Housing market off to its strongest start in three years – and prices are up too.
Property portal Zoopla reported last week that the housing market is off to its strongest start in three years, with 12% more new sales agreed in January 2025 than in January 2024. Further good news for sellers is that prices are also up, with the boost in sales supporting a modest 2% rise. This sees […]
UK mortgage rules could be eased to increase growth
The government is applying pressure on the City regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), to loosen mortgage rules to increase economic growth and home ownership across the UK. The move to “simplify responsible lending” for property purchases is part of a range of proposals put forward by the FCA in an attempt to prove that […]
Renters’ Rights Bill passes report stage amid growing concerns within the industry
Last week the Renters’ Rights Bill took a step closer to becoming law amid growing concerns within the industry that it could be a mistake. Already it appears landlords are seeking better yields to mitigate against the greater risk of bad debt, and now industry groups including The British Property Federation and The National Residential […]
UK government scraps plan to ban sale of gas boilers by 2035
The government is to scrap the 2035 ban on gas boilers in its new housebuilding standards. The previous Conservative government had laid plans to phase out gas heating for homes by banning the sale of new gas boilers by 2035, so people replacing their gas boilers after that date would instead have to buy a […]
The Grey Belt – a hot topic in 2025?
A series of changes were made by the government at the end of last year to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), The revised NPPF says that brownfield sites will still be the priority for new development, however it will also require councils to review the boundaries of their green belts and identify lower quality […]
Check out our Winter Newsletter
We are pleased to announce the publication of the Robinson + Hall Winter Newsletter, packed with topical information with thoughts and advice for farmers following the budget, information about the 2022 Building Safety Act and the Renters Rights Bill. Our Senior Planner, Abel Bunu gives a detailed explanation about Permitted Development Rights and whether or […]
Backlash from councils over Rayner housing targets
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has put housebuilding at the heart of the government’s mission to kickstart economic growth and tackle the housing crisis by building 1.5m new homes in England over the next five years. However, it relies on local authorities adopting targets for new privately-built housing developments in their areas and the number […]
Look beyond retail to reverse high street decline, says new Lords report
The Built Environment Committee has published its report, High Streets: Life beyond Retail?’, following its inquiry into high streets in towns and small cities. Committee Chairman, Lord Moylan, said: Local high streets are places where generations have shopped, socialised and worked. Many of them are in decline and to reverse this they need to look […]
Lenders reject homes with spray foam insulation
Last Monday BBC News featured an article with the alarming headline Lenders reject homes with spray foam insulation. Old news for those of us working in the property industry, but could this signal the start of the mainstream media highlighting the plight of those affected? The article then stated that as many as a quarter […]
Both house prices and rents head north as agreed sales improve and available rentals reduce
According to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) UK residential market survey for October, the housing market continues to strengthen, although the gap between the supply of properties available for let and rising tenant demand continues to expand. This mismatch between supply and demand is expected to drive rents higher over the coming […]
