February 2021

One of the chief figures behind Brexit and Boris Johnson’s role as London Mayor is now advising that stamp duty should be scrapped on low-value homes – and maybe abolished completely. Gerard Lyons was chief economic adviser to Johnson during his second term as the Mayor of London and played a… Read More »Brexit and Boris backer calls for stamp duty to be scrapped

There’s now more choice in the mortgage market than at any time since last March, before the pandemic reached a peak. The independent market monitor Moneyfacts says overall mortgage availability rose in January this year for the fourth consecutive month, to 3,215 products – the highest since March 2020. And… Read More »Good news for market as mortgage choice hits 12-month high

A leading bank says as many as one in three buyers pay too much for a property because they are afraid of negotiating with the seller’s agent. Barclays’ mortgage division says 30 per cent of purchasers do not offer below the asking price, often because they feel they have a… Read More »Many buyers are scared of negotiating with agents – claim

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced “an exceptional intervention” promising that leaseholders in high-rise buildings above 18 metres will bear no costs for making them safe. This will involve new £3.5 billion public spending in England now, in addition to £1.6 billion pledged last year. There will also be an… Read More »New tax and billions more for cladding – but is it enough?

The high-end housing market on Jersey has been rocked by a plan from the island’s government which may ban foreign investors from buying some waterfront homes. The island is a magnet for high net worth buyers, and one of Countrywide’s most upmarket brands – Hamptons – has recently entered into a… Read More »Foreign investors may be banned from some waterfront properties