Latest News

The latest news, features, comment and analysis of the UK housebuilding market covering policy, regulation, planning, technology, new developments and products

Property owners return to rental market - RICS

May 22, 2008

Property owners are returning to the rental market in the face of housing market turbulence with rental experiencing rising yields, the Royal Institution of Ch…

Wolseley to shed staff following profit fall

May 22, 2008

Wolseley has announced it will cut jobs in the UK in response to the downturn.

Industry must adapt to market – Sir Bob Kerslake

May 21, 2008

The industry’s key test during the current downturn will be its ability to adapt to the changing market, Sir Bob Kerslake, chief executive designate of the Hom…

Technical “tsar” needed to speed up planning

May 21, 2008

A technical “tsar” is needed for the new Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) in order to speed up the planning process, it has been proposed.

HBOS £500 million mortgage-backed bonds sale success

May 21, 2008

HBOS has managed to sell of £500 million in mortgage-backed securities, signalling a potential thawing of the credit squeeze. The bank found seven institutiona…

Ecotown expert panel meets with developers

May 20, 2008

A panel of experts from the worlds of design, the environment, transport and sustainability are meeting developers today (May 20) to tell them to “raise their …

Cutbacks continue as Taylor Wimpey plans 13 office closures

May 20, 2008

Taylor Wimpey has announced plans to close 13 of its 39 regional offices and shed around 600 staff in a bid to reduce overheads during the housing market downt…

“Collapsing” transactions could fall by 40% - RICS

May 20, 2008

The latest housing market forecast from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has predicted a 40% fall in transactions during 2008, following the squeez…

Persimmon offers first time buyer packages

May 16, 2008

Persimmon Homes Thames Valley is offering a tailor made package to help first time buyers onto the property ladder.

Half of mortgage market requires a high deposit – Moneyfacts

May 16, 2008

Over half of the mortgage market now requires home buyers to put down a deposit of more than 10% when purchasing their new home, Moneyfacts has reported.