Welcome to our weekly update giving you the key stories, breaking news and topical analysis from the past week up to today, 1 June 2018.
This week, we reveal how much buy-to-let investors could make through property investment if they make a savvy choice, while the mortgage market has been driven by speculation surrounding the base rate rise with more products on offer. Meanwhile, the West Midlands continues its rise to the top of the UK’s property market as London remains in the doldrums. Read on for 7 stories you might have missed this week…
1. How to make £6,000 a year through property investment
Property investment in the UK is still one of the most effective and popular ways to make returns from your money, and a new study has revealed the true extent of how much buy-to-let landlords can make. To read the full story, click here.
2. Buy-to-let borrowers receive boost from Nationwide
The Mortgage Works (TMW), the specialist buy-to-let arm of Nationwide Building Society, has offered a lifeline to landlords following a review of its rates and buy-to-let borrowers’ needs. To read the full story, click here.
3. Home improvements in one week can add thousands to a property’s value
New findings from a joint survey by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) and the HomeOwners Alliance (HOA) claim that homeowners can add around £50,000 to the value of their property by creating an open plan kitchen dining space and taking down an existing internal wall. To read the full story, click here.
4. Could you have overpaid on your stamp duty bill?
A surprisingly high number of people have been getting their tax calculations wrong when buying second homes or buy-to-let properties, new research has revealed, and many are now owed a refund. To read the full story, click here.
5. Anticipated base rate rise drives April mortgage market
With the possibility of a base rate rise in May, the April mortgage market was unsurprisingly buoyant. Mortgage approvals increased by 11% on the previous year and gross mortgage lending reached £20.4bn – an increase of 13.3% on 2017. To read the full story, click here.
6. West Midlands property market continues to outperform the rest
The latest figures from Rightmove show that the UK’s house prices are now at an average £308,075, but where are the strongest markets? To read the full story, click here.
7. Landlords competing with first-time buyers for affordable homes
With some landlords looking to sell off cheaper properties in the year ahead, there could be more opportunities ahead for first-time buyers as well as buy-to-let investors looking for well-priced property. To read the full story, click here.
