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Shadow of the eurozone crisis may accelerate a dive in property prices

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

A difficult spring for the property market could turn into a summer of discontent for house sellers as the eurozone crisis goes from bad to worse. This time of year usually sees a boost in sales as potential buyers begin house hunting but the latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show a hefty 19 per cent drop in gross lending, falling from £12.6bn in March to £10.2bn in April, the lowest figure since April 2011. Partly this is explained by the end of a stamp duty holiday for first-time buyers on 25 March but the biggest impact is sure to be concerns over Europe.

Private viewing: Our tour of the pick of the property market

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:10:27 GMT

We hunt out the best places on offer

Sheditecture: designer gardens make their mark at Chelsea

Wed, 23 May 2012 12:56:46 GMT

It isn’t the rather lovely foxglove which won best plant in show, nor is it Diarmuid Gavin’s eyecatching pyramid of scaffolding. What will stay in the mind from this year’s Chelsea are the sheds.

Northern Ireland house prices slump by 10%

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:02:48 GMT

House prices have slumped more than 10% in Northern Ireland over the last year and "lack any movement" in the rest of the UK, official figures showed today.

Beat mortgage blues – rent out a room, your garage or home

Sat, 19 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

The pips are beginning to squeak in middle England with lenders hiking up their standard variable mortgage rate of late. Many people will be mortgage "prisoners" unable to move to another lender and stuck waiting for the next mortgage increase; they may not have to wait too long.

Comsumer Rights: 'We don't want to fix our walls'

Sat, 19 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Q: When I bought my house there was a covenant on the lease that says we have to have a garden wall between us and our neighbours on each side and at the back. But we've been here for 15 years and our hedges have grown to make good natural barriers and the walls are crumbling. They would need to be renewed at considerable cost. Is there any way to have the covenant revoked?

Report demands more homes to tackle housing crisis

Thu, 17 May 2012 07:54:16 GMT

More new homes must be built to tackle "the country's burgeoning housing crisis", a new report has said.

35% of movers expect house price rises

Fri, 11 May 2012 07:01:03 GMT

Home movers have delivered their most upbeat house price forecast in more than a year and a half, according to a study.

Houses that Shapps built may be the cut-price route

Sat, 05 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Self-build is often seen as the preserve of the wealthy; those happy to spend lots of time and money on their dream home. But it can also be an affordable option for aspiring homeowners.

Emma Lunn: Landlords, too, need protection against rent abuse

Sat, 05 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

There have been plenty of stories of late about poor tenants and nasty landlords – but spare a thought for the good landlords – they do exist.

House prices 'fluctuate' says Halifax report

Fri, 04 May 2012 08:00:47 GMT

House prices continued to "fluctuate quite widely" last month, mortgage lender Halifax said today, as the average price dropped 2.4%.

House prices dip in 'soft' market

Thu, 03 May 2012 06:58:48 GMT

House prices have dipped further amid the "soft" market, recording declines in four months out of the last five, Nationwide said today.

House prices fall for 15th month

Tue, 01 May 2012 13:02:22 GMT

House prices have fallen year-on-year for the 15th month in a row, official figures showed today.

Cleaned-up equity release: Handle with care

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

It's easy to see why so many people regard their home as their pension. As a country we have £3 trillion – that's a three followed by 12 noughts – tied up in housing.

House prices show only a modest rise, says ONS

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:15:29 GMT

House prices have shown only a modest rise on a year ago, with first-time buyers facing much steeper increases than existing owners, official figures showed today.

Homes outlook brighter for key workers - unless they're in the south of England

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:37:14 GMT

Key workers stand a much better chance of getting on the property ladder than they did five years ago - but only if they live outside the south of England, a report revealed today.

Property asking prices hit new high

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 06:03:27 GMT

The average asking price for a property coming on to the market hit an all-time high this month, a survey said, beating the record set nearly four years ago.

Top 10 hot spots for student accommodation

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Student accommodation is already big business and the number of international students heading to the UK is set to increase faster than anywhere else in the world outside of Australia.

Wealth check: 'How can I realise my dream of a house in six years'

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

The patient

Luxury property firm Yoo sets sights on South America

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Yoo, the luxury property company that counts Jade Jagger and Kelly Hoppen among its creative directors, is opening in Brazil as the London-based firm looks to crack Latin America.

Anguilla: Sample a slice of understated Caribbean style

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Miles of often deserted golden beaches, aqua marine sea, peace, quiet and privacy – that's what sells the Caribbean island of Anguilla to travellers and property owners alike. The small island, one of a handful of British overseas territories, with just 15,000 inhabitants sits a half-hour flight from Antigua and short boat hop from the buzzy French colony of St Maarten.

Being Modern: Open-house viewings

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Easter weekend marks the beginning of the spring house-buying season. For vendors, that means prowling the floors, to pick mercilessly away at imagined fluff, before unlocking the doors of their pristine homes to the mud-trampling feet of prospective buyers. But how best to diminish the disruption – and wipe away the thought that all those hours spent polishing have been lain to waste by filthy soles? By inviting as many potential owners as possible in one go...

Co-operative Bank customers face mortgage rises

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:50:34 GMT

Around 54,000 customers at the Co-operative Bank are facing a rise in mortgage payments after the mutual became the latest provider to push up its cost of lending.

Future home dreams shattered in the traps of shared-ownership

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 23:00:01 GMT

First-time buyers desperate to become homeowners have complained of being locked into part-buy part-rent schemes with little hope of selling on.

Julian Knight: Don't be surprised if the roof falls in on London's property boom

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Friday was what I call a top of the market sort of day. My voicemail messages included a lunch invite to a new restaurant opening (sort of invite I like), a breathless fund management firm telling me how great their last-minute individual savings account deals were and a PR explaining that his client had £100m to invest in central London residential property and would I like an interview?