News
Houses in short supply
Stock of houses has fallen -42% over the last six months whilst stock of flats fell just -15%. As a result flats are much harder to sell.
9 May 2021
Return of the city
Interest in city living is starting to return as we begin to see the return to offices and the benefits of urban living being able to be appreciated.
4 May 2021
Proptech revolution
Last week saw the government launch a scheme to support 95% mortgages. Solicitors and agents scramble for the June 30 stamp duty deadline. Movewise commentary on the FT article on proptech.
26 Apr 2021
Why auction when you can Movewise?
London listings rising as sellers come back to the market. Rightmove launches online auctions allowing sellers to sell quicker for less.
18 Apr 2021
Scramble to complete property deals shows scope for digital disruption
For champions of ‘proptech’, the pandemic has strengthened the case for faster, better transactions
12 Apr 2021
Offers coming in strong
Lots of offers coming in this week. Listings settled down. EWS1 update. Movewise launches probate valuation service at Legalex.
11 Apr 2021
Low stock, getting lower
Stock continues to fall despite the rising listings and recovery in the market creating a good selling environment.
5 Apr 2021
Offers rolling in
Rightmove traffic hits an all time high and a pent up demand of buying activity is seeing properties on the market going under offer.
28 Mar 2021
Extending the commuter belt
A lasting impact of the pandemic is likely to be an extension of the commuter belt as companies increasingly adopt a hybrid work places.
21 Mar 2021
Start of the unwind
Demand for inner city properties, which suffered during the pandemic, is rising as expectations of a return to office work increase.
14 Mar 2021
Join Movewise at LegalEx Spotlight
On March 31, Movewise will be presenting at this free online event. Find out how our technology can provide simpler and more accurate probate valuations
9 Mar 2021
Budget boost
Boost to the property market with stamp duty extension to June and tapered until September, plus government guaranteed 95% mortgages <£600k.
7 Mar 2021
Stamp duty extension coming
Stamp duty will be extended next week in the Budget, a financing boost for first time buyers and extension to the furlough scheme.
28 Feb 2021
Buyers waiting for budget announcement
Offers are slowing down with agents stating some buyers are waiting for the Budget announcement on March 3rd.
21 Feb 2021
Stock levels down significantly
With stock levels down 30% from September, those properties coming to the market realistically priced are achieving good interest.
14 Feb 2021
House prices softening
Houses prices declined -0.3% month-on-month in January and the average value of properties going under offer declined into February.
7 Feb 2021
Desperate house buyers race to finalise deals before looming stamp duty deadline
The government suspended stamp duty last summer amid the coronavirus pandemic but with the March 30 deadline fast approaching the market has turned into a nightmare.
3 Feb 2021
Stamp duty holiday window closes
Sales agreed now are highly unlikely to be completed by March 31, and therefore buyers from now will miss the stamp duty holiday.
30 Jan 2021
Home buying bottleneck means transactions taking longer to complete
The average property is taking nearly a month longer to sell once under offer, due to a conveyancing bottleneck that has developed since the property market shutdown in March and April.
29 Jan 2021
Stamp duty holiday warning: Buyers now face month-long delays despite rush to hit deadline
THE STAMP DUTY holiday has put more pressure on house buyers in recent months as they rush to complete their transactions before the deadline comes to an end in March. Now, it has been revealed properties are taking 29 percent longer to sell once under offer due to a "bottleneck" of delays.
29 Jan 2021
'I need to find £15,000': buyers in postcode lottery to get deals done before stamp duty rises'
Time taken to complete local council searches ranges between 180 days and one day
28 Jan 2021
Daily listings back to January 2020 level
Daily listings are just 10 per cent below the January 2020 level suggesting the lockdown is not materially impacting willingness to list
24 Jan 2021
Flats are twice as hard to sell
Flat sales fell -48% yoy in volume in September despite the overall market being up some +8% yoy. This is due to the cladding crisis.
17 Jan 2021
Ending stamp duty could force tsunami of deals to collapse in chaos, housing experts warn
As many as 325,000 homebuyers are in a race against time to complete their purchases and claim discounts of up to £15,000 before the scheme officially finishes on March 31.
15 Jan 2021
Will house prices drop in 2021? Experts views on how housing market will change this year
HOUSE prices soared in the second half 2020 - but what’s in store for them this year and are they likely to fall again?
14 Jan 2021
New year, new lockdown
Listings bounce back to mid-December levels in the New Year despite the lockdown. Viewings limited but occuring.
10 Jan 2021
House prices surge 7.3% in 2020 despite the pandemic, recession and Brexit
House prices rose faster in 2020 than they have for 6 years, as the pandemic forced people to reevaluate what mattered to them in a home, while mortgage support held back forced sales.
30 Dec 2020
Delays increase pressure as stamp duty deadline looms
The property buying process is taking four weeks longer to reach exchange of contracts after an offer has been accepted as the stamp duty holiday nears its end.
29 Dec 2020
Zooming home for Christmas
Property sales activity will continue to decline particularly with the introduction of Tier 4 restrictions to movement.
20 Dec 2020
Newport has highest house price increase in Wales - research
NEWPORT has the biggest house price growth in Wales this year, with an average price of nearly £200,000, according to new research.
19 Dec 2020
Liverpool crowned UK's property hotspot as house prices rise 15%
Average house prices in Liverpool have risen by 15.1% since last year, making it the UK’s top property hotspot in 2020.
18 Dec 2020
Five ways to speed up probate property sales – and get the best price
Kirsty Burnham, Head of Property for Movewise, a company which provides support to law firms selling properties through probate, offers some advice for probate specialists on how to sell quickly and efficiently on behalf of clients – and achieve the maximum price.
18 Dec 2020
UK house prices rose 0.9% in October
Annual UK house price growth has hit the highest level since October 2016 according to the latest ONS data - although it warned that disruption caused by covid-19 means the figures may have to be revised in future.
17 Dec 2020
The Christmas fade
Daily new listings have declined steadily since September and are now 50% lower. Stock for sale has declined 13% in the same period.
13 Dec 2020
Mortgage rates rising
Rates on low deposit mortgages have risen to an eight year high. Agents back to business with the end of the lockdown.
6 Dec 2020
Estate agents urge Rishi Sunak to put stamp duty rise on hold
ESTATE agents have urged the Chancellor to extend the stamp duty holiday to give home buyers the chance to complete deals before the scheme ends.
2 Dec 2020
Probate solicitors 'frustrated by delays and inefficiency' in grants process
Eight out of ten lawyers say government red tape has a significant impact on their work
1 Dec 2020
Delays are main frustration for probate solicitors
Research by Movewise shows that probate solicitors see delays as one of their biggest challenges
1 Dec 2020
UK house prices rise at fastest rate in almost six years
Buyers rush to take advantage of stamp duty holiday before March deadline.
1 Dec 2020
Don't photograph the Christmas tree!
Properties still selling despite lockdown with keen buyers viewing. For those about to list, don't photograph the Christmas tree!
29 Nov 2020
Join Movewise at Legalex, the UK’s leading virtual legal exhibition
Movewise will be presenting a seminar to the probate industry on Wednesday, December 2
25 Nov 2020
Busy December coming
Properties selling well despite lockdown with buyers actively bidding. Stock levels are down suggesting improving conditions for vendors.
21 Nov 2020
Not that bad
Listings and sales are both holding up. Viewing have dropped but the keenest buyers remain active and we expect a December bouce in activity if lockdown ends.
13 Nov 2020
Hiring: Experienced property advisor - £35-45k
Requires extensive experience in sales negotiation and advisory in either an estate agency or property search background. You must have 2+ years in a senior role such as assistant manager.
9 Nov 2020
Lockdown #2 not as bad as lockdown #1
Listing in Wales dropped 33% since their 15-day lockdown was announced. We expect this lockdown to have less impact on than before.
8 Nov 2020
Housing market open but viewings drying up
Housing market will remain open during the UK lockdown, however we anticipate viewings will drop significantly.
1 Nov 2020
Flats are twice as hard to sell
Flats are twice as hard to sell as houses, particularly in London. Prime flats are hardest of all with only 1 in 6 over £1m selling.
24 Oct 2020
Covid hotspots not impacting property yet
Covid hotspots in the North of England are not yet having any material impact on the local property market.
18 Oct 2020
Property beats stocks!
Property prices are up 5-7% year-on-year. The strong growth is outside London and in properties under £1m in value.
9 Oct 2020
UK hot, London cold
UK property market has normalised with sales rates of 54-61% across the country. London is the hardest place with a sales rate of just 22%.
2 Oct 2020
September Surge!
Agents are struggling to keep up with the supply of property coming onto the market. Volumes up +12% in September and +23% in Prime London.
26 Sep 2020
Yield from IHT investigations reaches four-year high as HMRC targets HNWIs
Extra tax collected from HMRC investigations reached £274m last year, says private client law firm Wilsons
24 Sep 2020
HMRC's haul from inheritance tax investigations hits four-year high
Experts say the complexity of the tax system is leaving families exposed to mistakes
18 Sep 2020
Icy cold in Central London property sales
UK property market has normalised outside large cities with sales rates of 47% but London is icy cold with sales rates as low as 13%
18 Sep 2020
Prime London listing frenzy but sales are low
Since June London agents have listed 13,000 properties over £1m in value but sold only 2,100 properties.
11 Sep 2020
Well stocked!
Stock levels in London have increased +47% since May, dramatically higher than the rest of the UK (+18%), creating a competitive environment for sellers.
6 Sep 2020
Northern rollover
Listings slowing fastest in the North of England, lending conditions tightening and Asian buyers returning to London.
28 Aug 2020
Most high value properties aren't selling
Sales rates for properties valued £2-5m are 33% at the moment, meaning most property that comes to market withdraws unsold.
22 Aug 2020
LoveFilm co-founder backs estate agency start-up in £600,000 funding round
Movewise has listed more than £60m worth of property in the UK in the past year
17 Aug 2020
Busy summer, cautious outlook
Lower end of the market is extremely active with volumes up significantly year-on-year and a high sales rate. Prime is more challenging.
15 Aug 2020
Bottoms up! (But rolling over at the top)
Market is strong at lower values, driving average house price growth up, but the top of the market is soft and forecast to decline.
7 Aug 2020
Its all about the garden
Summer and Covid has made outside space even more important to home movers. Those with it are selling much more easily than those without.
1 Aug 2020
West Londoners list and head for the beach
Major west London boroughs see twice the volume of prime stock hit the market than the rest of the UK.
25 Jul 2020
Strong, even supply growth, uneven demand
Listings volume +230% last 2 months across all price categories. Demand at the lower end softer as mortgage lending tighter.
17 Jul 2020
Stamp duty cut saves buyers up to £15,000
Activity remains at the lower to mid-levels. Prime activity is lower but those applicants that are active are real.
10 Jul 2020
Prime property buyers thinning out
Few new prime buyers are entering the market, so active applicants are all already listed with agents. Relisting is required to maintain viewing momentum at the top end of the market.
3 Jul 2020
First time buyers holding up prices
First time buyers are keenly purchasing property with outside space. Investors have backed off waiting for a softer market later in 2020.
26 Jun 2020
Viewings slow as buyers back to work
In-person viewings slow down as pent up demand eases and buyers go back to work. Prices remain firm and listing volumes normalised.
19 Jun 2020
Listings back to pre-covid level
Listings fully recovered to pre-covid level. Demand from buyers is high but patchy, 3D virtual tours working well. Significant delays in mortgage valuations being booked in.
12 Jun 2020
Prices retrace, listings catching up
UK house price index fell -1.7% from April to May, largest mom drop since 2009. Whilst this sounds bad, so far it represents only a retracement of strong "up months" in March and April . Buyer enquiry volume is high but viewing volumes are 50% of what they normally would be due to safety restrictions. 3D tours remain popular. Seller listings volumes now only -26% below February as sellers continue to re-engage.
5 Jun 2020
Catch the demand surge before supply arrives
Lots of enquiries with phone "ringing off the hook". Large surge in pent up listings last week pulled back this week. Offers are currently high quality but seeking a discount.
28 May 2020
The bounce off the bottom
Listings off the bottom. Now -55% down from pre-covid level. Strong rebound in listings the South: London back to early January levels. Some buyers trying to renegotiate prices but relistings are seeing lots of interest (virtual and physical) - don’t be hustled!
22 May 2020
Property market reopens - top 5 tips for sellers
Last night the government lifted restrictions on the estate agency sector permitting viewings. Here are our top 5 tips for sellers in light of this.
13 May 2020
Listings off the lows
Listings are up +30% week-on-week off the lows. Still -74% down from February. Agents awaiting announcement for indications on when they can host viewings. Buyer enquiries are rising.
8 May 2020
Property market warming up
Daily listings are 83% lower than February. Agents are seeing buyers (cash and low LTV) coming back to the market. Listings creating shortage of property on the market - sellers get prepared.
1 May 2020
Property site BestBid, founded by Tom Scarborough, raises £500,000 funding
A property technology start-up that lists a customer’s home with successive estate agents until it is sold has raised £500,000 of seed funding.
21 Apr 2019
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