Bristol house prices rose faster than other cities in 2016 – Daily Mail

According to the Hometrack UK Cities House Price Index property prices in Bristol rose by 9.6% over 12 months to December 2016. This puts Bristol in first place among the 20 cities measured by the index. Closely following in second place was the city of Manchester with a rise of 8.9% Bristol house prices rose […]

Survey suggests stamp duty is significant barrier for first time buyers – Property Wire

Stamp duty is acting as a barrier to home ownership according to the Yorkshire Building Society. It recommends that the government should encourage more first time buyers onto the property ladder by introducing reforms that pass the tax burden onto potential sellers. This could save the average UK buyer (excluding Scotland) around £3,791 per purchase. […]

Buy a house in the gorgeous Italian countryside for just £1: Village homes being ‘given away’ to stop blight of … – Daily Mail

Three towns in Italy are offering historic homes for just £1 in an effort to attract people to an area people are moving away from. The only condition is that buyers provide £18000 to renovate the homes. It is hoped that this will prevent historic areas from being abandoned and preserve historic buildings. Key Takeaways: […]

First-time buyers told not to hold their breath – FT Adviser

It is not yet clear if the government’s promise to build 200,000 new starter homes by 2020 will help first-time buyers to enter the market. A 2004 report said that 120,000 new homes a year were needed, and the Housing White Paper which should present a realistic plan has not yet been published. The managing […]

House prices soar again: Big surge since EU exit vote smashes economists’ expectations – Express.co.uk

Despite predictions to the contrary, the United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union does not appear to have harmed house prices – with prices rising by 1.7 percent between the months of November and December. Factors such as high property-demand, high employment, and low interest-rates appear to maintain house-price growth. The growth-trend may not […]

Home owners in UK aged 55 and over face poor mortgage choice – Property Wire

Estate agents hold the opinion that people aged 55 and over are not having their needs fully met by the range of mortgages on offer. ‘Equity Release’ – which allows existing property wealth to be accessed – could be the solution to the issue of older people being unable to move-in and renovate their ideal […]

‘Window of opportunity’ for first-time buyers in 2017 market … – Belfast Telegraph

According to Rightmove, a window of opportunity has emerged for first time buyers in 2017. The website states that the number of small properties available on the market has increased by 1.9% compared to 2016. It is thought that this spike in availability has been caused by an increase in tax for buyers wishing to […]

Demand for UK property pushes average price over £300000 for first time – Select Property

Average asking prices for UK property have reached a historic high in January 2017. The first indicators of the year, from property website Rightmove, show average asking prices rising to over £300,000. Investors looking for high yields are looking to Northern cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds rather than the capital, London. Demand for […]

Historic low rates encouraging more UK home owners to remortgage – Property Wire

Most UK homeowners are now remortgaging their homes due to historically low-rates. The research by conveyancing panel management specialists LMS, shows that nearly two thirds of remortgagors are planning on remortgaging their property again, mainly due to the reduction in base interest rate from 0.5% to 0.25%. The research also showed that 46% of all […]

Buy-to-let crackdown: Where can you still get the biggest mortgages? – Telegraph.co.uk

New affordability rules from 1 Jan 2017, mean Landlords will have limits on the amount they can borrow on a buy to let mortgage. For a short transitional period, it is still possible to take out a mortgage under the old rules, however borrowing more now may limit remortgaging options later on after rules change. […]