Mortgage approvals in March are up.

April 26, 2016

The British Bankers Association today released March 2016 figures for the High Street Banks.

 

Gross mortgage borrowing of £17.1 billion in March was 64% higher than a year ago and the highest borrowing since April 2008 following a reported sharp increase in purchase of buy-to-let and second homes, ahead of the increase in stamp duty on 1 April 2016.

The number of mortgage approvals in March was 20% higher than a year ago, with remortgaging up 25% and house purchase up 14%.

Dr Rebecca Harding, Chief Economic Advisor at the BBA, said:

“A surge in buy-to-let and second home buying ahead of the new stamp duty surcharge in April led to a sharp rise in March’s gross mortgage borrowing as people brought transactions forward.

“For households more widely, consumer credit continues to grow above real earnings growth, as improving consumer confidence and low interest rates combine to stimulate borrowing demand for personal loans, cards and overdrafts.

“Business borrowing is moderating within distribution, manufacturing, food and accommodation sectors, as large corporates use capital markets for their funding and both large and small businesses continue to build up deposits”.

To read the full BBA report March 2016 click here

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – April 2026

Mixed Rental Trends Emerge Across UK as Regional Price Gaps Widen Scotland recorded one of the strongest monthly increases, with average rents rising from £1,123 to £1,167 (+3.9% month-on-month), reinforcing continued upward pressure in the Scottish rental market. Northern Ireland also saw significant growth, with rents increasing from £887 to £920 (+3.7%), alongside a fall…
Read More →
Breaking News

Seller over-expectation still impacting market

Home sellers still overpricing as just two regions see realistic price expectations The latest internal data analysis from House Buyer Bureau has found that just two regions, London and the South East, are currently seeing seller expectations align with market reality, whilst the rest of the country continues to price above market value, contributing to…
Read More →
Breaking News

Fledgling homeowners cut costs by taking on fixer-uppers to achieve dream home

66% of first-time buyers bought a cheaper home because it needed DIY or renovation work done Many choosing a ‘fixer-upper’ were able to buy in their preferred location, add value and put their stamp on it DIY almost mandatory among first-time buyers, with 93% completing at least one project since moving in But three quarters…
Read More →
Breaking News

House Price Index for April 2026 – Thoughts from the Indutry

The latest Halifax House Price Index for April 2026 shows that: – On a monthly basis, house prices remained largely static, down by just -0.1% between March and April 2026. Annually, house prices were up 0.4%, albeit this rate of annual growth had slowed from 0.8% the previous month. As a result, the average house…
Read More →
Breaking News

House prices remained broadly stable in April

• House prices edged down -0.1% in April, following a -0.5% fall in March • Average property price now £299,313, compared with £299,609 in March • Annual growth slowed to +0.4%, from +0.8% in March • Northern Ireland continues to record the strongest annual growth at +7.6%   Amanda Bryden, Head of Mortgages, Halifax, said:…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 7/5/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   The Hidden Economics of AI Agents: Why Businesses May Spend More Than They Ever Did on SaaS AI agents are rapidly being positioned as the next evolution of enterprise software. The problem is that many companies are still evaluating them through a SaaS lens…
Read More →