
A summer of significant rent increases possible
February delivered a month-on-month rent rise according to the latest Goodlord rental index. Prices increased slightly up by 0.2% from £1,207 to £1,209 per property

It’s a strong market as spring arrives
Nationwide’s latest index shows that the housing market is buoyant, even though there are still affordability questions. The number of buyers without a mortgage, making

We’re Oxfordshire’s Number One Estate Agent!
The stats are in are in and it’s official! When it comes to selling property, we are streets ahead of the competition. Zoopla’s latest report

Fifth consecutive year that rents rise
Rents were up by 4.6% year-on-year in January 2025, according to the Goodlord Rental Index. They ended the month at £1,207 per property, on average.

Base rate to 4.5% – lowest rate since June 2023
The bank base rate has been cut by a quarter percent and is now at its lowest rate since June 2023. The bank says that

Affordability stretched but gradually improving
There has been a modest improvement in UK housing affordability over the last year due to earnings growth marginally outpacing house price growth and a

Renters’ Rights Bill is being implemented this spring
The Renters’ Rights Bill will abolish Section 21 evictions and introduce a single system of periodic tenancies and is the most significant reform the private

Year on year rental increase slows down
According to the Goodlord Rental Index, the average monthly price for a rental property in England dropped to £1,205 in November, a £33 decrease from last

Usual seasonal lull, as some movers wait for Boxing Day bounce
New seller asking prices drop by a seasonal 1.7% (-£6,395) this month to £360,197, in line with the usual December monthly fall, with sellers’ pricing

What do stamp duty changes mean for you when you buy property?
Stamp duty relief thresholds will be changing from 1 April 2025 reducing to £300,000 for first-time buyers and £125,000 for home movers which will see

Property market showing positivity
UK property market is improving but ‘realistic pricing’ is key Agents’ and surveyors’ expectations of house price increases over the next 12 months have turned

Tenant demand continues to outstrip supply
Propertymark’s latest research reveals that overall tenant demand continues to outstrip supply, with around eight new applicants registered for each available property in July 2024.

August sees annual house price growth edging up
Average house prices were up 2.4% year on year, a slight pickup from the 2.1% recorded in July and the fastest pace since December 2022,

A new parliament dawns and there’s lots on the table for the rental market
Parliament is back this week bringing with it the potential for significant legislative updates that could affect the lettings industry including planning, leasehold reform and

House price growth and record mortgage approvals point to a confident sales market
Market activity is stronger than last year supported by economic growth and rising consumer confidence reveals Zoopla in its latest house price index. Buyer demand

Rents rise as landlords warned of EPC changes
In provisional data, average UK private rents increased by 8.6% in the 12 months to July 2024 according to the ONS. This was unchanged from

Property market showing stability
The July 2024 RICS Residential Survey results signal a largely stable trend in property market activity. Supported by the modest easing in mortgage interest rates

New government pledges for the lettings industry
The new government’s Chancellor Rachel Reeves has committed to abolishing Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, that allows landlords to legally evict tenants for no given reason

Demand remains steady as housing market shows resilience
The housing market has been very resilient over the last year given the rise in mortgage rates says Zoopla’s latest analysis of the property market.

Good news for rents as summer approaches
The latest Rental Index from Goodlord has revealed that rents hit their highest levels since October over the last month. Rents across England rose by

House prices bounce back as consumer confidence grows
The momentum in sales activity continues, with 13% more sales agreed than this time last year according to Zoopla’s latest House Price Index. There are

50,000 rental properties needed to bring supply back to pre-pandemic levels
Rightmove says that although the balance of supply and demand is slowly improving from its peak, there are still nearly 50,000 rental properties needed to

Mixed messages on house prices
According to Nationwide’s latest house price index based on its mortgage lending, house prices fell in April by 0.4% compared to March. It said that

Rental inflation slows at last
The heat is finally coming out of UK rental inflation which has slowed to 7.8%, down from 11% a year ago – the lowest rate

Property market marches into spring with higher demand and sales
The positive start to the year continues, paving the way for a greater number of home purchases than last year says Rightmove. The average price

What the Spring budget changes mean for landlords
The recent budget was likely to be one of the last the current Chancellor will give in the light of a General Election occurring before

House prices rise for 5th consecutive month
The average house price rose by +0.4% in February, the fifth monthly rise in a row says Halifax. The lender’s latest data shows that property

Rental legislation is changing, do you know what’s coming?
There is much speculation if the long-awaited Renters (Reform) Bill will become law in 2024 and before the general election. There have been several delays

Record number of home valuation requests in January
New data from Rightmove reveals that the number of people sending a request to an estate agent to value their home was 23% higher in

Rents now 9.2% higher than last year says Rightmove
Average advertised rents outside of London rose to a new record of £1,280 per calendar month (pcm) says Rightmove and are now 9.2% higher than

Buyer and seller activity jump at start of year
There has been some promising activity in the property market at the start of the year says Rightmove, in fact markedly stronger than a year

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