THE GUARDIAN

From a former fisher’s cottage a stone’s throw from the water, to a majestic Arts and Crafts house near a path to the beach Continue reading…

Thinktank proposes councils stop using private contractors in attempt to improve quality and spendingCouncils should train up their own workers to install insulation in England’s draughty houses, and offer home upgrades street by street, beginning in the most deprived areas, according to proposals for cutting energy bills.Setting up “home improvement corporations” would allow greater control […]

Retailer said ‘fundamental shift in economic conditions’ made it hard for financial partner Aberdeen to raise fundsThe John Lewis Partnership is pulling out of a £500m deal to build almost 1,000 residential rental homes for rent in Bromley, Reading and West Ealing amid a “cautious property market”.The retailer, which owns Waitrose supermarkets and John Lewis […]

Zoopla says it is on target for highest number of new listings on its site in any February in a decade Spring has come early to the UK housing market, with a surge in people listing their homes for sale as confidence returns to the sector, a report by the property website Zoopla found.The site […]

I’ve been without a hob in my new kitchen for three months after an emergency engineer was forced to disconnect itWhen Wickes installed my new kitchen, I noticed an odd, worsening smell that I put down to the ongoing works.It was nearly two months later that I realised it was gas. My supplier dispatched an […]

From a former Georgian hospital in a Scottish Borders town to a converted greenhouse in the Kent countryside Continue reading…

Figures from Aviva also show number of homes being built in risky areas is risingOne in nine new homes in England built between 2022 and 2024 were constructed in areas that could now be at risk of flooding, according to new data.The figures show the number of homes being built in risky areas is on […]

A family struggled to rebuild their lives after an abusive marriage ended in tragedy and financial ruinFamily life ended for Francesca Onody on a late summer evening in 2022 when her abusive husband doused their cottage with petrol as police arrived to arrest him. She and her children escaped seconds before the building exploded. Her […]

From a picturesque cottage in a country village to a listed building in the heart of bustling Manchester Continue reading…

More than 500 deals now offer 95% loans as banks and building societies loosen their borrowing rulesWould-be first-time buyers have the biggest choice of low-deposit mortgages for at least 18 years, new data shows, suggesting that 2026 is looking positive for those trying to get a foot on the property ladder.In recent months many banks […]

Rics surveyors report inquiries from new buyers, agreed sales and house prices were less negative in JanuaryThere are “tentative signs” that the housing market in England and Wales is recovering from a months-long slowdown after uncertainty around the autumn budget and economic pressures, estate agents and surveyors have reported.The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) […]

Residents of the UK’s most expensive flats have won a court case over defective pipework. If their homes are shoddily built, what hope do the rest of us have? Even multimillionaires can’t escape Britain’s cowboy builders, it seems. Last week, residents of One Hyde Park, the UK’s most expensive flats, won a £35m court case […]

Almost 1m UK households are hooked up to heat networks. None had protection from poor service or price hikes … until last month‘If I could move, I would – to a place without a heat network. But I can’t while this debt is hanging over me,” says Anja Georgiou.The mother lives with her family in […]

Property prices in January rose 0.7%, the fastest rate since November 2024 increase of 1.1%The average cost of a UK home passed £300,000 for the first time in January, as house prices increased at the fastest rate since November 2024.Data released by Halifax showed that house prices rose 0.7% month on month last month, the […]

From a Victorian conversion in London to a flat in a Southport townhouse with beaches on the doorstep Continue reading…

With 1.8m fixed-rate deals due to end this year, now’s the time to dig out the details and look at what’s on offer About 1.8m fixed-rate mortgage deals are due to end in 2026, and most of these borrowers will need to get a new home loan. If that includes you, but you are not […]

Leaseholders have little or no control over service charges – the system needs urgent attention, writes Chris Wallis.While your editorial on leasehold reform (29 January) is right to say that action on ground rents is long overdue, as is the abolition of leasehold altogether, and that the right to manage is a key part of […]

Dr Stephen Battersby fears that England could be doubling up on underresourced regulatory agenciesWhile the anger at the timeline for enforcing the decent homes standard (DHS) in England might be expected, it is also arguable that enforcing decent home standards is not as difficult as campaigners make out (‘Absurd’: decent homes standard for England’s private […]

Fixed-rate loan will not be available on flats and new-builds, and loan must be no more than 4.45 times salaryOne of Britain’s biggest banks has launched a mortgage that lets first-time buyers borrow up to 98% of the property’s value – but experts said the “very strict” rules would exclude many people and property types.Santander […]

Nationwide says average price of UK home rose by 0.3% last month after surprise fall in late 2025UK house prices bounced back in January after a surprise fall at the end of last year, and are predicted to improve during 2026, according to the UK’s top mortgage lender.The price of the average UK home rose […]