December 2011 from Gateway Homes

Property sales hit their highest level all year during November, according to recent figures from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), suggesting that there were a number of homeowners looking to sell a house quickly during the month. BBC News reports … Read more →

Prime houses in Central South-West and Central North-West London have experienced the highest growth in the capital in the last quarter of 2011, according to the latest figures from property investment firm Cluttons. While prime Central London prices grew by … Read more →

Social tenants in England could see their housing benefit reduced if they are judged to have a spare room in their homes, under a “bedroom tax” that could cost some families up to £1,400 a year, the National Housing Federation … Read more →

If you’re lucky enough to own a piece of prime property in London, you could be sitting on a goldmine: new research from estate agent Knight Frank shows the average prime property in the capital has risen in value by … Read more →

New research from a savings and investments website has revealed that property buyers, particularly those purchasing a house for the first time, may have some unrealistic expectations about how long it takes to save up the required amount of cash. … Read more →

Property buyers in Edinburgh have been given some welcome news, after Home Scotland gave the go-ahead to developer Barratt to create more than 80 affordable homes in the Kirkliston and Queensferry areas of the city. The £9.7 million contract between … Read more →

Homeowners in the UK face an increase in repossessions in 2012, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has said, reversing a decline recorded over the course of this year. Increasing pressures on household finances were to blame for a predicted … Read more →

National house prices are expected to rise by around two per cent in 2012, according to the latest House Price Index from Rightmove, as this year comes to an end with a 1.5 per cent average rise overall. The property … Read more →

It is cheaper to buy a house than to rent in 47 out of 50 of the biggest towns and cities in the UK, new research from property search website Zoopla.co.uk has revealed. While it cost less money to buy … Read more →

Thousands of people in the UK who have been unable to move house as their mortgages comprise a large proportion of their home’s value may have been granted a reprieve by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). From next week, the … Read more →

Property buyers taking their first step onto the housing ladder have been urged to act quickly if they want to avoid paying stamp duty, which comprises a tax of three per cent on all purchases over £250,000. Stamp duty comes … Read more →

Buyer demand for property increased for the third consecutive month in November, a poll by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has revealed, and could be welcome news for those who want to sell a house fast. Seven per … Read more →

Property buyers have seen a better-than-expected performance for the UK housing market in 2011, according to the latest House Price Index from LSL Property Services. Prices overall fell by 0.7 per cent in the year to November, while London prices … Read more →

The National Housing Federation (NHF) has welcomed the government’s housing strategy, announced last month, but called for more to be done to create affordable homes for the UK’s property buyers. While the government pledged to improve investment in house building, … Read more →

Property buyers have been urged to take care of their homes this winter or risk needing to make costly repairs, after research commissioned by an insurer revealed that 19.7 million people in the UK could have left themselves vulnerable to … Read more →

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has welcomed the Department for Work and Pensions’ call for evidence on the Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) scheme, which helps property buyers with the cost of the monthly interest payments on their home … Read more →

The government has announced the launch of a £50 million fund to help councils recommission some of the UK’s 930,000 empty homes, providing more options for the country’s property buyers. This is on top of the £100 million announced in … Read more →

Around two-thirds of property buyers do not believe house prices will fall next year, in spite of forecasters predicting otherwise, research from Rightmove has found. Some 63 per cent of those questioned by the company’s Consumer Price Forecast thought property … Read more →

Houses built before 1919 have seen the biggest surge in prices over the last quarter of a century, the latest research from Halifax has revealed. Property buyers looking at these homes have seen their value rise by an average of … Read more →

A record £9.15 billion was paid back by property buyers in mortgage repayments during the three months to the end of June this year, latest figures from the Bank of England have revealed. It marks the most consumers have repaid … Read more →