Brits push down house prices to dodge mansion tax February 26, 2026 House sellers are already pushing sale values below £2m in a bid to avoid the coming “mansion tax” on expensive homes. The high-value council tax surcharge (HVCTS) is not due to be implemented until April 2028 but estate agents Hamptons have found Brits are already taking steps to avoid the levy. The “mansion tax” charge [...]
London, Oxford and Cambridge suffer steepest housing cost burden January 26, 2026 Londoners spend more on rent and housing than anywhere else in the country, according to a new report which highlights the economic cost of the capital’s housing crisis. The research found that residents of London spend 19 per cent of their outgoings on housing on average, although it noted that many renters and young homeowners [...]
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Names David Lee Global Chief Human Resources Officer January 16, 2026 Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) today announced the promotion of David Lee to Global Chief Human Resources Officer. “I am thrilled to have David leading our human resources group worldwide,” said Peter Eastwood, President and Chief Executive Officer, BHSI. “An experienced HR practitioner and lifelong student of the profession, his deep expertise, stellar work ethic, [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Barclays slumps on credit card cap, Fed’s Jerome Powell faces probe January 12, 2026 Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. The FTSE 100 broke through the five-figure mark last week in a welcome start to the year for the London markets. The index saw its best annual performance in 2025 since the recovery from the financial crash in 2009. That was helped along in no small part [...]
London homeowners most likely to make a loss upon selling their home January 12, 2026 London homeowners are most likely to make a loss upon selling their house as prices in the capital continue to drop. In 2025, nearly 15 per cent of Londoners sold their home for less than they bought it, the highest proportion in England and Wales, according to analysis from real estate agent Hamptons, well above [...]
What does 2026 hold for London property owners? January 2, 2026 Ordinary London home owners are set to be hammered by Rachel Reeves’ Mansion Tax and skyrocketing council tax. But the capital will prove resilient, says James Evans It’s going to be an interesting year ahead for the capital’s property owners and how they deal with the fallout from the Budget. Central to this is how London [...]
Bank of mum and dad now funding multiple steps up housing ladder December 17, 2025 The ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ are funding more than just first steps on the housing ladder, with financial gifts pivotal for second steppers too. Nearly 20 per cent of second-time buyers have received support to buy their property, according to new research from Barclays, rising to 30 per cent for first-time buyers. This amounts [...]
Mansion tax is an ‘assault’ on London’s property market November 27, 2025 The UK’s new ‘mansion tax’ is set to hit homeowners in London hard, particularly for middle-class Londoners who have seen the price of their property balloon in the last two decades. Chancellor Rachel Reeves introduced a new high-value council tax surcharge for owners of properties valued at over £2m in her second Budget on Wednesday. [...]
Brits delay moving houses over Budget fears November 20, 2025 Nearly one in five Brits considering moving house have stalled their plans ahead of the Budget, a new survey has indicated, in a fresh warning to the Treasury about the damage caused by leaks and speculation. Around 17 per cent of potential movers surveyed by property website Rightmove said they have paused their plans to [...]
London, Manchester and Edinburgh to bear the brunt of mansion tax November 19, 2025 A mansion tax in next week’s Budget could stifle property markets and disproportionately harm homeowners in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, tax experts have warned. Rachel Reeves is reportedly planning a mansion tax raid on high-value properties, as she takes a “smorgasbord” approach to the Budget after last week’s dramatic income tax U-turn. The Chancellor has [...]