Posts by Allen Walkey
Positive end to the year signalled by UK Construction companies
‘New order growth hits 11-month high in December’ is the headline of the most recent Markit/CIPS UK Construction PMI published yesterday 4th January. UK construction companies signalled a positive end to the year, led by the fastest rise in new order volumes since January 2016. At 54.2 in December, up from 52.8 in November, the…
Read MoreMortgage approvals at 8 month high in November
UK mortgage approvals rose to an eight-month high in November, a rise of 0.19% from October, according to Bank of England (BoE) lending statistics out today. Lending secured on dwellings increased by £3.2bn in November, broadly in line with the average over the previous six months. The number of approvals for remortgaging hit an eight…
Read MoreReplacement mortgages for HTB: mortgage guarantee scheme
Aldermore has introduced new residential mortgage products as well as new first-time buyer deals following the closure of the Help to Buy (HTB) mortgage guarantee scheme. Commenting on the new product range, Charles Haresnape, Group Managing Director, Mortgages, at Aldermore, said: “Our new products for 2017 offer something for everyone, whether it is lower rates or…
Read MoreConstruction of thousands of new starter homes
Announcement today from Department for Communities and Local Government and Gavin Barwell headlines ‘Green light for construction of thousands of new Starter Homes’. Housing Minister Gavin Barwell has confirmed today that 2017 will see the first Starter Homes being built on brownfield sites across the country. These new homes will be built exclusively for first-time…
Read MoreLand registry Price paid data November 2016
Announcement published on the GOV.UK website on the 30th December 2016 from the Land Registry ‘November 2016 Price Paid Data’ Land Registry Price Paid Data tracks land and property sales in England and Wales submitted to them for registration. This month’s Price Paid Data includes details of 98,279 residential and commercial land and property sales…
Read MoreA shift to building more family homes
The latest report from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) published on Friday 30th December underlines how housing supply has rebounded since the shattering financial crash of 2008/09 that saw many house builders disappear and others shedding up to 50% of their staff. According to the (HBF) report headlined ‘Goodness Spacious Me’, the number of bedrooms…
Read MoreGarden Towns and villages to be built across England
Announcement released today on GOV.UK website from Department for Communities and Local Government and Gavin Barwell headlines ‘First ever garden villages named with government support’. The first ever garden villages, which have the potential to deliver more than 48,000 homes across England, have been given government backing. Locations have been approved from Cornwall to Cumbria,…
Read MoreNew annual fund for communities affected by second homeownership
A recent announcement on the Gov.UK website from the Department for Communities and Local Government and Gavin Barwell MP headlined ‘£60 million boost for communities affected by second homeownership’. New annual fund to help almost 150 councils tackle the problem of high levels of second homeownership in their communities. Housing Minister Gavin Barwell said: “The…
Read MoreUK annual house price growth ends 2016 same as for 2015 at 4.5%
The Nationwide today released their House Price Index report for December headlined ‘Annual price growth stable as 2016 draws to a close’ UK annual house price growth ended 2016 at 4.5%, the same as 2015, up slightly from 4.4% in November. Price growth in London ended the year below UK average for first time in…
Read MoreMortgage approvals down in November says BBA
The British Bankers Association (BBA) press release wednesday 28th December, headlined ‘November 2016 figures for the high street banks’. Gross mortgage borrowing of £12.2bn in the month was 5% lower than in November 2015, while net mortgage borrowing is 2.4% higher than a year ago. House purchase approval numbers fell 9% in November 2015 and…
Read MoreBovis expect volume delivery for 2016 will be lower than previously anticipated
Bovis Homes Group PLC today issues pre close update ahead of reporting its final results for the year ending 31 December 2016 on Monday 20 February 2017. In the update, for 2016 they state that: We expect the volume delivery for 2016 will be lower than previously anticipated at between 3,950 and 4,000 homes, the exact number depending…
Read MoreHelp to Buy Mortgage Guarantee Scheme ends 31st December 2016
The Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee Scheme introduced by the government to assist those with only a small deposit will end on the 31st December this year, the Help to Buy ISA and the Equity Loan Scheme will however remain in place. According to a news article published yesterday on Zoopla, the Government’s Help to…
Read MoreDeal on mortgages for Armed Forces
Recent announcement published 26th December 2016 from Ministry of Defence and Mark Lancaster TD MP on Gov.uk website headlined ‘Boxing Day deal on mortgages for Armed Forces’. Personnel redeployed within the UK will now be able to rent out their homes without facing higher costs or having to change their mortgage. Defence Minister Mark Lancaster…
Read MorePre-fabricated homes will help meet the demand for affordable rented housing
China National Building Material Company (CNBM) has become the latest player to be involved in helping to resolve the UK housing crisis, they will be involved in a joint venture with a leading UK housing association, Your Housing Group (YHG) and a renewable energy supplier, Welink, their plan is to build six prefabricated home factories…
Read MoreRents increased in all the English regions for year to November 2016
Office for National Statistics (ONS) yesterday released Statistical Bulletin: Index of private housing rental prices in Great Britain;: Nov 2016. Their Main finding were: Private rental prices paid by tenants in Great Britain rose by 2.3% in the 12 months to November 2016; this is unchanged compared with the year to October 2016. Private rental…
Read More