International News

The Queen has reportedly made Windsor Castle her permanent home and will "never live at Buckingham Palace again." Her Majesty, who usually resides in London, has been working from home at Windsor Castle for the last two years since the pandemic began. And now with more health concerns having recently caught Covid-19 and suffering from more mobility issues, the 95-year-old is said to have decided to make Windsor her official residence. Buckingham Palace, which has been the official royal...

Australia's economy has just posted its equal-best quarter of growth in 46 years, but the rebound from Delta lockdowns has not been smooth sailing for everyone. The ABS National Accounts show Australia's economy recovered from its 1.9 per cent Delta lockdown slump in the September quarter with a 3.4 per cent jump in the last three months of 2021. That is the strongest quarterly growth since March 1976, roughly equalling the bounce back from the national COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. ...

Price of property coming to market rises by 2.3% this month (+£7,785) to a record of £348,804, the biggest monthly jump in pounds recorded by Rightmove in more than twenty years: Prices are now 9.5% higher than a year ago, the highest annual rate of growth since September 2014 There are signs that both buyers and sellers fear missing out in the current competitive market: More potential buyers are sending enquiries to agents, with the number 16% higher than thi...

One of London’s biggest problems is its lack of affordable housing, which is leaving first-time buyers with no other choice than to seek out cheaper properties outside the M25. Even homeowners who were lucky enough to get on the property ladder when prices were more reasonable are looking beyond the capital for their second homes. Mortgage lenders typically look at income when deciding how big a mortgage they can offer to those looking to get their first property. The most obvious thing...

All remaining legal Covid restrictions have been removed in England, nearly two years after the first rules were introduced. It means people are no longer legally required to self-isolate if they test positive for Covid - although they are still advised to do so. The changes are part of the prime minister's Living with Covid plan, to "transition back to normality". Some critics say the plan fails to protect the most vulnerable. All legal restrictions have already been lifted in N...

The new-build housing market is booming. From Covid secure homes to Help-to-Buy schemes to stamp duty holiday - multiple things contributed towards raising the appeal of new-build homes during the pandemic. As the property market continues to flourish, a recent study has revealed that the appeal and the subsequent demand for new-builds is here to stay. An independent survey commissioned by the investment firm FJP Investment found that over a quarter of homeowners (26%) are more likely to c...

Asking prices for homes coming on to the market in Britain rose by a record 2.3% in February, according to the property website Rightmove. The listing site said it was the biggest monthly increase in the 20 years it has kept records and meant the average advertised cost of a home was up by £7,785, to £348,804. Over the past 12 months, asking prices have gone up by 9.5%. While the number of new property listings increased by 11% during the month, the number of people looking to ...

January was the busiest-ever start to a new year for the housing market, and this month has been even busier, with a huge number of people determined to move as we head into spring. We normally see a rise in asking prices from January to February, but this month we’ve seen the biggest jump in more than 20 years. The average price of homes coming to market in Britain has risen by £7,785, hitting a record high of £348,804. This new record means that average asking prices ha...