Archive

If a week is a long time in politics, then I’d say it’s a lifetime for anyone working in the property...

Sir Simon Clarke’s call for Rishi Sunak to be ousted from Downing Street may well express what many of his MP...

Whether a General Election is held in May, November or in January one thing is guaranteed -  we can expect to...

Propertymark has welcomed a move by the Government to lift restrictions on development along the abandoned HS2 route. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak...

The last thing you want as we rake through the dying embers of 2023 is a journalist’s prediction of what’s going...

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLHUC) has hit back at media claims about its housebuilding targets. The Times newspaper...

While Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, may have announced a u-turn on Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) plans in September, we continue to...

Propertymark has backed the launch of the Government’s £80m brownfield regeneration scheme. Councils across England can now bid for a share of...

It wasn’t exactly a champagne statement. More like Prosecco.  But, nevertheless, there are reasons to be cheerful in the wake of Jeremy...

Rachel Maclean has been sacked as housing minister as part of today's Cabinet reshuffle. Maclean had replaced Lucy Frazer as housing minister...

The government should reverse some of its latest energy efficiency policies so owners, landlords and tenants can enjoy cheaper fuel bills The...

Stamp Duty reform was back in the news over the weekend amid reports that the Government plans to reform the controversial...

Most weeks there are stories within the property sector that quietly slip under the radar - but which hold huge significance.  Last...

The Property Energy Professionals Association (PEPA) has opened its annual conference in Derby to estate agents and conveyancers for the first...

Housing supply rather than the private rented sector (PRS) made the headlines during the Conservative and Labour Party conferences this year...

Landowners who had their land compulsorily purchased by the government for HS2 are being urged to seek expert advice if they...

I listened carefully, and I even played it back afterwards.  But, even now, I remain astonished by what I didn’t hear.  On Wednesday, in his...

Agents have slammed the scrapping of the northern leg of HS2. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak scrapped the Birmingham to Manchester portion of...

While some landlords may have breathed a sigh of relief following Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak’s announcement on energy upgrades, I suspect...

Buyers and sellers are still factoring energy efficiency into property valuations despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak rolling back net-zero reforms. Analysis by...

It looks like more families are to be hit with inheritance tax in 2023/4 according to a new forecast.  Research from the...

Since the Bank of England base rate started making large jumps around the middle of last year, mortgage rates have increased...

Propertymark has backed delays to the Government’s net zero policies, claiming the shift to more sustainable and environmentally friendly homes should...

The Government has set out yet another attempt to meet it manifesto commitment to build 1m homes over this Parliament. Prime Minister...

It may be all change - again - at the Department of Levelling Up, Communities and Local Government if media speculation...

Borrowers have been dealt a new blow after five-year fixed rates passed the 6% barrier yesterday. Moneyfacts data showed the average five-year...

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been criticised for figures she used when highlighting how much mortgage borrowers are set to see...

So much has changed in the world of property of late that it’s easy to be behind the times - and...

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak clashed over housebuilding and housing market support yesterday. Sir Keir questioned Sunak’s...

MPs have urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to hold an emergency summit in Downing Street with banks and mortgage lenders to...

Housing policy formation must go beyond electoral cycles, academics have warned. A group of Cambridge University alumni has teamed up to urge...

Rishi Sunak has admitted Conservative Party members were a factor in ditching centralised housing targets. The Government officially watered-down proposals for mandatory...

The Labour Party has outlined three ways it will help first-time buyers onto the housing ladder as it ramps up its...

In November, research conducted by The Housing Forum's Futures Network unearthed concern with the potential to meet the requirements set out...

Lucy Frazer became the 13th Housing Minister to leave the role in the past decade yesterday after she was promoted to...

Lucy Frazer has been promoted from Housing Minister to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in Rishi Sunak’s latest...

Happy New Year, to you all. Now that we’re all back in harness and Christmas feels like a long-distant memory, I...

As we get ever closer to 2023, this final Natter of the year is dedicated to the five biggest property moments of...

Is it really just a year ago that we were nervously wondering whether yet another Christmas would be Covid-affected? Little did we...

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday repeated previously debunked claims that the Government is building record numbers of homes. Housebuilding have returned to...

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt should be wary of placing a greater financial burden on homeowners in next weeks’s Autumn Statement, an agent...

MP for South East Cambridgeshire Lucy Frazer has been confirmed as the latest Housing Minister as part of a department reshuffle. Michael...

Agency sale stock has improved by almost 40% in parts of Scotland over the past month, new research claims. Analysis by Scottish...

Rishi Sunak may have been Prime Minister for under a week but he has already received the Full Fact treatment. Speaking at...

Propertmark is calling for a 12 month exemption on additional Stamp Duty rates to boost rental property supply. The issue will be...

Mortgage rates look likely to fall after Rishi Sunak’s appointment as Prime Minister but analysts are still unsure how far the...

And…breathe. For a while back there, the only certainty for the housing market was uncertainty. That isn’t to say the election of Rishi...

Recent political changes – and there have been quite a few in recent weeks – have brought about something of a...

Estate agents have already filled Michael Gove's inbox with property-related tasks after he returned as Housing Secretary yesterday. New Prime Minister Rishi...

Michael Gove has returned to frontline politics and his previous role as Levelling Up and Housing Secretary. He is among the new...

Housing Secretary Simon Clarke has left Cabinet after Rishi Sunak officially entered Downing Street as Prime Minister this morning. Clarke cited his...

Property professionals are hoping for calmer markets after Rishi Sunak was confirmed as the new UK Prime Minister yesterday. Sunak won the...

Rishi Sunak has been confirmed as the new Conservative Party leader and will become the next UK Prime Minister. He will replace...

A week-long race to be the next Conservative Party leader and the Prime Minister kicks off this week, or may already...

Levelling Up and Housing Secretary Simon Clarke has given his backing for a return of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister. Clarke was...

There has been an understandable focus on things other than Government since the death of Queen Elizabeth was announced, but Prime...

From housebuilding to planning laws and stamp duty reform, agents and property professionals were ready with plenty of suggestions for Liz...

A property expert has claimed that it remains to be seen where housing will feature in the upcoming political agenda. Nicky Stevenson,...

Housing Secretary Greg Clark, who is also the Levelling Up Secretary, has been caught up in the storm surrounding Rishi Sunak...

The cost-of-living crisis has been dominating the news headlines for some months now, but new research has revealed the extent to...

A quarter of agents have indicated they may prefer Rishi Sunak as the next Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister –...

The Tory leadership debates have covered everything from taxes to trans rights but industry executives have lamented the lack of focus...

When it comes to housing policy, the Conservative MPs have given their party a choice between Tweedle Dum and Tweedle DumDum. Rishi...

The Tory leadership candidates have been urged to not forget about housing as the race to be the new Prime Minister...

The last week has been dramatic even by the standards of UK politics, with a Cabinet and junior minister rebellion bringing...

Housing minister Stuart Andrew has become the latest minister to resign from the government. More than 15 government ministers and officials have...

Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid sensationally quit as Chancellor and Health Secretary respectively this evening but Housing Secretary Michael Gove is...

Although Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement did not include many announcements regarding housing, it did provide a good...

The industry has reacted to the Spring Statement by breathing a sigh of relief that nothing was likely to cause damage...

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a dramatic future income tax cut, changes to National Insurance thresholds and scrapping VAT on more...

Figures just released by HM Revenue & Customs show the Treasury enjoying a bumper year for stamp duty, with record receipts...

If you want to sex-up the Chancellor’s financial statement scheduled for lunchtime on Wednesday, you’d call it a Budget or a...

Propertymark has backed a call for stamp duty incentives to be introduced to drive forward domestic energy efficiency. The trade body’s policy...

A stamp duty cut would provide a long-term to improve energy efficiency on homes, the Chancellor has been told by an...

Will he stay or will he go? You don’t need me to say who ‘he’ is - it’s the only story...

The concept of the High Street estate agency branch has been given an endorsement by two companies announcing new offices. Fine &...

In the Autumn Budget on Wednesday 27 October, very few impending tax hikes were revealed by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak –...

We’ve probably all learned to be a little less cynical about politicians in recent weeks, given the tragic events. We perhaps...

At first glance, Rishi Sunak’s Budget speech earlier this week didn’t offer much from a property perspective. But digging down a little...

It’s been revealed that the government did consider a stamp duty RISE which would have been announced in this week’s Budget. The...

Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget did not ignore Capital Gains Tax after all.   For those selling UK residential property the deadline to file...

There has been criticism of the new Residential Development Tax, levied to fund remedial work on dangerous cladding on high rise blocks. The tax...

There’s been some cynicism amongst the industry in response to new homes promises made by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in yesterday’s Budget. Sunak...

The Budget has proven more generous than many expected - and with most property taxation left unchanged. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has made...

Agent wages have been in the news this week, with boastful claims from a number of self-employed businesses about the sums...

An interesting demand has been made of Chancellor Rishi Sunak - to consider reforming stamp duty with thresholds revised to reflect...

Chancellor Rishi Sunak says HM Revenue & Customs will probe any alleged wrongdoing in property purchases included in the so-called Pandora...

New figures from HM Treasury have revealed that businesses, including a number of major agencies, have returned £1.3 billion in furlough...

In a day of unexpected drama, Boris Johnson carried out a surprisingly brutal and widespread Cabinet reshuffle which saw a number...

Being able to show proof of funds in a quick, transparent and simple way is more crucial than ever to keep fall-throughs...

First-time buyers are £25,000 worse off thanks to the stamp duty holiday, according to estate agent comparison site GetAgent. The website revealed...

Lost in the noise of yesterday’s social care announcements, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has named October 27 as his next Budget Day...

The Guardian has sharply criticised Chancellor Rishi Sunak for introducing and then extending the stamp duty holiday - because helping estate...

I’m sorry to break this to you but in 10 days’ time it will be autumn - and we will have...

Like most aspects of life since the pandemic hit, the employment arena has been hit hard. But not just with uncertainty...

A leading tax expert is advising investors to “plan your disposals” after new Capital Gains Tax figures have raised speculation of...

There’s gathering momentum to do ‘something’ about the unfairness of council tax and stamp duty. This isn’t new in principle. Agents have...

The possible introduction of higher levels of Capital Gains Tax for the sale of buy to let, holiday homes or even...

One of the most outspoken campaigners against stamp duty has been fined for avoiding tens of thousands of pounds in … stamp...

Agents in England are told that sellers should market their homes by March 23 - only 18 days from now - if...