Rising interest from potential buyers coupled with a lack of sellers is stabilising UK house prices, surveyors say.

The group is launching new two and three-year tracker and fixed rate deals for existing customers who are coming to the end of their mortgage deal or who are already on its base mortgage rate.

The first-time buyer has finally decided to jump back on the property ladder but there are now not enough houses on the market, according to website look4aproperty.com.

It said it had seen a surge in new inquiries from people looking to buy.

Website founder Aaron Turner said inquiries shot up 150% during April and May, compared to the first three months of the year – and early figures from June saw more people hitting the site every day.

"There has really been a steep increase in people wanting to buy a home," Turner said. "But homeowners need to put properties back on the market or risk stifling the first real ‘green shoots’ of recovery for this economy.

Jones Lang LaSalle and CB Richard Ellis poised to land contract as bank tries to save £1.5bn Jennifer Rigby, Property Week - 5 June 2009 Lloyds Banking Group will close up to 1,000 branches and consolidate its regional office hubs in a bid to save £1.5bn in operating costs. The closures form part of a new UK [...]

A survey by housing website, PropertyLive.co.uk, has revealed that 20 per cent of people view houses with no intention of buying but do it just to snoop around other people's homes...

England’s first large-scale development to be built to Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, has been given the green light to move ahead. Barratt Developments Plc and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) have received planning permission to build 195 zero carbon homes as part of the Hanham Hall ‘eco village’ in South Gloucestershire.

The eco village is part of the Carbon Challenge programme run by the HCA, the national housing and regeneration agency. The new homes will be constructed using energy efficient materials, with very high insulation standards to conserve energy and water use in a design by HTA Architects integrating buildings in a landscaped setting that benefits both residents and local wildlife.

 

David Wilson Homes is advising first-time buyers to make their move on the property market as soon as possible.

It believes that a number of its properties would be well-suited to those thinking of making a purchase, such as the three-bedroom Shelburne style in Milton Keynes.

The UK pound has hit its highest level against the US dollar in seven months, while also strengthening against the euro, and Japanese yen, further reducing the cost of buying property abroad...

Figures show the South West has seen England's biggest yearly house price fall, but has this made it easier for locals to buy homes?

Houses in some areas of London are now as affordable as they were nearly ten years ago, according to research.

With the Bank rate unchanged for a third month at 0.5%, what is the picture with mortgage and savings rates?

The government has introduced secondary legislation to bring residential sale and rent back agreements within the scope of Financial Services Authority (FSA) regulation yesterday. Deirdre Hipwell, Property Week - 3 June 2009 It has also published a summary of responses to its consultation on the sale and rent back market, which closed on 1 May 2009. The FSA [...]

A new incentive scheme is needed to help encourage landlords to modernise homes, according to the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA). Mortgage Introducer - 2 June, 2009 With the number of properties for rent growing by over 17% last year, thousands of tenants are living in homes in need of modernisation. The Government, in its recent response [...]

House prices rose by 1.2% in May offering evidence of activity in the housing market, according to figures from the Nationwide.

We've all had the ‘improve, don't move' line hammered home to us of late, and now it seems it could be an ideal time to make changes to your property as a new scheme is launched to provide professional consultations with RIBA Architects for a fraction of the usual price...