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A 21-year-old apprentice is helping to address one of the defining challenges facing his generation: building the new homes Britain needs while ensuring they are proofed for the future. As Oscar Anderson celebrates completing his apprenticeship with a distinction, he shares how his time at Eastbrook Village in Milton Keynes had him combining traditional construction skills with sustainability and digital skills.

Independent mortgage broker, Flagstone Financial, has outlined key advice for first-time buyers, pointing to flexible options as signs of an improving mortgage market. 

The latest research from Propoly has revealed that just 31% of UK letting agents are absolutely confident that their tenant onboarding process protects against tenancy fraud, as lengthy onboarding times and delays with referencing continue to create challenges for the industry.

Demand for new-build homes in Essex more than three times higher than in London, while Hertfordshire faces supply squeeze amid growing buyer appetite

In January 2023 the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force and gave those who manage blocks of flats a set of fire door duties with fixed schedules attached. Three years on, the duties are well established but still widely misread. Too many blocks under 11 metres assume the rules do not touch them, and too many taller blocks treat the flat entrance door as somebody else's problem. Both assumptions are wrong, and both are now being tested by enforcing authorities.

Gill Kernick will lead the panel in providing independent advice to the regulator, ensuring that residents stay at the heart of its work.

The latest research from House Buyer Bureau has found that, with the rise of A.I, "homebuyer catfishing" is becoming an increasingly familiar experience for UK buyers, with one in five saying they viewed a property where the listing photos had been digitally enhanced to make the home appear better than it actually was. However, while the tactic may persuade buyers to book a viewing, the research suggests it often backfires, with more than half deciding not to pursue the property after seeing it in person. 

For years, Property Managers, Right to Manage (RTM) companies, and Resident Associations followed a predictable, well-trodden path when a major lift modernisation or replacement became due. You obtained a diagnosis of the lift’s issues, ran your Section 20 statutory consultations, chose your contractor, and started on-site.

Homebuyers purchasing new-build properties are being urged to understand estate management arrangements before exchanging contracts, as privately managed communal areas become increasingly common across new developments in England.

Experienced commercial property lawyer Ben Loosemore has joined national law firm Clarke Willmott as a partner in its Southampton office. Ben joins the firm from Moore Barlow and brings extensive experience advising developers, landowners, investors and property businesses on a broad range of residential and commercial development matters.

The latest research from House Buyer Bureau has found that homeowners selling a flat with a short lease face an average asking price that is -22.1% lower than the wider flat market across England, reducing the value of a typical sale by £48,250. In Yorkshire and the Humber, the discount rises to 35.2%, underlining how a diminishing lease can become a costly obstacle when it comes time to sell. 

Every managing agent has sat through a demonstration that went beautifully. The screens were clean, the data appeared the moment it was asked for, and the most awkward part of the job was handled in two clicks by somebody who has performed those two clicks several hundred times. Eighteen months later the same agent is using perhaps a third of what was bought, and paying for all of it.