Latest Property News From Truuli
Spring Statement 2025
The Spring Statement of 2025 presented a mixed economic outlook, with a significant downgrade in the UK’s growth forecast for 2025, halving to just 1%. However, a positive development emerged in the form of new housebuilding projections from the Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR). According to the OBR’s modeling, government reforms to planning policies introduced the previous year are expected to have a “material” impact on housebuilding activity. These reforms
Hook a new home
March traditionally marks a peak period for property sellers, and in 2025, the market has seen a significant increase in supply, reaching the highest level of competition in a decade. This surge in available properties provides buyers with the broadest selection since 2015, though those entering the market now are unlikely to meet the current month’s stamp duty deadline. A notable 52% of agents have reported a rise in sales
Market outlook: More modest rates of rental growth ahead
After years of high rental growth, the pace of increases in achieved rents for new market lets is slowing, with some markets experiencing this deceleration more rapidly than others. A key factor influencing this trend is affordability, which constrains further growth where financial strain is evident. In London, for example, affordability has reached just above 32%, contributing to a significant slowdown in rental growth from 9.0% a year ago to
Market outlook: improved property sales activity
The market entered 2025 on solid foundations, with activity levels expected to strengthen over the year. Forecasts indicate that property prices will grow at a rate of 3.1% in 2025 and 3.7% in 2026, maintaining a trajectory similar to that of 2024. Mortgage approval and transaction rates have stabilized after a period of weakness from late 2022 through early 2024, aided by recent interest rate cuts that have improved market
First-time buyer monthly mortgage now 15% cheaper than renting
A significant shift in housing affordability has emerged as rising rental prices have made homeownership, on average, 15% cheaper than renting, reversing a prior trend. The average monthly rent in England and Wales currently stands at £1,250, whereas the typical mortgage repayment for first-time buyers is £1,066. This comparison is based on a first-time buyer purchasing a £240,000 home with a 20% deposit, a 25-year mortgage term, and a 5-year
Uptick in mortgage approvals
Mortgage approvals in January 2025 increased by 18% compared to January 2024, with 66,200 approvals recorded. This surge is largely attributed to buyers rushing to secure properties before the stamp duty nil-rate threshold reverts from £250,000 to £125,000 in April. While this urgency may lead to a quieter market post-April, broader indicators suggest a modest rise in demand and transactional activity, even for sales unlikely to be completed before the
