
Leasehold and freehold reforms announced
The King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament has outlined the content of the government’s Leasehold and Freehold Bill in England and Wales. The

UK house prices rise in October, ending run of six consecutive monthly falls
UK house prices rose in October, up +1.1% on a monthly basis, marking the first rise in the cost of a typical UK home since

Section 21 rental reform postponed indefinitely
Housing secretary Michael Gove has kicked plans to abolish Section 21 as part of The Renters (Reform) Bill into the long grass, parliament was told.

Scope for a rebound in housing activity as affordability improves
The housing market is adjusting to higher borrowing costs through lower sales rather than a big decline in house prices say Zoopla in its latest

Good news for landlords as government U-turns on EPC requirement for rental properties
Landlords will not now be required to upgrade their properties to an EPC rating of at least a C for new tenancies from 2025, the

Buyer demand ticks higher as consumer confidence improves says Zoopla
A rise in buyer demand after the summer lull has been recorded by Zoopla’s latest House Price Index with enquiries to estate agents up 12%

House prices soften according to Nationwide
Latest data from Nationwide shows reveals house prices fell 0.8% month on month in August 2023 and are now 5.3% below August 2022 peak. This

Landlords braced for autumn tenant demand
Following on from an exceptionally busy few months in lettings we are now looking at the autumn market. We’re seeing no let-up in demand with

Demand for rented homes high
Zoopla’s latest report shows that rents for new lets are up 10.5% over the year and rental inflation has been in double digits over the

Property market potentially set for autumn pickup as bank base rate held
A great start to autumn has been predicted as the bank base rate was held at 5.25% signalling an end to rising mortgage interest rates.

Rents are rising and we need more property for qualified tenants
Tenant demand has risen firmly over the three months to July says latest findings from Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This points to the

Slight fall in property prices but housing market displays resilience
Prices are little changed over the last six months says Halifax in its latest house price research. The pace of annual decline also slowed to

Motivated buyers attracted by right-priced homes
Buyer demand remains resilient, being 3% higher than 2019, says Rightmove’s latest research with right-priced homes attracting motivated buyers due to a shortage of property

Questions to ask when viewing a property to rent
It pays to be prepared when you’re viewing a rental property says Zoopla. Arrive at each one armed with a list of questions, and you’ll

Thinking of buying a brand-new home?
At Thomas Merrifield, we’re pleased to offer an extensive portfolio of new homes in Oxfordshire, built by both local and national house builders, so if

Our Didcot office in the lead for local sales
We’re delighted to report that we’ve agreed more sales than any other Didcot estate agent in the first six months of 2023. Now more than

What renters look for
A recent survey by Uswitch of over 2,000 tenants has identified some of the key features tenants look for in a property. Security Security was

Five tips for first time buyers
1. Start saving for a deposit early The average age of a first-time buyer is 32, so use your twenties wisely as a time to