The annual growth rate is up from 1.9% in the 12 months to October 2025. “UK annual house price inflation slowed in December following the rise in November with the average […]
Buying conditions favourable in strong start to year – Rightmove
Rightmove’s February house price index reveals favourable buying conditions, with the high number of homes for sale giving buyers choice and negotiating power. Although market activity is difficult to compare with this time last year due to the looming stamp duty deadline, Rightmove says current trends look stronger when compared with 2024. The number of […]
Property market is turning a corner, RICS survey suggests
The UK residential property market is showing tentative signs that it may be turning a corner, according to the latest RICS UK Residential Market Survey for January 2026. Whilst overall activity remains subdued, several key indicators have continued to improve, recording their least negative readings in months, RICS said, with survey respondents increasingly confident that […]
First time buyers ‘dominated 2025 housing market’
First time buyers dominated the housing market in 2025, according to an analysis of the year’s transactions carried out by conveyancing firm Bird & Co. The firm’s data for last year revealed 76% of its clients were purchasing their first home, whilst buyers with existing property made up 24% of transactions. According to Bird & […]