The average British home increased in value by £90 a day over the first half of 2014, according to property website Zoopla.
Average property values in Britain now stand at £260,488, up 6.5% (£16,265) compared to January. Continue reading
Future governments will be required by law to help fight fuel poverty by making the coldest, leakiest homes in England more energy efficient. Tackling this problem is a priority for government.
Since 2010 the number of households in fuel poverty has fallen every year, thanks to government energy efficiency schemes and the Warm Home Discount. However, the problem could rise again unless action is taken to tackle it. Continue reading
At the current rate of house price growth (10% a year) the buyer of an average UK home will be subject to a 3% stamp duty tax rate before the end of 2016 according to a new report from haart estate agent.
An acute shortage of supply has eased as new homes for sale increased 5% annually and new buyer demand fell by 1.8%. Continue reading
The Council of Mortgage Lenders estimates that gross mortgage lending reached £17.5 billion in June.
This is 4% higher than May (£16.8 billion), 17% higher than June last year (£14.9 billion) and the highest monthly figure since October last year (£17.6 billion). Continue reading
The number of first-time buyers in the first six months of 2014 reached their highest level since 2007, according to the bi-annual Halifax First-Time Buyer Review.
There were an estimated 144,5001 first- time buyers in the first six months of 2014, an increase of 25% on the same period last year – and also the highest total for the same six months period since 2007 (181,500). Continue reading
UK house prices increased by 10.5% in the year to May 2014, up from 9.9% in the year to April 2014 according to latest data fro the Office for National Statistics.
House price annual inflation was 11.0% in England, 6.5% in Wales, 3.6% in Scotland and -0.7% in Northern Ireland. Continue reading
Skills shortage concerns in the construction industry now stand at their highest level since 2008 according to the latest RICS UK Construction Market Survey (Q2 2014).
UK 54% of respondents now say there are insufficient numbers of quantity surveyors currently available to meet workloads (up from 41% in Q1 2014). Continue reading
May marked the longest period of sustained monthly house price growth in Scotland since before the crisis according to the latest LSL Scotland House Price Index.
The recovery has strengthened across the country, with new price records set in Aberdeenshire. Continue reading
Tax credits could help housing associations build homes without the need for increased government grant funding according to a new report examining their successful use in the USA.
The report by Vic O’Brien, development director at GreenSquare Group, explores the potential of private investment in affordable housing supported by tax credits, known in America as Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). Continue reading
As Labour continues to develop controversial policies designed to protect tenants from rogue landlords, Belvoir is issuing MPs and tenants with a stark warning of the negative impact of these policies.
“In recent weeks we have seen media reports of many controversial policies by Labour, such as the proposed banning of tenancy fees, introducing rental caps and statutory long-term tenancy agreements,” says Dorian Gonsalves, Belvoir’s Director of Commercial and Franchising. Continue reading