Home insurance: Price of a quote jumps by a quarter – and London is worst hit September 8, 2023 The average quoted price of home insurance has surged by around a quarter (25.7 per cent) annually, according to an index – and London is worst impacted. Data analytics firm Consumer Intelligence, which compiled the report, said this is the biggest jump it has seen in records going back to 2014. The average premium quoted [...]
How to sell a house in today’s tricky market August 25, 2023 Everybody knows that painting your front door can help to sell a house – but what other hacks can you take advantage of? Just like painting the door, adding a few attractive planters and pots instantly makes the entrance a feature and hints at a home that is looked after and makes a buyer want [...]
Mortgage and rent payments ‘difficult’ for almost 40 per cent of Brits August 11, 2023 Some 38 per cent of Brits have confessed to finding it difficult to afford their rent or mortgage payments over the past month, as the cost of living crisis continues to wreak havoc on the public’s personal finances. This figure was around 29 per cent in early August 2022, new figures from the ONS show, [...]
Estate agents hate these questions: You should ask them anyway August 10, 2023 Buying and selling your home is always high on the list of the most stressful times in a person’s life, up there with taking exams, getting divorced, and passing (or failing) a driving test. Estate agents are there to make this job easier, although only the good ones actually do. We asked two of the [...]
Property of the week: Live like a king in Marylebone August 10, 2023 This stunning property designed by Milanese interiors studio Peregalli looks like it belongs in the Le Palais de Versailles rather than the middle of Marylebone. The one-of-a-kind flat spans two Georgian townhouses, featuring double-height ceilings and intricate plasterwork throughout. It has an entrance hall; reception room with three huge sash widows; formal dining room complete [...]
Exclusive: ‘Draconian’ Net Zero rules will hit landlords to tune of £6,000 – but only save £36 a year July 11, 2023 Government rules which ensure housing meets net zero targets have been branded “draconian” by a landlords group, who say costs massively outweigh benefits. Under new proposals, landlords will be blocked from letting properties unless they upgrade them to meet net zero energy efficiency targets as soon as 2028. Homes will be required to have an [...]
Value of London homes sinks as red hot mortgage rates continue to rattle market July 6, 2023 Some 68 per cent of west London homeowners have seen the value of their property decrease since last November, new data shows, as soaring mortgage rates and a difficult buyer market rattle the capital’s housing sector. As buyer confidence falls due to red hot mortgage rates 7,000 homes across west central London decreased in value [...]
Rate pain takes its toll as home sales tumbled almost 30 per cent in May June 30, 2023 Home sales tumbled by 27 per cent in May compared with the same month a year earlier, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) figures. Across the UK, 80,020 transactions were recorded in May 2023, which was also 3 per cent lower than in April 2023. HMRC’s report said the big fall compared with May [...]
House price growth faces ‘significant drag’ from rate rises but London remains ‘buoyant’ June 30, 2023 House price growth may face “significant drag” from high interest rates as fresh figures show they remained relatively stable in June despite yearly growth being negative. The latest Nationwide House Price Index show house prices remained broadly flat in June, but down 2.5 per cent compared to last year, owing in part to 13 successive [...]
London’s wealthy put homes up for renting as mortgage rate rises bite June 28, 2023 London’s wealthy are placing their homes up for rent as they struggle to reach their ideal asking price on pads across upmarket boroughs such as Chelsea and Mayfair. Following the Bank of England’s decision to hike interest rates by 0.5 per cent, figures from estate agent Knight Frank show affluent sellers in some of London’s [...]