Shared ownership when buying a home offers a more affordable way to get on the property ladder, but it comes with trade-offs. This article explores the key benefits and drawbacks to help you decide if it’s the right move.
Mortgage rule changes for first-time buyers could make it easier to access home loans, following a major shift in lending guidance backed by the Bank of England and key regulators. The Bank has recommended that lenders be given more flexibility to offer mortgages above the traditional cap of 4.5 times a buyer’s income. While a strict
The UK’s new National Housing Bank is set to fund 500,000 homes, unlocking billions in private investment and reshaping the housing market. Discover what this means for buyers, sellers, and developers—and how expert legal support can help you navigate the changes.
With over half of first-time buyers in the UK now relying on family support, the “Bank of Mum and Dad” is playing a crucial role in helping young homeowners get on the property ladder. This article explores the financial trends, regional challenges, and legal considerations shaping family support for first-time home buyers.
UK mortgage lenders are cutting rates in response to expected Bank of England interest rate reductions, driven by global economic uncertainty and US trade tariffs.
In 2025, UK mortgage lenders are easing rules to help first-time buyers. With lower deposits, relaxed affordability checks, and falling interest rates, homeownership is becoming more achievable.
More than 500 households will no longer be subject to terms that cause their ground rents to double, after eight more firms agreed to remove problematic clauses from their leasehold contracts. Their decision follows action by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Some leasehold contract terms, which kick in every 10 or 15 years, can
The Government has announced proposals to cut ground rents to help homeowners in leasehold properties. Housing Secretary Michael Gove has launched a consultation that will set out options including capping ground rents at a so called “peppercorn” rate for existing leaseholders, freezing ground rents at current levels and capping the ground rents at a percentage
UK house prices have risen slightly on a monthly basis, but the overall trend is still downwards, according to the latest figures from the Land Registry. The annual percentage change for average UK house prices was 3.5% in the 12 months to April 2023, compared with 4.1% in the 12 months to March 2023. The
A new insurance scheme has been developed to enable people living in high-rise buildings to sell their homes in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy. Following the fire in 2017, mortgage lenders became reluctant to lend to buyers of flats in high-rise buildings, and sales dropped rapidly. To provide assurance, a building industry