Mortgage turbulence continues as HSBC pulls deals and Nationwide raises rates – business live
HSBC temporarily removes mortgage products for new customers, as borrowers face higher rates HSBC temporarily withdraws mortgage deals for new borrowers The UK’s cost of living crisis has driven down sales on the high streets, which turned negative for the first time in more than two years Total like-for-like retail sales, combining in-store and online, […]
‘It would really help us’: renters in the UK who want a 100% mortgage
No-deposit loan presents possible route out of rental trap to those deemed eligible When Skipton, one of Britain’s biggest building societies, launched the UK’s first 100% mortgage exclusively for renters last month, reactions varied wildly. While some commentators regard the first-of-its-kind home loan as a “revolutionary” way to get people out of the rental trap […]
Housebuilders cut back on construction as UK mortgage rate rises spook buyers
Work on residential building sites slips in May to weakest level since 2009 UK banks pull hundreds more mortgage deals as fixed rates rise Britain’s housebuilders are cutting back on the construction of new homes amid signs that potential buyers are being spooked by the prospect of increases in mortgage rates over the coming months. […]
Agreed house sales in UK at highest point this year, says Zoopla
But property website warns that rebound in activity could be hit by rising mortgage rates More prospective house sellers are returning to the UK’s property market, pushing agreed home sales to their highest point of the year in May, according to Zoopla, although it warned that the rebound in activity could be knocked by rising […]
UK homeowners and first-time buyers warned to brace for 5%-plus mortgage rates
Lenders forced to raise fixed-term deals after latest inflation figure pushed swap rates upwards Households looking for a new mortgage deal have been warned to expect 5%-plus fixed-rate deals in the coming weeks, after Wednesday’s inflation figures sent the money markets back into turmoil. Nick Mendes, the mortgage technical manager at the broker John Charcol, […]
A broker told me I don’t earn enough for a London mortgage. Is that true?
I have lived at the family home all my life, I earn £26,000 a year and have about £60,000 for a deposit Q I’m almost 26 and have lived at home my whole life, just outside the M25. I am a tailor, I didn’t go to university – so have no student debt – and […]
UK house prices could be stabilising despite falls, say surveyors
Rics data for February shows improvement in new buyer inquiries and sales The UK housing market remains in decline but there are some signs of stabilisation, with an improvement in new buyer inquiries and sales last month, according to surveyors. Many told the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) that a return of optimism, and […]
UK house prices rise as mortgage rate cuts lift confidence
Average monthly increase of 1.1% to £285,476 in February, after falls in previous two months, says Halifax UK house prices picked up in February from the previous month as recent reductions in mortgage rates helped to stabilise the market, according to the lender Halifax. The average house price rose 1.1% to £285,476 last month compared […]
Weaker UK economic outlook weighs on housing market; Pret hikes worker salaries – business live
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as Taylor Wimpey says weaker economic backdrop is hitting the near-term outlook Bank of England boss signals interest rates may have peaked More London-listed companies could choose to follow CRH’s plan and shift their primary stock market listing to New York, predicts Russ Mould, investment director […]
How rising interest rates sent the UK housing market into reverse
An end to ultra-low rates mean borrowers can only afford smaller mortgages BoE boss says interest rates may have peaked UK house prices fall at fastest annual rate since 2012 Since the turn of the year the news on the economy has been less bad than expected. Growth has been a bit stronger, spending in […]
UK mortgage market contracts for fifth month after Liz Truss mini-budget
Approvals at lowest since 2009 – bar during Covid lockdown – as demand for new homes continues to fall Britain’s mortgage market has contracted for a fifth month in a row, official figures show, as the jump in interest rates that followed Liz Truss’s September 2022 mini-budget continued to trigger a collapse in demand for […]
UK house prices fall at fastest annual rate since 2012
Year-on-year February 1.1% decline comes as average price of property drops to £257,406, says Nationwide BoE boss says interest rates may have peaked How rising rates sent the UK housing market into reverse Annual house price growth in the UK turned negative in February for the first time in almost three years, Nationwide data shows, […]
UK property asking prices stagnating, lifting hopes of softer landing for housing market – business live
UK property asking prices rose by just £14 in February, weakest gain on record, Rightmove reports, with sellers ‘more realistic’ about what property is worth Loss of nearly 15,000 UK retail jobs a ‘brutal start to 2023’, report says In the City, shares in retail group Frasers are leading the FTSE 100 risers after it […]
UK property demand declines as house prices in England fall
Further slowdown likely amid interest rate rise and cost of living crisis, says surveyors’ body Rics Property sales and house prices continued to decline across the UK in January, while new buyer demand and fresh listings were also down, surveyors have reported. A net balance of -47% for new buyer inquiries was reported, down from […]
UK house sales outlook for 2023 remains ‘uncertain’, says Barratt
Housebuilder reports ‘modest uplift’ in reservations of new homes in January but remains cautious Britain’s largest housebuilder, Barratt Developments, has reported grounds for optimism in the UK housing market after an increase in sales in January – but it said the trading outlook for 2023 remains “uncertain”. Barratt reported a “modest uplift” in reservations of […]
UK house prices flat after four-month fall as interest rates bite
Halifax figures show average house price largely unchanged in January at £281,684 UK house prices were roughly flat in January, having fallen in the previous four months, according to Halifax. Average prices were stable at £281,684 last month, the lender said, after sharp falls of 1.3% in December and 2.4% in November. Continue reading…
UK house prices ‘stable in January’; anger as BP profits soar to record – business live
British house prices were unchanged in January, Halifax reports, but annual growth slowed to a three-year low of 1.9% Danny Blanchflower, a former Bank of England policy maker, has predicted that “collapsing” house prices will push the UK central bank into a rapid pivot toward interest rate cuts. Blanchflower, who is now a professor of […]
‘I’m really worried’: homeowners and would-be buyers on UK interest rates
As the base rate reaches 4%, we hear from people concerned about rising mortgage costs Chris Felix-Hill, 47, and his wife, Adeline, from Steeple, Essex, are struggling to keep alive their dream of one day becoming homeowners, after “demoralising” house price rises during the pandemic and yet another interest rate rise from the Bank of […]
Bank of England raises UK interest rates to 4%
Hike of 0.5 percentage points lifts rates to 14-year high, but BoE says shorter and shallower recession now more likely Interest rates rise again but Bank of England hints at a brighter future The Bank of England raised interest rates for a tenth consecutive time on Thursday from 3.5% to 4%, but said inflation may […]
The Guardian view on a property-owning democracy: Tory dream becomes a nightmare | Editorial
A housing price collapse may see a coalition of renters and mortgage holders emerge that would doom the Conservative electoral base The Conservative party has good reason to think that its vote is only as safe as house prices. Its 2019 victory could be ascribed to two homeowning demographics – outright owners and mortgage holders […]
‘Marked slowdown’ in UK housing market amid political and economic uncertainty – business live
Housebuilder Barratt says ‘political and economic uncertainty’ hit the housing market JD Sports has also predicted its profits will be towards the top end of expectations, following a jump in sales over Christmas. JD Sports’ revenues grew by over 10% in the 22 weeks to 31 December 2022, accelerating to more than 20% in the […]
I bought my own home last year. But I now have big regrets | Arwa Mahdawi
There is immense pressure to buy a place – and to do so is obviously a massive privilege. So why does homeownership seem so overrated? Here are a few things that I have Googled in the nine months or so since I bought a Victorian terrace home in Philadelphia: Does a crack in the lintel […]
Average UK house price falls for fourth month in a row, says Halifax
Figure of £281,272 comes as property values drop by 1.5% in December, after 2.4% decline in November The average UK house price fell for the fourth month in a row in December, according to Halifax, with experts expecting a further slowdown amid a long recession. Property values decreased by 1.5% in December, the lender’s monthly […]
UK house prices fall as cost of living crisis and higher interest rates slow housing market – business live
Halifax reports that average UK house prices fell 1.5% in December, the fourth monthly drop in a row, pulling annual growth down to 2% Energy news: Shell says it expects to pay around $2bn over the fourth quarter of last year, due to windfall taxes in the European Union and the UK. The oil and […]