Sell first or buy first? Solving the property puzzle
Sell first or buy first? Solving the property puzzleFor anyone who already owns a home and wants to move, one question tends to surface early in the process and rarely has a simple answer: should you sell your current property before buying the next one, or find your next home first and then sell? Both approaches are possible, and each involves trade-offs that depend on your personal circumstances, your financial position, and the conditions in your local market.
Understanding home reports and surveys: What sellers should expect
Understanding home reports and surveys: What sellers should expectOnce a buyer's offer has been accepted, they will typically arrange a survey of your property.
Mortgage rates and what they mean for buyers and sellers
Mortgage rates and what they mean for buyers and sellersMortgage rates are one of the most significant factors in the UK property market, influencing how much buyers can borrow, which price brackets are accessible, and how sellers should calibrate their expectations.
Completion day explained: What happens and when
Completion day explained: What happens and whenCompletion day is the final step in a property transaction, the point at which legal ownership transfers from seller to buyer, funds move between solicitors, and keys are handed over.
Stamp duty explained: What buyers need to budget for
Stamp duty explained: What buyers need to budget forStamp Duty Land Tax is charged on almost every residential purchase in England and Northern Ireland above the minimum threshold.
Breaking down the property chain: How it really works
Breaking down the property chain: How it really worksWhen you buy or sell a home in the UK, you are likely to hear the phrase property chain.
Void periods explained: How to minimise empty rental months
Void periods explained: How to minimise empty rental monthsA void period is the time between one tenancy ending and the next beginning, during which the property generates no income.
What’s my home really worth? Understanding property valuations
What's my home really worth? Understanding property valuationsBefore you market a property for sale, understanding its value in the current market is the most important preparation you can make.
The Renters’ Rights Act: What landlords need to know now
The Renters' Rights Act: What landlords need to know nowThe Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026, bringing the most significant overhaul of private rented sector legislation in England in more than thirty years.
Landlords: Here’s Your Early-Bird Edge
Landlords: here's your early-bird edge The Private Rented Sector Database is expected to begin its regional rollout in England from late 2026, with completion across the country not expected until 2027, under a legal framework already in place through the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
The rent review conversation to have this September, not later
The rent review conversation to have this September, not later September sits at the precise point in the year where a landlord who plans their rent reviews carefully can act now and have a November start date in place before the end of the year.
What buyers are actually doing during a viewing, and why it matters
What buyers are doing during a viewing, and why it matters A viewing typically lasts thirty to forty-five minutes, and within that window a browser becomes a buyer, or does not.
The material information rules already shaping what your listing must show
The material information rules already shaping what your listing must show The requirement for property listings to include specific, defined material information has been building since 2022 and is already in force across all three of its published parts.
What July’s 13% energy price cap rise means for your winter bills
What July's 13% energy price cap rise means for your winter bills On 27 May 2026, Ofgem confirmed that the energy price cap for a typical dual-fuel household paying by direct debit would rise from £1,641 to £1,862 per year from 1 July 2026, an increase of £221 and a rise of 13%.
How the Renters’ Rights Act is shaping landlords’ decisions to sell or hold
How the Renters' Rights Act is shaping landlords' decisions to sell or hold The introduction of the Renters' Rights Act on 1 May 2026 changed not only how tenancies work but also the calculation behind whether to sell an investment property.
The tax change landlords need to prepare for now
The tax change landlords need to prepare for now Making Tax Digital for Income Tax has been in force since 6 April 2026 for landlords whose qualifying income exceeded £50,000 in the 2024/25 tax year.
Fixed-term tenancies are gone, here’s what actually replaced them
Fixed-term tenancies are gone: Here's what actually replaced them On 1 May 2026, the structure of private tenancies in England changed in a way that affects almost every landlord in the sector.
What happens when a tenant challenges their rent increase
What happens when a tenant challenges their rent increase From 1 May 2026, every rent increase on a private assured tenancy in England must go through the Section 13 process.
The first-time buyers negotiating their way under the £500,000 stamp duty line
The first-time buyers negotiating their way under the £500,000 stamp duty line The April 2025 changes to stamp duty thresholds have altered the calculation for first-time buyers in a specific and measurable way.
The months that historically give sellers the best chance of finding a buyer
Does when you list matter? What the data says The time of year you list your home can influence how it performs, though perhaps not as much as many sellers assume.
What landlords can do to protect against tenant fraud
What landlords can do to protect against tenant fraud A survey of 1,000 UK landlords published in July 2026 found that 77% believe tenant fraud has become more common over the past three years.
Leaving a rental just got a lot less complicated
Leaving a rental just got a lot less complicated One of the less-discussed practical benefits of the Renters' Rights Act is what it has done to the experience of ending a tenancy.
What the official ONS figures say about house prices, and how the industry is reading them
What the official ONS figures say about house prices, and how the industry is reading them The ONS UK House Price Index for May 2026, published in July, recorded annual growth of 2.
What the official figures say about how many new homes are actually being built
What the official ONS figures say about house prices, and how the industry is reading them The ONS UK House Price Index for May 2026, published in July, recorded annual growth of 2.
Rightmove’s 2026 forecast: what a predicted 2% price rise actually means
Rightmove's 2026 forecast: What a predicted 2% price rise means At the end of December 2025, Rightmove published its annual housing market forecast for the year ahead.
What rent repayment orders actually are, and how landlords can stay clear of them
What rent repayment orders are, and how landlords can stay clear of them A Rent Repayment Order is a tribunal order requiring a landlord who has committed certain housing-related offences to repay rent to the tenant, to a local authority, or both.
The north-south price gap nobody’s fully explaining
The north-south price gap nobody's fully explaining The divergence between property markets in northern and southern England is a recurring feature of UK housing data, and 2026 has produced one of its clearest examples.
The leasehold changes coming that could cut your lease extension costs
The leasehold changes coming that could cut your lease extension costs For anyone who owns a leasehold property or is considering buying one, the pace of leasehold reform has been encouraging but difficult to follow.
What’s changed in how long it takes to find a tenant this year
What's changed in how long it takes to find a tenant this year The experience of letting a property has changed materially since the peak years of the post-pandemic rental market, and Zoopla's June 2026 Rental Market Report puts the shift in specific terms.
What ten days of open doors reveal about our love of period homes
What ten days of open doors reveal about our love of period homes Heritage Open Days returns from 11 to 20 September 2026, ten days during which thousands of buildings across England open their doors to the public for free.
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