Estate agents don’t trust automated valuations
The majority of estate agents rely on AI or automated valuation models (AVMs) – despite most distrusting the results. The consensus is they routinely fail to reflect a homes true…
Government vows to reduce energy costs in ‘industrial strategy’
The government wants to reduce energy costs for businesses as part of its ‘industrial strategy’. It will launch a “British industrial competitiveness scheme” from 2027, with automotive, aerospace and chemicals…
Pets add premium to home insurance policies
Home insurance premiums jump by 10% for pet owners, analysis from GoCompare shows. The median cost of joint buildings and contents home insurance is £219 for those who don’t have…
Tenants will pay more for greener homes
The majority (92%) of investors reckon that tenants are willing to pay more for greener homes. BuyAssociation, which conducted the research, added that investing in green upgrades acquires higher quality…
London property takes four and a half months to sell
It takes 139 days to sell property in London, making it among the slowest property markets across the UK, research from Sell Homes Fast has found. In the capital luxury…
Labour members worried about threat of Reform
More than 20% of Labour members expect Reform to be the largest party after the next General Election, while only 3% expect a large Labour majority, a LabourList poll has…
Think tank urges London to build upwards and increase housing benefit
London needs to allow more high-rise buildings in areas with strong public infrastructure, a think tank has recommended. Centre for London said this could be achieved by enhancing compulsory purchase…
£22m build-to-rent deal signed in Derby
Housing specialist Lovell and build-to-rent developer-operator Placefirst have signed a £22M build-to-rent deal in Derby. At the Castleward development there will be 33 single-family houses as well as 79 apartments,…
Stamp duty receipts rise by 20% year-on-year
Homebuyers paid £14.1bn in stamp duty over the past year, up 20% from £11.8bn in the previous year. Business advisors and chartered accountants Lubbock Fine warned that the tax leaves…
Specialist buy-to-let lender launches – PropertyWire
OBS Group has launched a technology-led buy-to-let lending brand called Rely. Rely will use data-led underwriting on a newly created platform, which it said will lead to faster and more…