Scrap stamp duty for pensioners to free up homes for youngsters, says thinktank December 3, 2018 A UK thinktank has called for the government to scrap stamp duty for pensioners to encourage downsizing and free up homes for younger families. Policy Exchange’s new report reveals that 1.1m homes in England with two or more spare bedrooms are lived in by a single person aged over 65. The report says the lower stamp [...]
New Homes: Our pick of the new builds and conversions going on sale in London this weekend November 30, 2018 New developments on the market this week Fitzroy Gate, Old Isleworth From £1.4m Why shouldn’t Christmas shopping include browsing for a new home? There’s a festive-themed open day tomorrow from 10am to 4pm at this seven acre development in south west London. There are three show homes to peruse and 39 Victorian and neo-Georgian style [...]
DEBATE: After one lender launched a six-times-salary deal, are we headed towards a mortgage timebomb? November 30, 2018 After one lender launched a six-times-salary deal, are we headed towards a mortgage timebomb? Andrew Hagger, personal finance expert at MoneyComms, says YES. A shortage in UK housing supply means that property prices continue to increase, albeit at a slower rate in recent months. This means that lenders must stretch their lending criteria in order to [...]
Sellers experience a house price ‘reality check’ despite a climb in mortgage approvals November 26, 2018 New home mortgage approvals inched higher in October, the latest data shows. High street bank lending for house purchases grew by 3.6 per cent compared to the same month in 2017, UK Finance figures released today demonstrate. However, remortgaging approvals fell by a huge 13.5 per cent, with total mortgage approvals down 4.1 per cent. [...]
Poll: Millennials split on Help to Buy November 25, 2018 Fresh fears that the government’s Help-to-Buy programme has failed to help its target millennial market have been underlined today, with a new poll suggesting that young adults were the most likely group to oppose the scheme. According to a survey by property investment platform British Pearl, more than 40 per cent of people between the [...]
Jingle sells: Ice rinks and golden baubles on the wishlist as Christmas decorators report best year yet November 25, 2018 Live reindeer, ice rinks and 22 carat-gold Christmas tree baubles – these are the extravagances on offer as wealthy homeowners increasingly turn to interior designers to decorate their houses this festive season. For a growing number of the rich and famous, gone are the days of struggling to put up the tree with the children. [...]
Asda and Sainsbury’s slash petrol prices as Black Friday shopping event begins November 23, 2018 Asda and Sainsbury’s have slashed petrol prices today as UK consumers participate in Black Friday. Both supermarkets have cut 1p per litre off the price of unleaded and 2p off each litre of diesel following a decrease in the wholesale cost. Customers of the UK’s second and third largest food stores will pay no more [...]
London house price boom to end as buyer’s market returns November 23, 2018 The London property market is slowly returning into the hands of buyers, as the days of house price growth outpacing the rise of inflation look set to come to an end. Industry analysts and economists polled by Reuters over the last week have predicted house prices in the capital will fall 1.7 per cent this [...]
GCHQ shares eight ways to shop Black Friday sales without getting hacked November 23, 2018 The UK's online shoppers are "prime pickings" for hackers and targeted attacks this Black Friday weekend, British spy agency GCHQ has warned. As promotional offers begin to fill up the inboxes of buyers across the country today, the defence agency's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued advice on how to tell the difference between genuine deals [...]
Intu granted second deadline extension for Whittaker consortium takeover offer November 22, 2018 Shopping centre giant Intu has again extended the deadline for finalising a takeover offer, the company said today. Intu, which owns the Trafford Centre in Manchester, said a consortium of buyers now has until 5pm on 30 November to announce its firm intention to make an offer on the company. The consortium is made up [...]