Money and Credit – May 2025

Key points: Net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals increased by £2.8 billion to £2.1 billion in May, following a large decrease in net borrowing of £13.8 billion to -£0.8 billion in April. Net mortgage approvals for house purchases increased by 2,400 to 63,000 in May. Approvals for remortgaging also increased by 6,200 to 41,500…

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A Year on from Reform: Leasehold Practitioners Call for Clarity

A recent survey of ALEP members reveals widespread frustration over unfinished legislation and uncertainty A year after the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act (‘LAFRA’) appeared on the Statute Books, a new survey of property professionals reveals that while reform remains welcome in principle, confusion and delay have left leaseholders, freeholders and their advisers in limbo.…

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Countryside charm continues to drive downsizer demand

Countryside

The latest research from over-50s property specialists, Regency Living, reveals that England’s countryside locations continue to attract strong demand for park home living and lead the way in quarterly growth during Q2 2025. Regency Living analysed current park home for-sale stock listed across every English county, identifying where demand has increased the most since Q1…

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South East tops table for shared living demand

The South East is home to the most competitive house share rental market in Great Britain. That is according to the House Share Demand Index for Q2 2025 from COHO, the HMO management platform, which found that one in five (19.9%) house share opportunities in the region were snapped up by tenants in the second…

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UK monthly property transactions for May 2025

Headline statistics from the latest transactions data include: the provisional seasonally adjusted estimate of the number of UK residential transactions in May 2025 is 81,470, 12% lower than May 2024 and 25% higher than April 2025 the provisional non-seasonally adjusted estimate of the number of UK residential transactions in May 2025 is 80,530, 13% lower than May 2024 and…

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HMOs sell for up to 50% above market average

New research from Excellion Capital, the boutique debt advisory and investment firm, reveals that HMOs sell for as much as 50% above the average house price, further increasing their investment potential after it was revealed that HMOs also create rental yields of up to 12.5%. After previous research from Excellion Capital recently showed that the…

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UK buyers struggle while 50,000 homes sit empty

As the UK housing crisis deepens, new analysis by Open Property Group exposes a worrying surge in so-called “zombie homes”- properties that sit unoccupied and deteriorating while millions struggle to access affordable housing. Key insights: 50,000+ long-term vacant homes in England alone 23,000+ of these have been empty for more than two years Estimated £13.6…

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Over half of lettings agents have no plans to adopt AI

AI in estate agency letting agency property

The latest industry insight from Inventory Base has revealed a cautious approach to artificial intelligence (AI) among UK letting agents, with over half (53%) of agencies stating they have no plans to adopt AI or automation in their operations. A new survey of UK letting agents, commissioned by Inventory Base* assessed current adoption levels of…

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Prime London Sees Rise in £2m+ Homes Entering the Market

The latest Prime Property Stock Index from Jefferies London reveals that the proportion of £2m+ homes entering the market across Prime London has climbed from 33% in Q1 2025 to 36% in Q2—signalling a growing level of confidence from sellers in the capital’s high-end property market. Jefferies London analysed market listings across key Prime Central…

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Second Reading of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Propertymark comments following the second reading of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill in the House of Lords Nathan Emerson, CEO at Propertymark, comments: “There is an ever-limited timeframe for the UK Government to deliver on their pledge to build 1.5 million new sustainable homes before 2029. It is positive to see peers challenge some of…

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These are the property hotspots

how to present your property for sale

These are the property hotspots bucking the SDLT deadline price slide Last week, the latest UK House Price Index from the Land Registry revealed a sharp 3.7% monthly drop in average UK house prices during April 2025, following the expiry of temporary stamp duty support at the end of March. Further analysis by eXp UK,…

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Demand rebounds for Prime London property

Big ticket buyers returned to the capital in the spring months, the Prime London Demand Index from London lettings and estate agent Benham and Reeves has revealed. Between the first and second quarters there was a 1.8% uplift in ‘demand’ for homes between £2 and £10 million, which is calculated based on the proportion of…

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Failing to refinance could see portfolio landlords hit with a £23,000 hike to mortgage costs

The latest research by specialist property finance expert, Rangewell, has revealed that buy-to-let portfolio investors who fail to take the appropriate action when it comes to refinancing could see their monthly mortgage costs climb by over £23,000, rather than a £8,500 reduction due to improvements to the mortgage landscape. Rangewell analysed the average amount owed through…

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