‘Second Steppers’ – the link between first time buyers and the rest of the housing ladder – are experiencing increased confidence in the housing market this year, according to the fourth annual Second Steppers Report carried out by Lloyds Bank. Lloyds define Second...

New borrowing powers for councils to help them build new affordable homes across the country have been announced by the Housing Minister Brandon Lewis. The minister confirmed that 22 councils will be able to borrow an additional £122m over the next 2 years to deliver...

First time property investor, Dan Gollins has successfully funded an extensive refurbishment project with the help of short-term lender Auction Finance. Auction Finance provided the Wirral-based investor with £166,500 of short-term funding to purchase a £185,000 four...

Buying or renting a property? It pays to know your credit rating. Your credit rating is the means by which all kinds of financial institutions determine whether you are a safe bet to lend to. If you’re looking to secure a mortgage, loan, bank account overdraft, credit...

Homebuyers spend an average of just over 25 minutes viewing a house or flat before making up their minds about whether to make an offer, says a new report from Barratt Homes. This compares to 18 minutes for a pair of jeans and 31 minutes for a car, according to the...

Many home owners and investors are leaving their properties at risk of repossession by not having adequate cover for illness or injury. Life insurance is essential if you have dependents such as school age children or a spouse who has no income of their own. If you...

UK unemployment has fallen below the 2 million mark for the first time since the global financial system was on the brink of collapse six years ago. In a pre-election boost to the UKgovernment, the number of unemployed people fell to 1.97 million between June and...

More than 80% of sellers believe their property is worth more than it actually is, according to research conducted by Move with Us among its network of independent estate agents. The reason for this, agreed by 99% of agents, is due to media hype and reports of housing...

Fast-paced lifestyles are becoming increasingly more common and taking less time over big decisions is now trickling into the property market, it is being suggested. First, an estate agency partner claimed his wife spent more time choosing what shoes to wear than most...

Good local schools, strong travel links and access to local amenities are three of the more traditional deal breakers for house hunters but increasingly, it is internet speed and access which is influencing homebuyers’ decisions. Described by one property expert as...

A new report from the Property Ombudsman (TPO) Scheme reveals a big increase in complaints from tenants & landlords. The reported sharp increase in the number of consumer complaints for the residential lettings sector comes as the requirement for all letting...

Now 20 years old, much-loved US sitcom Friends centred on six friends living in New York and one of the focal points of many episodes was the iconic flat. To mark the anniversary of Friends, online estate agent eMoov has looked at the prices and fortunes of a number...