HOUSING NEWS

House prices and sales are “losing momentum” amid Brexit uncertainty, surveyors say, although parts of the UK are still seeing property values rise. Key aspects of the housing market were “pretty much flatlining”, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said. Many homes valued at more than £1m were being sold for under the asking […]

That Bank of England data shows borrowing was £3.7bn – close to the average of the previous three years – in June and a pick-up on May when it stood at £2.9bn. The annual growth rate of mortgage lending remained stable at 3.1%, around the level that it has been at since 2016, the Bank […]

Ministers have pledged to put an end to the use of so-called “poor doors” in housing developments in England. The separate entrances for social housing tenants living in new builds “stigmatise” and divide them from private residents, the government said. Communities Secretary James Brokenshire said he had been “appalled” by the examples of segregation he […]

Landlords can refuse potential tenants with children when letting out a UK property, which has prompted complaints from some of those turned down. Some families searching for a home to rent say it is unfair and discriminatory to rule out tenants with children. But landlords point out that not all properties are suitable for youngsters, […]

Average house prices dipped by 0.3% to £237,110. last month compared to June last year, according to the Halifax. However, they rose by 5.7% in the three months to June from the same period last year. Halifax managing director Russell Galley, said: “More generally the housing market is displaying a reasonable degree of resilience in […]

Latest figures show little sign of a Spring bounce in the UK property market, with some potential buyers seemingly put off by Brexit uncertainty. The number of property transactions remained below 90,000 for the second successive month in May, according to figures from HM Revenue and Customs. Generally, at this time of year, there is […]

First-time buyers are bypassing flats and moving straight into houses – leading to a fall in the cost of apartments, official figures suggest. The cost of a typical apartment or maisonette in England has fallen by 2.1% in a year, while other types of property have become more expensive. Experts suggest people are buying their […]

Almost two-thirds of homebuyers who used the government’s Help to Buy scheme could have bought a home without it, an official report has said. However, they may not have been able to buy the house they wanted without the help, the report from the National Audit Office (NAO) found. It also found that one in […]

Mr Brokenshire said his party should champion economic freedom Calls by the Housing Secretary for people to be able to use their pension savings to get onto the housing ladder have sparked a row within government. James Brokenshire said people who had saved into occupational pensions should be free to spend the proceeds when they […]

A North-South divide has opened up when comparing house prices, according to official figures. Property values fell by 1.9% in London in the year to March, but rose by 3.6% in Yorkshire and Humberside, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. House prices in Scotland recorded a 3.3% increase over the same period, the data […]