HOUSING NEWS

Demand from property hunters rebounded as curbs on the sector were lifted in England – but the trend may be short-lived, analysis suggests. Buyer demand rose by 88% in the week estate agents were told they could resume viewings and people could move again, property portal Zoopla said. However, actual sales remained sluggish, and the […]

Residential property sales in the UK in April hit their lowest monthly level since comparable records began in 2005, new figures show. There were 38,060 transactions in April, according to provisional numbers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). This was less than half the level seen in the same month last year. Spring is usually […]

The government has set out plans to restart England’s housing market from today, which has been in deep freeze since the coronavirus lockdown. Estate agents can now open, viewings can be carried out and removal firms and conveyancers can restart operations. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said the changes must be carried out under social distancing […]

The government has urged people not to move house to try to limit the spread of coronavirus across the UK. Buyers and renters should delay moving while emergency stay-at-home measures are in place, it said. Its comments come amid reports banks are pressing for a full suspension of the UK housing market. Lenders are concerned […]

Boris Johnson has outlined strict new measures to tackle the spread of coronavirus, including a ban on public gatherings of more than two people. He said people should leave home only to exercise once a day, travel to and from work where “absolutely necessary”, shop for essential items and to fulfil any medical or care […]

More evidence has emerged of a pick-up in the UK housing market. The number of mortgages being approved to home buyers hit its highest level for nearly four years in January, according to the latest figures from the Bank of England. It said 70,888 home loans were approved, the highest number since February 2016. Recent […]

An investigation into the leasehold property market has found “worrying evidence” that buyers are being treated unfairly and charged unreasonable fees. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said many homeowners found themselves in “serious traps” after being misled by housing developers. It said it would take action against firms, calling for a change in the […]

The North-South divide in house price growth saw property values climb more than three times as much in Yorkshire and Humber as in south-east England. Land Registry figures for December also revealed a post-election boost, with London prices rising 1.6%. The end-of-year surge meant all regions saw a positive annual growth rate for the first […]

Activity in the UK housing market picked up at the start of the year, surveyors say, with cautious expectations of the lift continuing. The number of people looking to buy rose in January, as did the amount of homes for sale, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said. Sales that had been agreed rose […]

Image caption: Janine Jones said her fee this year was around £125 Welsh ministers have promised action over fees homeowners are charged for the maintenance of new-build estates. People on estates with communal areas not adopted by local councils have no control over the management charges. Ministers want those affected, as well as developers and […]