HOUSING NEWS

One in 10 adults owns second home, says think tank…

As many as 5.2 million UK adults – or one in 10 – have bought or inherited a second home, according to research. Think tank the Resolution Foundation said the number of multiple home owners grew by 30% between 2002 and 2014. That figure includes buy-to-let landlords – counted as one owner even if they […]

House price growth holding steady…

The average price of a home in the UK went up by nearly £2,000 to £223,000 in June, according to official figures. The annual rate of increase is running at 4.9%, down from 5% in May, while prices rose 0.8% between May and June. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show the wide variation in […]

Estate agents’ profits plunge as housing market slows…

Two of the country’s estate agent chains have posted slumping profits in the face of a slowing housing market. London-focused estate agent Foxtons saw profits plunge 64% in the first six months of this year. Another estate agent, Countrywide, also saw profits tumble, also saw profits tumble, by 98% in its case. The firm said it […]

How close is Japanese knotweed getting to my home?

Two centuries ago, when Victorian engineers were designing the latest in transport technology, Japanese knotweed sounded like a very clever idea. A plant that typically colonised volcanoes in Japan was imported to Britain to help hide, or possibly even stabilise, railway embankments. Since then its spread has caused much unhappiness amongst home-owners and prospective house […]

UK house price growth easing, says the Halifax…

UK house prices have recorded a quarter-on-quarter fall for the fourth month in a row for the first time since 2012, according to the Halifax. The mortgage lender said that property prices between May and July were 0.2% lower than the previous quarter. The figures, based on Halifax’s own mortgage data, showed annual house price growth […]

Housing market lull ‘spreads from London’…

A slowdown in the housing market is spreading from London to other parts of the South East of England, surveyors suggest. While the region is pulling down activity and average price growth in the UK, other areas saw price rises. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said Northern Ireland, the West Midlands and the […]

Home repossessions drop amid low interest rates…

The number of homes seized by lenders due to owners falling behind on their mortgage repayments has fallen to a new low. Repossessions of homes in the UK fell from 1,900 in the first quarter of the year to 1,800 in April to June, according to lenders’ trade body UK Finance. This is the lowest […]