The UK needs a rules-based zoning system for planning Opinion Under the discretionary planning system created in 1947, no part of England has ever been able to harness private sector development to meet housing targets at the scale we now need. It’s time for a radical overhaul, says Andrew Carter The government has rightly made improving workers’ take-home pay a measure of success for this [...]
‘Prohibitive building costs’ stunting UK growth projects – Deloitte Property “Prohibitive costs” involved in construction projects in major UK cities led to a sharp decline in the number of new developments breaking ground in 2024, according to a new report from Deloitte. Deloitte’s latest Regional Crane Surveys, which covers the central areas of Belfast, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, has revealed the number of new starts [...]
London house prices rise by just £600 as worst borough revealed Property The London borough where more houses fell in value than almost any other area in the UK in 2024 has been revealed. According to new data released by Zoopla, the value of 72 per cent of houses in Kensington and Chelsea fell by at least one per cent last year. A total of 73,200 homes [...]
Property analysts forecast strong spring as stamp duty deadline looms January 10, 2025 Activity in the UK’s property market closely followed government policies on tax last year, something set to continue as the reality of the stamp duty deadline sinks in for first-time buyers. Real estate experts have predicted a burst of activity in early spring ahead of the end of stamp duty relief for first homes, which [...]
Slump in housebuilding casts doubt on government’s new homes pledge December 5, 2024 Tim Moore, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said housebuilding was suffering from a "sustained downturn".
Autumn Budget 2024: Stamp duty for second homes upped to support first-time buyers October 30, 2024 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has increased the amount of tax Brits will pay when buying their second home to provide support for first-time buyers and those moving home. Second-time buyers previously paid three per cent stamp duty on homes worth up to £250,000. From tomorrow, they will pay five per cent tax. The increase will also [...]
Barratt Redrow: Builder outlines growth plans after merger October 23, 2024 Barratt Redrow outlined its growth plans today in its first trading update as a combined group. Created by the merger of homebuilders Barrett and Redrow, the combined group has laid out plans to build 22,000 homes a year in the medium term. That would make it one of the UK’s largest house builders. In its [...]
Renters set for more tough times as house sales strengthen October 10, 2024 The latest RICS Residential Survey has provided a lot of optimism for house buyers and sellers, but less for tenants, who are set to contend with an even tougher market. The survey, which asks estate agents for their opinion on the housing market, found a “sustained improvement in market activity”, with measures of demand, sales and [...]
Vistry shares plunge after builder warns on profit October 8, 2024 Vistry shares plunged around a third in early deals this morning after the company issued an unscheduled profit warning. The share price has since stabilised, but it remains down by just over 24 per cent. The group has warned that its profit will be £80m lower than expected this year due to issues with some [...]
Two-year mortgage rates fall as markets brace for future interest rate cuts September 20, 2024 Two-year mortgage deals are becoming increasingly competitive as rates continue to fall faster than longer-term deals.