newsKeep up-to-date with our property news and market information.
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1 Feb 10
The Primelocation.com Blog Awards
The results are in – find out which property bloggers have been crowned the winners in this year's Primelocation.com Property Blog Awards. read more
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14 Jan 10
Recession forces more couples to live together after a break-up
One in 40 cohabiting couples who split are still living together in negative equity, according to a survey by house and flatshare website Easy Roommate. read more
17 Dec 09
Recovery in global house prices is continuing
House prices increased in 68 per cent of the countries reporting price changes for Q3 2009, according to the new Knight Frank Global House Price Index. read more
17 Dec 09
Prime London prices up 10-12 per cent since March
Prime London prices have risen more than expected due to the influx of overseas buyers and the imbalance between supply and demand, according to The Buying Solution’s London market comment. read more
17 Dec 09Loans for house purchase at their highest for nearly two years
In October the number of loans for house purchase in the UK reached its highest level since December 2007, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders. read more
19 Nov 09A more certain future for prime UK market
Savills has released its forecast for the prime UK housing market for the period 2010 to 2015.read more
12 Nov 09Fourth consecutive monthly increase for house prices
House prices increased for the fourth successive month in October, according to the latest Halifax House Price Index. read more
26 Oct 09Responses To The FSA's Mortgage Proposals
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has set out proposals for the reform of the UK mortgage market. But what does the industry think? ... read more
22 Oct 09Country house prices up for first time in two years
Prime country house prices rose on average by almost one per cent in the third quarter of the year, the first overall increase since autumn 2007, says Knight Frank... read more
20 Oct 09Don't expect Armageddon, says Knight Frank
Experts predicting large house price falls next year have got it wrong, says Knight Frank... read more
06 Oct 09House prices return to September 2008 level
House prices rose by 0.9 per cent in September, meaning they have returned to the same level as they were a year ago, according to a new report from Nationwide. This is the fifth consecutive monthly increase. read more
30 Sept 09'Housing crash is over' declares HSBC as bank offers extra £500m in return to 90 per cent loans
Britain's biggest bank has promised to lend an extra £500 million to homebuyers applying for 90 per cent mortgages. read more
30 Sept 09Recovery hopes boosted as economy shrinks less than forecast and mortgage lending hits five-month high
Hopes that Britain could emerge from the recession by the end of the year received a double boost today. read more
22 Sept 09Increased sales in the Scottish property market
A 'saw-edged' recovery is underway in the mainstream and prime residential property markets in Scotland, according to a new report from Savills. read more
04 Sept 09Prime London prices rise for fifth consecutive month
Residential prices in prime central London rose for the fifth consecutive month, leading to a boom in sales volumes, according to a new report from Knight Frank. read more
27 Aug 09
House prices rise for fourth consecutive month
House prices rose in August thanks to low interest rates, according to a new report from Nationwide. read more
20 Aug 09Rents in London are stabilising
Rental prices in London are starting to level out, according to a new report from Winkworth. read more
10 Aug 09
Property market recovery 'is inevitable'
The growing imbalance between demand and supply makes an eventual recovery in property values inevitable, according to a new report from Savills. read more
10 Aug 09House prices predicted to end year on high
House prices look likely to end the year higher than they started, according to a new report by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). read more
10 Aug 09July sees house price rise
House prices increased by 1.1 per cent in July, according to the new Halifax House Price Index. read more
30 July 09Mortgage approvals continue to rise
The number of mortgages approved for house purchase rose for the fifth consecutive month in June, according to data released by the Bank of England. read more
29 July 09Islington shows annual house price growth
Islington has bucked the negative annual trend and has shown positive overall house price growth over the past year, says research from Chesterton Humberts. read more
24 July 09House prices rise across London's prime suburbs
Knight Frank's Prime London Suburb House Price Index Q2 2009 has highlighted a rise in prices across London's prime suburban areas. read more
24 July 09First eco-towns announced
The government has announced the locations of the first four eco-towns to be built in the UK. read more
13 July 09Property sales remain high
The number of property sales per estate agent has remained high for the third consecutive month, say the National Association of Estate Agents. read more
13 July 09
NLA Property Women Awards 2009 finalists named
Successful women are revolutionising the rental sector, say the National Landlords Association, as they announce the finalists of their Property Women Awards 2009. read more
09 July 09The decline in house prices 'is easing'
Average UK house prices declined by 0.5 per cent in June, suggesting that the underlying pace of decline is easing, says research by Halifax. read more
09 July 09Farmland prices are on the rise
Farmland prices are on the rise, according to the Knight Frank Farmland Index. Here are the key highlights of the report. read more
07 July 09Confidence is returning to the country property market
The Home Counties lead the way as the prime country property market shows signs of recovery, says research from Knight Frank. read more
07 July 09Prime London resists tax impact
Some wealthy London residents are leaving the city following tax changes. But the impact on the capital's prime property market is slight, says Knight Frank... read more
07 July 09House prices 'on the up'
The latest Nationwide house price survey shows that prices rose by 0.9% in June… read more
07 July 09London leads property recovery
London is poised to lead the property market out of recession, according to the latest housing market survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. read more
01 July 09Prime central London 'recovering strongly'
Prime central London property prices are recovering strongly, according to two new reports… read more
24 June 09rental scam - property fraud alert june 2009
Renters are warned of a property scam asking for deposits from 'PrimeLocation Services'... read more
23 June 09Student Rental Sector Tipped As Investment Hotspot
Property investment has become much more difficult. But a new report from Savills suggests that the student rental sector could be a safe haven for investors… read more
05 June 09housing market shows signs of improvement
House prices in England and Wales continued to fall slightly in April, but they have begun to rise significantly in London. read more
05 June 09builders not trusted to give green advice
Most homeowners assume that advice on environmental improvements from building contractors is aimed at getting more work and cannot be trusted. read more
02 June 09prime London leads market recovery
House prices rose slightly in May, according to the latest index from Nationwide – indicating that the property market may have bottomed-out. In particular, there are growing indications of higher demand for prime properties in London. read more
01 June 09home improvement costs to rise?
Homeowners who buy conservatories and make other home improvements will have to meet tougher energy efficiency obligations under proposed new regulations expected to be endorsed by ministers in the coming days. read more
15 May 09troubled times for buy-to-let
The buy-to-let market is being seriously damaged by the withdrawal of specialist mortgages, the latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders reveal. Yet for those who can access finance, the rewards from letting property remain strong. read more
15 May 09recovery could be in sight
There are further signs of gradually improving health in the housing market, with higher levels of buyer inquiries recorded by chartered surveyors. read more
14 May 09preventing house price booms
Homebuyers may face limits on the size of their mortgages to prevent future house price booms, the Financial Services Authority has indicated. read more
14 May 09landlords face registration
A national register of all landlords has been proposed by the Government and seems likely to be implemented as a matter of urgency. read more
08 May 09licensed not to steal
A national licensing scheme for lettings agents has been launched, which could be extended to become a legal requirement. The move is intended to stamp out the exploitation of tenants, including by failing to repay deposits. read more
07 May 09boost for rental sector
Thousands of new homes could be built in London and the South East for private rental, as a result of a scheme launched by a government agency. The initiative would be a major boost for the troubled construction sector. read more
30 Apr 09negative equity: negative impact
About a million homeowners are in negative equity, a report from the Council of Mortgage Lenders estimates. The result could be a brake on the housing market not just for months ahead, but perhaps for a year or more. It is also a psychological hammer blow to homeowners' sense of economic wellbeing. read more
29 Apr 09mortgage approvals fall again
Hopes that the housing market was recovering have been dealt a blow by news that mortgage approvals fell in March. read more
23 Apr 09The Budget 2009
The Council for Mortgage Lenders describes the Budget's response to the crisis in the housing market as "modest". Others are blunter and say its measures are not radical enough. read more
22 Apr 09Budget 2009 provides limited boost for housing
Budget measures supporting the housing market left commentators disappointed, many of whom expected more. But the extension of the stamp duty holiday and a programme to build new homes on vacant development land provided some good news. read more
20 Apr 09
optimism spreads
There are further indications that the property market has stabilised, with news that mortgage lending increased in February - though remaining at low levels. read more
17 Apr 09rising stock, rising demand, but prices still under pressure
Andrew Smith, Primelocation.com's Head of Research, comments: Asking prices in London's prime market have been on the rise for the past four months, but in March they fell by 0.5%. read more
16 Apr 09second homes become yesterday's dreams
Homeowners are pulling at their purse strings and pulling up their metaphorical drawbridges as they stay put at home. New statistics reveal that the number of second home purchases both at home and abroad have slumped as the recession takes hold. read more
14 Apr 09rents go down as 'accidental landlords' increase
Rents of prime central London properties fell quickly in the first quarter of this year. They dropped by 7.3%, the second largest fall since Knight Frank began surveying the market, and are now 18.2% below their level of a year before. This brings prime rental levels in the capital down to the prices of nine years ago. read more
09 Apr 09no change may be good news
The Bank of England has maintained the base rate at 0.5%, as expected. The base rate is, in truth, so low that it is difficult to believe it could be cut further. But the signals from the Bank are also cautiously good news for the property market, which may be near its lowest point. read more
03 Apr 09A hint of recovery?
Mortgage lending jumped 19% in February, giving hope that the property market might now begin a slow recovery. However, the latest figures must be treated cautiously as lending remains at less than a third of the level at its peak in mid-2006. read more
02 Apr 09Mauritius on a budget
Another silver lining from the recession: property in the lush Indian Ocean island of Mauritius has become a lot more affordable, and no longer the preserve of the seriously wealthy. read more
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02 Apr 09
architecture dream team
What's the value of owning a property by a named architect? One developer has been putting this question to the test on Portugal's Silver Coast, where the Bom Sucesso golf and design resort near Obidos features the work of no less than 23 prominent architects. read more
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02 Apr 09
under inspection
The financial crisis has seen some developers turning increasingly to inspection trips as a means to shift slow-moving properties. read more
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01 Apr 09
Dunfermline blow to mortgage market
The collapse of the Dunfermline Building Society does not shake the foundations of the global financial sector in the way that the problems of RBS, Halifax and Citigroup did. Yet it could have serious implications for UK mortgage lending. read more
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27 Mar 09
London no longer the world's most expensive for property
London is no longer the most expensive city in the world for prime properties, following a dramatic 17% fall in house values in the last year. But the Fitzrovia area of London is the world's most attractive up-and-coming prime location, according to a report on international prime residential properties. read more
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27 Mar 09
deflation - a serious threat to the housing market
For people of a certain age, inflation was the great evil - it destroyed wealth and savings. Now, we are told, deflation is the real threat - and unless deflation is conquered there is little chance of the housing market recovering. read more
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20 Mar 09
rise in singles puts extra pressure on housing
A big increase in single households could help drive another house price bubble after the economy recovers, a new survey suggests. read more
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20 Mar 09
stricter mortgage regulation on way
A much stronger system of mortgage regulation looks inevitable, following the publication of the Turner Review of banking. read more
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17 Mar 09
Central London house prices first to stabilise
Asking prices in Prime London increased by 0.94% in February, the fourth successive month of rising values. read more
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13 Mar 09
home enquiries up
Encouraging signs are appearing that people want to buy houses again - yet enquiries are still failing to convert into sales. read more
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13 Mar 09
the blight of empty homes
Councils are being urged to bring empty homes back into use, after the biggest annual increase in vacant properties in 17 years. read more
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06 Mar 09
Bank of England gets desperate
Base rates have been cut to a new all-time low of a mere half a per cent, the Bank of England has announced. read more
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Mar 2009
Croatia cuts the red tape
It has just got a whole lot easier to buy in Croatia, the country from the former Yugoslavia that inherited all the beautiful Adriatic coastline, and has been dubbed "the new Riviera". read more
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Mar 2009
foreign exchange mortgages
The risks of taking out a mortgage in a foreign currency have been sharply highlighted by the economic downturn in eastern Europe, where many locals have borrowed money to buy their home in Swiss francs and other currencies. read more
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Mar 2009
Bulgarian nightmare
Bulgarian Dreams, one of the best-known companies selling property in Bulgaria, has gone out of business, leaving dozens of furious buyers who are trying to get their money back. read more
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27 Feb 09
affordable housing supply dries up
The supply of new affordable homes has dried up in recent months, with local authorities losing their ability to force developers to provide cheap new homes as part of estates of houses for sale. read more
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27 Feb 09
Northern Rock resumes lending
Northern Rock has been given the go-ahead by the Government to make £14bn of new mortgage lending available over the next two years. The move could provide an important stimulus to the housing market. read more
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20 Feb 09
lenders hold onto rate cuts
Mortgage lenders' have failed to pass on much of the cut in base rates, with margins between the base rate and lenders' Standard Variable Rates more than doubling over the last year. read more
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19 Feb 09
call to cut VAT on building repairs
The Government is being urged to cut VAT on improvements to old buildings, removing a financial incentive to demolish properties and replace them with new premises. read more
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13 Feb 09
sales: rising demand boosts prime property prices
Asking prices in Prime London areas increased by 1.2% (£16,106) in January, the third successive month of rising values, according to Primelocation.com's latest House Price Index; - a unique measure of the Prime market based on a sample of over 62,000 properties in London's most prestigious areas. read more
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13 Feb 09
property auctions to increase as tens of thousands face repossession
Property auctions are set to rise as the Council of Mortgage Lenders predicts half a million homeowners fall into serious mortgage arrears in 2009. read more
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11 Feb 09
buyer interest stokes housing market
There are signs of increased buyer interest in the still depressed housing market. But this is yet to translate into a house price 'bounce'. read more
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04 Feb 09
almost giving it away... Bank cuts rate to 1%
The scale of the recession has been dramatically illustrated by the decision of the Bank of England to cut its base rate to a mere 1%. read more
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04 Feb 09
house prices 'to fall further 25%'
House prices could fall by a quarter from current values if predictions from the Centre for Economics and Business Research prove correct. read more
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29 Jan 09
government defeats eco-towns challenge
Campaigners have lost the latest stage in their battle against the construction of up to 10 'eco-towns' that the Government claims will provide tens of thousands of environmentally sustainable new homes - but which protesters argue will blight some of England's most attractive countryside. read more
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Feb 2009
the pros and cons of leasebacks
At a time of uncertainty, a scheme that enables you to buy a holiday home with a close-to 20% saving on the asking price, and meaningful rent guarantees thrown in, looks extremely attractive on the surface. read more
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Feb 2009
bargains abound in the undiscovered regions
It was recently described in the South China Morning Post as "Tuscany without the English" and has been recently highlighted as a hot-spot for cost-conscious visitors to Italy this year. read more
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Feb 2009
there is good news on exchange rate front
Sterling has taken a real battering in recent months, most notably against the US dollar and the euro, making properties in the countries that use those currencies much less affordable than they were six months ago. read more
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22 Jan 09
bail-out (phase two) begins
Phase two of the Government's bail-out of banks and wider economy has begun. If it works, there should be a big increase in mortgage lending over the rest of the year. If it fails the property sector will stay depressed for a long while yet. read more
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15 Jan 09
lenders phase out buy-to-let mortgages
People wanting to buy properties to rent may find it impossible to arrange a mortgage, the latest figures from analysts Moneyfacts suggest. Moneyfacts reports that 93% of buy-to-let mortgage products have been withdrawn in the last 18 months. read more
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13 Jan 09
Foxtons 'is not collapsing', insist owners
Foxtons, the estate agency that brought 'bling' to the property market, is not in danger of collapsing, nor will it be sold, its owners insist. read more
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09 Jan 09
base rate cut to lowest ever level
The Bank of England has cut the base rate to a mere 1.5% - the lowest rate in its 315 year history. But some of the largest mortgage lenders are unlikely to pass on to borrowers the full benefit of the reduction. read more
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08 Jan 09
South East prices fall fastest
English property prices are falling fastest in the South East and London, according to the latest figures published by the Land Registry. read more
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07 Jan 09
more houses become affordable
Falling house prices are good news for potential first-time buyers, the Halifax review of housing affordability has st
