BREAKING NEWS – top 5 stories 08/06/2021

Estate Agent Networking Breaking News

ONLY 17-WORKING DAYS TO COMPLETE TO BEAT PAYING EXTRA SDLT

There are, for a large amount of people who have not yet exchanged, and only 17-working days to get to exchange and completion in time to embrace the Chancellors’ SDLT holiday. With tens of thousands of sales still not over the line, it is going to be a tense time for many agents and solicitors.

Then from the 1st July 2021 to 30th September 2021, a new temporary tapered SDLT system comes into being where you only start to pay SDLT on the amount that you pay for the property above £250,000, if the property is going to be your main residence.

There are different provisions for first time buyers or investment buyers during the period from 1st of July also. Full details on link below.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/stamp-duty-land-tax-temporary-reduced-rates

MORTGAGE LENDING MARKET SEES GROWTH OF LENDING OPTIONS

Lending sentiment is now recovering as in a recent study it has been reported that there are over 4,200 mortgage options available across the lending market, which is at its highest level for nearly a year.

Even more surprising is that lenders are now competing in the high value to low deposit category, especially those looking to borrow with only a 5% deposit. In this market alone there were dozens more products coming to the market in the last month.

GREATER LONDON PROPERTY SECTOR RISES BY OVER 3% IN A YEAR

Though property prices in key areas of the UK have risen at record levels, Greater London has been in the doldrums, but the latest report provided finds there has been an average rise of 3.1%. Good news for this swathe of housing that has been behind the curve.

FIRST HOMES INIATIVE OFFERING 30% DISCOUNTS TO FIRST TIME BUYERS STARTS

The government backed scheme that means people buying their first home can buy it at 70% of its value, has now begun. The idea is that as many as 10,000 of these properties will be available each year.

Owners when selling the property on will do so to new first-time buyers who in turn will get to live in 100% of the property but only have to finance 70% of the purchase price. The scheme of course helps those on lower salaries get the benefit of a better home, including key workers.

ACCORDING TO HALIFAX AVERAGE VALUE OF A HOME NOW A NEW HIGH OF £261,743 

The unsurprising news is that prices continued to rise in May, with the ‘average’ residence in the UK now being worth over £260,000. Good news for those seeing their equity share growing but for first time buyers, a cause for concern as deposits required get even further out of reach.

Andrew Stanton

CEO & Founder Proptech-PR. Proptech Real Estate Influencer, Executive Editor of Estate Agent Networking. Leading PR consultancy in Proptech & Real Estate.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

International buyer slowdown one of Prime London’s biggest challenges

The latest survey of UK prime residential agents by AgentWise has found that many believe a slowdown in international buyer activity to be one of the biggest challenges facing the market today, whilst many have also noted an increase in the number of clients looking to explore property opportunities overseas rather than the UK. AgentWise…
Read More
Breaking News

Housing market hit by £21m increase in fall-through bill

The latest Fall-Through Index by the House Buyer Bureau reveals that the number of property fall-throughs across the UK increased by 9.8% during the first quarter of 2026, resulting in an additional £20.9m in costs to the housing market compared to the previous quarter. House Buyer Bureau analysed the latest data from TwentyCi on the estimated…
Read More
Breaking News

Is UK Construction Stuck in a Rut?

Glenigan data for Q.2 shows construction performance weakening further, dashing hopes of recovery in H.2 2026   The value of underlying work starting on-site during the past three months declined 15% and fell 38% below last year’s levels. Residential construction starts fell sharply, dropping 31% against the preceding three months and plummeting 52% compared with…
Read More
Breaking News

Home sellers have a 24-hour patience threshold

Survey shows that the age of instant communication has reached estate agencies New research from Street Group suggests Britain’s home sellers have developed a “24-hour patience threshold”, with the vast majority expecting estate agents to respond, provide updates or take action within a day at virtually every stage of the sales process. The survey of…
Read More
Breaking News

Lloyds House Price Index for June 2026 – Thoughts from the Industry

The latest Lloyds House Price Index for June 2026 shows that: House prices increased by +0.2% between May 2026 and June 2026. Annual house price growth increased slightly to +0.6% in June 2026, up from +0.5% in May 2026. The average UK house price now stands at £299,330.   Thoughts from the Industry   Nathan…
Read More
Breaking News

House prices edge up in June as borrowing costs start to ease

• House prices rose +0.2% in June, following a -0.2% fall in May • Average property price now £299,330 compared with £298,812 in May • Annual growth up slightly to +0.6%, from +0.5% in May • Northern Ireland continues to record the UK’s strongest annual growth at +7.4%   Nations and regions house prices Northern…
Read More