Chancellor’s Budget on 11 March – to tax or not to tax January 17, 2020 Having inadvertently set a record by having a year without a Budget, the first time this has happened since the introduction of income tax, the Chancellor’s choice of Wednesday 11 March, rather than “February” as stated in the election campaign, gives the busy Treasury a little more time to work up the ideas that were [...]
London property market sentiment strengthens after Conservative election victory January 16, 2020 London’s property market has enjoyed a “Boris bounce” following the result of last month’s General Election, as the capital saw a sharp increase in buyer interest and sales prospects. In December, 31 per cent of chartered surveyors saw a rise rather than a fall in enquiries from new buyers, up from minus 12 in November, [...]
UK house prices increase as market shows signs of confidence in November January 15, 2020 UK house prices increased in the year to November, demonstrating returning signs of confidence in the property market, according to the latest data. Average UK house prices were up 2.2 per cent in November last year, compared to a 1.3 per cent jump in the year to October. Read more: London’s house prices rose twice [...]
New mortgages fall in November after 2018 surge January 15, 2020 The number of first time buyer mortgages dropped in November last year, following a surge in house purchase activity in 2018. There were 30,620 new first-time buyer mortgages completed in November 2019, a decline of 10.5 per cent compared to the same month the previous year. Read more: First time buyer mortgages hit 12-year high [...]
Home is where the heart is: how to revolutionise the house buying process January 9, 2020 For too many people, home ownership is a distant dream. In today’s Britain, only about 27 per cent of people aged 25 to 34 own their home — a huge dip compared to 1990, when ownership for this age group was 50 per cent, according to the Resolution Foundation. Sky-high property prices, the need to [...]
January transfer window: Why Premier League clubs could hold off splashing the cash in mid-season January 8, 2020 The hype and bluster surrounding the Premier League transfer windows, and the shorter January version in particular, is well established. Rumour, counter-rumour and 24/7 rolling news with reporters in club car parks were designed for such occasions and have become ingrained in football culture. All the window means in practice, however, is that after five [...]
SMMT: UK car sales plunge to six-year low despite electric growth January 6, 2020 British car sales slumped to a six-year low in 2019, as widespread economic uncertainty put the brakes on an industry whose only glimmer of hope came in the form of record electric vehicle sales. New car registrations fell two per cent to 2.31m last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), [...]
UK house prices end decade on a high with 1.4 per cent growth January 3, 2020 House prices were 1.4 per cent higher year-on-year in December, the first rise of more than one per cent for 12 months. According to research from Nationwide, after seasonal factors had been considered prices rose by 0.1 per cent in December. Read more: Rightmove: Tory election win will boost house prices by 2 per cent [...]
Mortgage approvals jump in November December 30, 2019 Mortgage approvals jumped 6.8 per cent last month, reaching the highest level in almost two years. Remortgage approvals soared 12.7 per cent during the month while gross mortgage lending dipped 3.3 per cent last month compared to the same month last year. Read more: First time buyer mortgage approvals increase in October EY Item Club [...]
House prices 2020: How will the UK property market fare next year? December 26, 2019 It’s been a rocky year for the property market, as protracted political uncertainty and affordability problems left house prices largely stagnant in London and across the UK. But with a resounding victory for Boris Johnson in the General Election earlier this month, and the prospect of an end to the Brexit saga in sight, 2020 [...]