What’s stopping young people from getting on the housing ladder?

New mortgages granted totalled £7.4bn in May, according to the Bank of England, up from £4.2bn in April.

Prices increased 0.1% in May, and Zoopla has predicted that levels of growth will reduce for the rest of the year.

The annual rate of house price growth in the UK slowed in June, rising 10.7% – down from 11.2% in May.

The bank has halved the minimum deposit from 10% to 5%, meaning borrowers could buy an average-priced home with a deposit of £14,500.

To put a lid on rising bills borrowers are rushing to lock in cheap fixed rates before they disappear – even if it means paying steep penalties.

It seems with every passing year the homeownership aspiration shared by so many young Britons becomes ever more the distant dream.

Inner London property prices have not kept pace in percentage terms with the rest of Britain since the Brexit vote in June 2016, our exclusive analysis reveals.

Since the start of the pandemic house prices have risen 16.8%, while average incomes have only increased by 2.7%, according to data from Halifax.

The Bank of England has upped the base rate for the fifth time since December as it attempts to suppress soaring inflation.

A generation of borrowers are facing a sudden reversal of the situation where typically when they move home or remortgage their rate goes down.

Property inflation reached 12.4% in the year to April, up from 9.8% in March, according to the latest data from the ONS.

Switching mortgage lender when your fixed term ends can save you money – but how does the remortgage process work and what do homeowners need to consider?

The Bank of England has ditched mortgage affordability guidelines designed to prevent people from financially overstretching.

The average price of property newly listed on the market rose by £1,100, between May and June to hit a record high of £368,614, the latest index by Rightmove shows.

Around 14 per cent of homeowners have been caught up in a spat with neighbours over property boundaries in the past year, Churchill says. And it appears fences are hotbeds of dispute.

With interest rates rising, borrowers face a hefty jump in their monthly repayments. Yet there is a way to mitigate this extra expense.

Fewer mortgages now charge arrangement fees, and the typical amount charged is dropping – though it won’t offset rising rates.

Many of Whitby’s residents believe the tourist takeover of this former fishing port has gone too far and rebellious residents have had enough.

Half of Britons believe young peoples overindulgent and frivolous spending habits to be a major factor hindering their homeownership aspirations.

A typical £150,000 mortgage from a basket of best buy deals now costs almost £130 a month more than it did eight months ago, an increase of more than £1,500 per year.

New Government plans aim to help housing association tenants and benefit claimants get on the property ladder – but how will it work in practice?

I’ve checked the plan on the title deeds and I am certain that the fence has been erected one metre over where the boundary should be – but our neighbour won’t move it.

House prices will continue rising in the short-term, despite a dip in demand from prospective buyers last month, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said.

The three proposed sites include building over Waitrose shops in Bromley and West Ealing in Greater London, as well as replacing a vacant John Lewis warehouse in Mill Lane, Reading.

Ministers know they need to do more to help young people onto the housing ladder and have trailed a series of proposals to do just that.

In 1952, the average UK house price was £1,891, whereas now it is £269,914, says Nationwwide, but the figure be if prices had matched inflation?

The annual rate of house price growth slipped to 11.2% in May, down from 12.1% in April and 14.3% in March, according to Nationwide.

An Ipsos poll shared exclusively with This is Money, found that 36% of people were ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ concerned about their ability to pay their rent or mortgage.

Niche lenders like The Cambridge, Loughborough Building Society and Hanley Economic are offering some of the market’s best mortgage rates.

The average home costs £27,082 more than a year ago, at £269,914, said Nationwide Building Society.

Britons borrowed £1.4billion on credit cards, overdrafts, personal loans and car finance – the third consecutive month where borrowing topped £1billion.

The number of homeowners looking for long-term fixed rate mortgages has soared. The Arrowsmiths fixed a loan for a decade

New property selling portal claims to help sellers avoid ‘stale’ listings and buyers cut down on annoying calls from estate agents.

Nearly a quarter of self-employed individuals have had a mortgage application denied in the past, compared to just 12% of salaried workers

HMRC data shows drop in house sales and purchases, as experts claim housing transactions are are returning to levels seen before the pandemic.

Buying a property that needs work is often seen as a great way to secure a bargain – but spiralling renovation costs mean it could end up being more expensive.

Mike Edwards, owner of website DIY Doctor, says: ‘This year, there seems to be more people than ever wanting to put up a permanent brick barbecue.’

The deeds say the fence is our responsibility, but it wasn’t an issue until the dog came on the scene.

Higher loan-to-income limit could help households where one partner has stopped work, for example to retire or look after children, or become self-employed.

Similarly, 76% of buyers thought they would make a purchase in three months – though agents noted a ‘degree of caution’ creeping in to decision-making.

The home has major structural issues that will cost thousands to fix. Why wasn’t this picked up when our mortgage lender valued the property?

The typical new, £150,000 repayment mortgage now costs over £100 a month more than it did seven months ago.

The average two-year and five-year fixed rate increased again in April, reaching 2.86% and 3.01% respectively.

Mortgage borrowers have already seen costs escalate rapidly, while savers have been rewarded, but what can they do as rates continue to rise?

Experts warn banks saying homes aren’t worth the price agreed, could be a sign the property boom is ending. Maria Ivanova (pictured) was one of the buyers affected.

The average two-year fixed rate mortgage has breached 3% for the first time in seven years, according to Moneyfacts.

Lenders have echoed the Bank’s rise with uplifts of 0.25% on standard variable rates, with homeowners set to see their monthly payments increase from June.

With house prices soaring, mortgage rates rising and the UK gripped by a cost of living crisis, aspiring first-time buyers may be wondering whether their homeownership dream will ever become a reality.

Margaret Thatcher’s Right to Buy scheme, which was introduced in 1980, helped 2.5 million households achieve the homeownership dream.

The world has changed since the 1980s – and many living in housing association homes won’t be able to afford even a discounted house.

Although the annual increase marks a slight slowdown from March, growth has now been in the double-digits for 11 consecutive months, Nationwide said.

House prices could fall nearly 5% in the next two years according to analysts, wiping out some of the near 20% gains made since the start of the pandemic.

Unregulated legal firms claim that by transferring property and cash into a trust it will protect their assets from care home fees and inheritance tax.

We need to move home but the bank rejected our application for a decision in principle. Why did this happen, and how can we make sure our next one is accepted?

Nicola Goulden (pictured) has been left with a bill of more than £47,000 and had her dream of running a hair salon at home shattered by cowboy builder.

More than half (53%) of homes are selling for more than the asking price, according to the property listing site – the highest proportion ever recorded.

Around 114,650 residential property transactions took place last month, which was 35.7 per cent less than in March 2021, but a 2.6 per cent rise compared with February 2022.

Rising retirement age and surging house prices mean many people are both working and paying off their home loans for longer.

The ONS explained that being closer to London was the most important factor associated with higher property prices.

Estate agent has predicted the UK property boom is about to end, with prices set to stagnate following years of sustained rises.

David Lindberg (pictured), boss of the Natwest’s retail arm, said making UK homes more energy efficient is the most effective way to cut bills.

He says that moving home should be ‘exciting’ but problems typically crop up because it is a ‘complex process with many moving parts.’

A longer mortgage term helps lower monthly repayments, but borrowers could end up paying tens of thousands more interest overall.

Top mortgage deals are vanishing on an almost-daily basis and some five and ten-year fixed rate deals are now cheaper than two-year fixes.

In a move against the status quo, Halifax has launched cheaper long-term loans to encourage customers to lock in their monthly payments for longer.

Brokers have warned that soaring energy bills, tax rises, and the surging cost of goods have prompted banks to tighten their mortgage affordability tests.

This is Money looks at the ways homeowners and landlords might mitigate rising mortgage rates, and attempts to answer some of the common questions we are being asked.

With big deposits still hard to acquire, couples who bought small, first properties a few years ago may find that Help to Buy is the only way to make the sums add up and get the bigger home they need.

Increasing house prices and rising interest rates will push the typical mortgage payment past £1,000 in early 2023, according to analysts at Capital Economics.

Lenders are looking at business owners – who may typically pay themselves in dividends – and how recent dividend tax hikes will affect their ability to pay their mortgage.

Every time we try and book a viewing, the agent tells us the property has gone – which we suspect is just a ploy to sign us up to the agents’ mailing list. Do we have to play along?

The average home has now risen in price by £33,000 in the last 12 months to a record £265,312, said Britain’s biggest building society.

Many insurers have waived usual rules to allow homeowners to offer support, but landlords are urged to inform firms of their plans.

It doesn’t make sense as property prices are rising fast in my area. Could they be looking at the wrong house?

The average cost of home improvements jumped 61 per cent between January 2021 and January 2022.

Rishi Sunak said in the Spring Statement that he would remove VAT on energy efficient measures such as solar panels, heat pumps and insulation installed for five years.

The average house price rose 9.6 per cent in the year to January, down from the 10 per cent increase seen in the year to December.

Mara Girone (pictured) spent two years trying to find the right property in London without success. Exasperated, she turned to a buying agent.

We own our one-bedroom flat jointly, and would be willing to take a lower price if it meant we could move on with our lives sooner – but are these firms legitimate?

The average asking price of homes newly-listed climbed a further £5,760 to £354,564 in the month to mid-March, said the property listing website.

The Bank of England has upped the base rate for the third time in three months as it attempts to keep a lid on soaring inflation.

Hamptons estimates that by the end of this year, the average household in a rented property will spend a record 54 per cent of their post-tax income on rent and household bills.

The number of dwellings where building work commenced on site across England was 41,600 in October to December, which is lower than the previous quarter and lower than a year ago.

Agents blamed an imbalance between the relatively low supply of new homes coming to the market, and the high number of people looking to buy.

Interest rates are rising, which means some borrowers may want to lock in a new fixed mortgage deal now. Here’s what they need to know.

Solicitors say they have seen a rise in ‘trust clauses’ or conditions for how an inheritance must be paid. They say many conditions are fairly typical.

A total of £27.3bon of remortgages were agreed in the last three months of 2021, the highest in three years.

At 2.65%, the average two-year fixed mortgage rate is the highest recorded since November 2015 – but better deals can still be found by shopping around.

More people are opting to repay their mortgage for more than the standard 25 years as it makes the monthly bill lower – but it increases interest overall.

Typical first-time buyer paid £281,900 for their home, and put down a deposit of £61,000 which was more than a year’s salary for a solo buyer.

House prices have risen 20% since the start of the pandemic. At what point do we reach the level where people just cannot keep paying more for homes?

Britain’s biggest building society Nationwide said the average house price rose another £5,000 last month to breach £260,000 for the first time.

The era of rock bottom rates looks to be officially over. Last year’s deals of less than 1% are gone with rates nearly twice what they were six months ago.

The Bank of England is considering ditching rules that limit how much people can financially stretch themselves when taking out mortgages.

In-house advice can cost up to £700 in some cases, but mortgage advisers suggest buyers are scared to turn it down in case it affects their purchase.

In October 2020, we purchased a static caravan. But last year the site was sold and the environment changed.

The brothers behind Purplebricks say their new property portal is a ‘game changer’ – but is it offering buyers anything new?

In the last seven days, a raft of banks and building societies have upped their rates including Santander which increased them by up to 0.5 percentage points.

Demand for flats is already bouncing back so hard that in some locations, annual gains have now started to eclipse those of the wider market.

The taxman collected £5billion in IHT between April 2021 and January 2022, a 14 per cent increase compared to the same period a year earlier.

There were 12,290 fewer transactions in January 2022 than there were in the same month in 2021, according to HMRC data.

Experts at Online Mortgage Advisor have rounded up some of the key details about how mortgages work in different countries, compared to the UK.

I have just sold my flat in London and am house hunting in a village out of town, while renting – where should I park my cash?

The average asking price for a home is 9.5 per cent higher than a year ago, Rightmove said, as sellers back the pandemic property boom to continue.

The Government is considering introducing EPC regulations that could effectively force millions of homeowners to make improvements to their properties.

The scheme was used by 6,535 households between its launch on 19 April 2021 and 30 September, around 4% of the total first-time buyers in the market.

The average property price was £275k in December – £27k higher than in the same month a year earlier, according to the Land Registry’s house price index.

One self-employed borrower told This is Money she was initially rejected, despite having a deposit of more than £540,000, as she took a £13,000 SEISS grant.

The family home will use eco-friendly gadgets such as heat pumps and solar panels, which builder says could save the owner £40k in bills over 20 years.

If a seller can be slightly flexible on when they list their home for sale, property experts say they could have a better chance of snagging a buyer and securing a higher price.

Lender is now offering ‘Helping Hand’ scheme on a 95% loan-to-value basis, but experts warn that monthly payments will be higher and negative equity is a risk.

On a regional level, the most significant growth reported in property prices was focused in the North West and South East of England.

As British property listing firm MoveStreets splashes out on a spot in the metaverse, Helen Crane looks at why virtual plots are being snapped up.

Homeowners are being warned to take stock of their mortgage as lenders are likely to increase rates, following the Bank of England’s decision.

The housing market shows little sign of running out of steam, with its strongest start to the year in 17 years, meaning buyers are fighting to secure homes.

Clare and Steven George-Hilley (pictured) paid a £25,000 fee to secure a new home. But the deal was delayed allowing the seller to seek a better offer.

Home buyers with large deposits will be able to fix for 10 years at 1.68 per cent – though brokers are warning of punitive early repayment charges.

Fitting cavity wall, floor or loft insulation can cut bills – but it can also lead to disruption and damage within homes.

Average prices increased by 1 per cent in the three months to December, taking the rate of annual growth down slightly from 7.7 per cent to 7.4 per cent, the property portal said.

The rate rises would cost someone with a £200,000 mortgage and a 10% deposit £26,000 extra in interest over a 26-year term.

Lender will allow borrowers in certain professions to borrow much more than the standard 4.5 times salary, but they will need to fix their rate for at least 15 years.

A total of £4.8bn was borrowed in equity release mortgages in 2021, an increase of 24% compared to 2020.

Following anger from locals, the government will require second home owners to prove their property is rented for 70 days a year to get small business tax relief.

We outline what couples, friends and family buying homes together can do now to prevent pain later on if the relationship doesn’t work out, or one party wants to move on.

Is there any stamp duty exemption when buying a property that will be your main residence? If not, will we need to sell our current property before we buy the new one?

The building society says I need my husband’s consent to remortgage and cut my payments, but he refuses to co-operate – which I believe amounts to economic abuse.

Just over a third of those looking to buy their first home today will get a mortgage on the first attempt, according to lender Aldermore.

I’d earn practically nothing in interest as it stands and am willing to take a bit of risk to make more money.

Should we take the longer fix, or opt for a two or three-year deal? If we do fix for five years, will we be charged a penalty if we move?

I am trying to buy a flat behind an Indian takeaway, and have been declined for a mortgage by both Santander and Nationwide.

The recent property boom has seen an emergence of so-called ‘power buyers,’ able to muscle other ‘normal’ buyers out of contention.

There are a wave of financial products that claim to help first-time buyers get together a house deposit. We explain what is on offer and what they need to know before signing up.

The agent is using the pandemic as an excuse for rising costs and delayed repairs. Is there a way to challenge the escalating bill, and can we change our managing agent?

My house is proving a good investment, so I am keen to hang on to it and rent it out. Do I need a buy-to-let mortgage, and will I need to pay extra income or capital gains tax?

I want to move, but am locked in to a five-year fixed mortgage deal. How does porting a mortgage work, will there be fees and does it matter that I am now self-employed?

Experts are warning that, thanks to this year’s house price rises, more people will now have to pay inheritance tax when they are left a property or other assets by someone who has died.

Having bought a home at today’s inflated prices, first-time buyers may be left in negative equity when the market cools down. How much of a problem is that, and what can they do to prevent it?

Millions struggled to keep on top of household bills and debts when the pandemic forced businesses to shut and pay was slashed.

House prices are soaring and mortgage terms are getting longer – so it is little wonder that fewer borrowers expect to have paid off their mortgage by the time they retire.

A significant number of homeowners could be overpaying for home insurance because they have bought a policy from their mortgage provider instead of shopping around.

Currently, 43% of homeowners are worried about making their monthly mortgage payments. We explain what to do if your income drops, and how to remortgage with defaults on your record.

We just received the homebuyer report on our new period home, which raised concerns about an old loft conversion and extension. How can we ensure it’s safe and what survey do we need?

From sports betting to streaming subscriptions, we asked mortgage experts about spending habits that could raise mortgage lenders’ eyebrows – and how much of a risk they pose.

A third of UK home renovators plan to fund their project with a remortgage, according to a new survey. But how do you go about getting equity out of your home? We explain how it works.

This couple shared their home with three lodgers to help pay the mortgage. But now they want to sell, they could be landed with a capital gains tax bill. We asked three tax experts to explain the rules

The last thing you want is to discover your beautiful new home is concealing nightmares behind every nook and cranny. But what type of survey should you choose? We explain the difference between them.

Britons are at risk of paying over the odds on their house purchases, with 30 per cent of homeowners failing to negotiate on their current property. We explain how to do it successfully

Property listings on the online portals often carry the bullet point, ‘potential to extend subject to planning permission (STPP)’. And estate agents love to talk about ‘potential’.

Britain’s most commonly asked mortgage questions have been revealed following analysis by Comparethemarket.com. We went to three mortgage experts to find the answers.

The fees vary a bit, can we negotiate on them and what is the best way to do this? Is there a way to incentivise the agent to get us the best price?