Welcome to our weekly update giving you the key stories, breaking news and topical analysis from the past week up to today, 10 August 2018.
This week stamp duty has hit the headlines amid a rumoured rise for landlords, and we look at how likely this is to happen. Meanwhile, the base rate rise has led to speculation over how people’s mortgages could be affected, and the country’s rental market continues to grow with build-to-rent becoming more prominent across the country. Read on for seven top stories you might have missed this week…
1. Second stamp duty hike for landlords: what’s the truth behind the rumours?
Rumours have surfaced this week that the government is considering raising the stamp duty levy even further for buy-to-let landlords. To read the full story, click here.
2. Why landlords don’t need to invest in property near where they live
Many buy-to-let landlords and investors stick to familiar, local markets, but there’s a new trend for property investment further afield and it could be a better choice for many. To read the full story, click here.
3. What does the base rate rise mean for your mortgage?
The Bank of England announced a 0.25% increase in the base rate to 0.75%, as widely expected, on Thursday 2 August, marking the first time interest rates have risen above 0.5% since 2008. What will the impact be on mortgage rates and deals available to borrowers over the next few months? To read the full story, click here.
4. Build-to-rent comes to the north-east with Newcastle investment
The UK’s build-to-rent sector is gathering pace with more developments springing up away from London, and Newcastle is the latest major city set to benefit from the market boom. To read the full story, click here.
5. Asking rents in London hit £2,000 high as supply falters
Tenants renting privately in London are paying more than double the national UK average after the last quarter saw a leap in asking rents in the capital. To read the full story, click here.
6. Renters and pet-lovers: changing housing market presents new opportunities
The housing market has been shifting for many years now towards renters rather than homeowners, and as a nation of pet-owners some landlords are changing their views on furry friends. To read the full story, click here.
7. Bank’s latest house price figures put values £80,000 below asking price
The average UK home is now worth a “record high” of £230,280 according to Halifax’s latest house price index, but most indications show the market is actually changing very little. To read the full story, click here.
