Four ways to help the HENRYs March 26, 2026 High Earners, Not Rich Yet are being hammered by tax, housing and childcare costs. Here’s how to fix the system so HENRYs don’t just participate in the workforce, but also prosper, says Louis Coke The acronym ‘HENRY’ has been around for a while, and the problem that it encompasses is only getting bigger and bigger [...]
London house prices drop again as market faces fresh headwinds March 25, 2026 House prices in London have fallen for the sixth consecutive month, as the capital’s property market continues to struggle compared to the rest of the country. The average house price in the capital fell by 1.7 per cent in the year to January, up from the 1.2 per cent year-on-year fall in December, according to [...]
Cancel student debt in exchange for first time buyer equity, housebuilders urge government March 24, 2026 Cash-strapped graduates struggling to get on the property ladder should have their debt written off in exchange for giving over a stake of their first home to the government, a new report has urged. The report, backed by more than 50 housing sector bodies including top housebuilders Vistry and Barratt Redrow, proposes offering a discount [...]
Gilt yields – the hidden driver of house prices March 20, 2026 Everyone has assumed, understandably, that the two main factors influencing UK house prices are supply and affordability, but there is a third driver: gilt yields, says James Sproule James Carville, Bill Clinton’s political strategist, famously said if reincarnation was real, he wanted to come back as the bond market, “because then I can intimidate everyone”. [...]
Sluggish economy spooks small housebuilders March 20, 2026 Small and medium (SME) housebuilders are being put off from investing in new projects by the UK’s economy and housing market, according to a new report. As many as 70 per cent of SME building firms said current market conditions are reducing their appetite for starting new sites and a quarter expect to cut back [...]
Third of first-time buyers rely on bank of mum and dad March 18, 2026 Around a third of first-time buyers receive help from family and more than half rely on at least two full-time incomes, as access to first-time home ownership has collapsed this century. As many as 52 per cent of first-time buyers now rely on at least two incomes, up from just 40 per cent in the [...]
Wickes profit doubles as DIY firm bets on solar March 17, 2026 Home improvement retailer Wickes has doubled its profit as the firm positions itself to become a leader in solar panel installation. The firm took revenue of £1.6bn, up six per cent, and pre-tax profit grew from £23m to £49m, in the year to December 2025. Wickes was promoted to the FTSE 250 last year, as [...]
Britain needs practical ideas to fix the housing crisis March 17, 2026 Prosper UK is bringing together a group of experts with a proven track record of delivery to try to solve the housing crisis, says Gavin Barwell If you were making a list of long-standing public policy failures in this country, housing would be right near the top. We haven’t built enough homes for at least [...]
Housing market struggles for momentum as Iran war looms March 12, 2026 The UK housing market is struggling for momentum as uncertainty caused by the Iran war prompts banks to hike mortgage rates and pull deals. New buyer inquiries weakened in February as 26 per cent of property professionals reported a fall in interest, up from 15 per cent in January, according to the Royal Institution of [...]
‘Easiest time to rent in six years’ as housing supply improves March 11, 2026 Renters in the UK are enjoying the lowest level of competition for homes in six years, as price growth slows and stock increases. While 6.5 renters competed for every property last year, the average number of enquiries per home is now 4.8 – the lowest rate since 2020, according to Zoopla’s quarterly rental market report. [...]