The Office of Fair Trading has concluded its report into customer satisfaction and the success of regulations and competition in the housebuilding industry. Seven in 10 buyers of newly-built homes found faults with their property, although most of the problems were only minor issues and did not cost the buyer anything to fix. However, 32
Official Home Office figures show that the number of eastern European migrants and asylum seekers may have peaked. The number of people coming from Poland and other eastern European countries has fallen by almost 20 per cent, to the lowest level in five years. Acceptances of asylum seekers this year are at their lowest since
All six Labour deputy leadership candidates tell today’s Inside Housing (see here too) that they back the ‘fourth option’ of direct investment in council housing. The three new statutory tenancy deposit schemes have protected the deposits of 66,000 tenants worth £58m in its first two months of operation, according to new figures released yesterday by
Mortgage lending for house purchases has fallen to its lowest level on record in May according to figures out by the British Bankers Association (BBA). The number of mortgage approvals fell to just 28,000 last month, a fall of 20 per cent in one month and down 56 per cent in year-on-year figures. BBA’s figures
A report looking at how asbestos is managed and removed from people’s homes has revealed major differences in how local authorities and registered social landlords notify tenants of the likely risks. The report, from construction union UCATT, recommends that all social landlords maintain an asbestos register of properties, and conduct up-to-date house surveys.
The number of repossessed properties coming to auction has more than doubled during the past year. However, auction houses are reporting their lowest levels in sales on record, with almost half of all properties failing to sell. At the same time last year 71 per cent of properties were selling at auction. Auctioneers are now
Seaside towns have a low share of households in social housing and high levels of private renting, making them more like London than a similar sized town inland, according to a report from Communities and Local Government. Seaside towns had on average 12 per cent of households in social rented accommodation and 16 per cent
UK household income has doubled in real terms during the past 50 years, and our spending patterns have changed. In 2006, basic necessities including food, accounted for a smaller proportion of the household budget, while more was spent on housing, leisure activities, travel and cars. In 1957 three items – food, fuel and rent, made
Caroline Flint yesterday announced plans to increase the amount of information available for potential buyers in home information packs to speed up sales. The proposals include calls for a property information questionnaire, providing information on building work carried out on a property, and an increase in the amount of information on leaseholds. The Conservatives have
Record numbers of homeowners are letting out properties after failing to sell them, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. New instructions to let houses and flats increased at the fastest ever pace – and the flood of properties is expected to depress rental levels in the coming year. However, demand is rising, with