First-time buyers becoming more highly leveraged
First-time buyers are leaning harder on high loan-to-value mortgages, analysis of UK Finance data from HouzeCheck has revealed. In the first quarter of 2025 the average LTV on a first-time…
Golden Age of UK property investment is over – research
The British obsession with property as a means of building wealth is outdated, as today’s house buyers will not match the gains of past generations, asset manager Rathbones has warned.…
The Mortgage Works cuts buy-to-let rates
The Mortgage Works is reducing buy-to-let rates by up to 0.35%, with rates starting from 2.79%. Its buy-to-let 2-year fixed rate (remortgage only) now costs 2.99% to 65% LTV with…
Scottish housebuilding at 30-year low
Housing starts in Scotland were at their lowest level since 1996 in the first quarter of 2025, indicating that there’s a real problem in creating new supply in the country.…
Telecoms masts a barrier to redevelopments
Telecoms masts are increasingly becoming a barrier to redevelopment or urgent building works – and the legal framework for removing them is tightening, Henry Russell at law firm Clarke Willmott…
Councils must be backed to uphold Decent Homes Standard, warns NRLA
The Decent Homes Standard is being extended from social housing to private in the Renters’ Rights Bill, but the National Residential Landlords Association has warned that it needs to be…
New build homes launch in Staffordshire
A development of 58 homes have come to market in Rugely in Staffordshire from housebuilder Lovell. Some 29 are for open market sale and 29 allocated as affordable housing. This…
‘Government should loosen affordable housing rules with New Towns’
The government should lower its 40% affordable housing requirement when it comes to its New Towns policy, according to Andrew Smith of Phoenix Funding. Smith reckons the requirement will prove…
Building Safety Regulator reforms to accelerate high-rise housebuilding
The government is reforming the Building Safety Regulator in a bid to speed up construction of high-rise homes. This will include a ‘fast track process’, where existing new build cases…
Legal challenges limited to speed up infrastructure building
Only one legal challenge will be permitted on decisions on major infrastructure in a bid to reduce building delays. The government said this would push back against a challenge culture…