One in three first time buyers has at least 25% deposit
While higher loan-to-value (LTV) mortgages dominate first time buyer demand, a significant minority are seeking higher deposit deals, new data from Moneyfacts reveals. Of the first time buyers looking for fixed-term deals on the Moneyfacts comparison site, almost one in three (30%) are opting for 90% LTV mortgages, with a further 12% looking at 95% […]
Homes listed in February ‘most likely to find a buyer’
An analysis of a decade of market data reveals homes listed in February are marginally more likely to find a buyer than those listed in other months. The analysis by Rightmove found that seven in 10 (68.9%) homes listed in February went on to secure a sale, compared to 68.8% of homes listed in January […]
House price increase ‘reflects steady market’, but regional differences grow
A 0.7% increase in house prices reflects a steady housing market according to the latest index from Halifax, following the 0.5% dip seen in December. While overall activity levels “show resilience”, the lender says regional differences have become more pronounced, with a clear north-south divide. Positive momentum has continued in the north of England, where […]
Battle for work sees conveyancing fees fall in 2025
Conveyancers lowered fees in the battle for work during the subdued autumn and winter of last year, when home movers paused or delayed plans to move amid Bank of England interest rate decisions, rising inflation and potential changes to stamp duty in the November budget, according to a report from reallymoving.com. An analysis of average […]
Value of abandoned mortgages up by a third as fall-throughs worsen
Home buyers failed to take up £32.4 billion worth of mortgages last year, partly due to worsening fall-throughs of property sales, according to figures from property industry consultancy Novus Strategy. An analysis of Bank of England data for Monetary Financial Institutions by Novus revealed mortgage cancellations climbed 36.4% in 2025 – the largest annual jump […]
Commons Select Committee to scrutinise leasehold and commonhold proposals before its introduction to Parliament
Scrutiny of the proposed Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill has begun with the Housing, Communities and Local Government Commons Select Committee launching an inquiry examining the draft legislation. Written and oral evidence will inform a subsequent report making recommendations on amends to the draft bill before its introduction to parliament. The government published the long-awaited […]
New year bounce yet to materialise for conveyancers – CLC
A widely reported New Year bounce is yet to materialise for conveyancers, according to the latest quarterly confidence tracker from the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC). There had been hopes of a positive response to the stable but subdued market in the autumn, when activity fell to its lowest level in two years amid uncertainty […]
Confidence continues as Nationwide report reveals improvement in affordability
The latest house price index from Nationwide indicates the positive start to the year continues into February, with improved affordability underpinning demand across the UK. House price growth edged higher in the first month of 2026, up 1% annually and 0.3% month on month. Although market activity decreased slightly at the end of 2025, the […]
Silence from Sheffield firm following widespread office closures
A Sheffield law firm and its subsidiaries appears to ceased trading with notices placed on office doors and former employees taking to social media to advise of their availability for work. In a widely shared image on social media Butterworths Solicitors in Carlisle placed a notice on its front door on the morning of 2nd […]
Housing transactions end the year on a high, ‘demand set to increase’
HMRC’s residential property transactions for December were 5% higher than the previous year on a seasonally adjusted basis, at 100,440. The non-seasonally adjusted estimate was up by 7% to 105,730 year-on-year, and 1% higher than November 2025. Monthly transaction levels have remained stable since summer last year, with the first half of the year affected […]
Property sector reacts to draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill
The government released its draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill last week, and the property industry has shared some very mixed reactions. The government said the bill is a “game-changing shake up” of the leasehold system – but some housing market experts disagree. Yesterday, Today’s Conveyancer shared reactions from conveyancing bodies and leasehold campaigners. While […]
Transaction times could be halved without the need for government or regulatory intervention, report finds
A new report estimates property transaction timescales could be drastically reduced without the need for major home buying and selling reform or legislative change. The current timescales of 126 days from mortgage application to completion could be halved, the Future Property Transaction (FPT) Group suggests, if the market were able to operate at the speed […]
Raising deposit still major obstacle for FTBs, SDLT objections increase – BSA
The Building Societies Association’s (BSA) latest Property Tracker survey shows that the barriers preventing people from buying a home remain financial rather than attitudinal. A survey of 2,000 adults carried out in January 2026 identified the three main obstacles as raising a deposit (64%), affording monthly mortgage repayments (50%) and access to a large enough […]
The impact of government changes on the property market
Sarah Barnes, head of residential conveyancing at law firm Napthens, looks at the housing market in 2026 and examines the impact of changes to sellers’ obligations and the upcoming mansion tax. As we start move through January and into 2026, the theme of cautious confidence appears to be taking over. However, it’s still early days […]
House prices up, but data is ‘out of date and irrelevant’
The latest UK House Price Index, covering November, reveals that average UK house price annual inflation was 2.5% in the 12 months to November 2025, up from the revised estimate of 1.9% in the 12 months to October 2025. The average UK house price was £271,000 in November 2025, £6,000 higher than 12 months ago. […]
Inflation target an ‘uphill climb’ as latest figures show increase to 3.4%
Property industry figures have described the latest inflation figures as “disappointing”, as the latest Consumer Prices Index (CPI) increased to 3.4% in the year to December; up from 3.2% in November. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said alcohol, tobacco and transport made the largest upward contribution to the monthly change, which remains above the […]
Barriers to home ownership are easing, with Gen Z buyers most optimistic, Barclays report finds
The latest Property Insights report from Barclays suggests traditional barriers to homeownership are easing, indicated by smaller deposits, consistent demand for more affordable properties, and a growing preference for higher loan-to-value (LTV) mortgages. The research also reveals that a third (34%) of those in the Gen Z age group questioned for the report hope to […]
Improved affordability provides boost to first-time buyers – Nationwide
Continued improvement in affordability helped support first-time buyer activity over 2025, a new report from Nationwide suggests. However, considerable variation in affordability remains across occupational groups, and is most challenging for people working in sales and customer service, but easier for those in managerial and professional roles. Regionally, affordability is most stretched in London and […]
‘The property market has weathered the storm’ – brighter days ahead
The final Property and Homemover Report for 2025 from TwentyCi and TwentyEA reveals a 10% increase in transactions compared to the previous year, with the highest number of properties listed for sale in a decade – over 1.7 million. Exchange volumes increased by 12.6% in comparison to 2024, ending the year at 986,665. The average […]
November’s market was ‘resilient but measured’, Propertymark says
Propertymark’s housing insight report for November, released this week, reveals a “resilient but measured” market, the organisation said. Although the figures from the estate agents’ body show a slight dip in agreed sales (down to 6.8 from 7.8 in October) and a fall in buyer registrations (down two to 57 per branch) the change reflected […]