Home Buying news in 2025
15 stories, newest first.
- December 2025
Mortgage approvals for house purchase fell in December 2025 while remortgaging approvals rose
Bank of England data show net mortgage approvals for house purchase fell by 3,100 to 61,000 in December 2025, while remortgaging approvals rose by 1,600 to 38,400.
- October 2025
BSA research finds 29% of aspiring homeowners believe they will never own a home
Building Societies Association research published on 30 October 2025 found 29% of people who want to buy a home believe they never will, with deposits, repayments and stamp duty cited as barriers.
Government consults on homebuying and selling reform
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has opened a consultation on reforming home buying and selling in the UK, covering upfront information, binding contracts and estate agent regulation.
- September 2025
ONS publishes Housing Purchase Affordability, UK: 2024 bulletin
The Office for National Statistics has published housing purchase affordability figures for the financial year ending 2024, showing ratios fell in all four UK countries but remain far above their long-run levels.
Government announces consultation on homebuying reforms
The government has announced a consultation on homebuying reforms covering upfront property information, binding conditional contracts and regulation of estate, letting and managing agents.
ONS publishes Housing Purchase Affordability, UK: 2024
The Office for National Statistics reports that house price to income affordability ratios fell in all four UK countries in the financial year ending 2024, though homes remain less affordable than in 2006.
- July 2025
Bank of England introduces temporary exemption to the 15% loan-to-income limit
The Bank of England introduced a temporary exemption to its 15% cap on mortgages above 4.5 times income in July 2025, letting individual lenders exceed the limit if the market as a whole does not.
- June 2025
95% mortgage guarantee scheme made permanent
The government's 95% mortgage guarantee scheme, which was due to close on 30 June 2025, has been made permanently available, according to Which?.
- April 2025
Zoopla survey finds majority of homeowners undervalue their property
Zoopla research reported on 5 April 2025 found that 64% of homeowners undervalue their property, with more than a third of those putting it £100,000 or more below estate agent estimates.
Stamp Duty changes took effect, driving rush of house purchase completions in Q1 2025
Stamp Duty changes on 1 April 2025 pushed buyers to complete purchases early, with UK Finance reporting a rush of completions through to the end of March.
- March 2025
OBR-certified costing assumed ending temporary SDLT thresholds would raise revenue
The temporary stamp duty thresholds introduced under Liz Truss expired on 31 March 2025, and an OBR-certified costing assumed the change would raise £850m in 2025-26, rising to £1.635bn by 2027-28.
SDLT nil-rate bands and FTBR thresholds reverted to pre-September 2022 levels
From 1 April 2025 the stamp duty nil-rate band in England and Northern Ireland fell back to £125,000, with first-time buyer thresholds also reduced, as legislated in 2023.
Stamp Duty Land Tax changes affected house price base effects
The Office for National Statistics says slower UK and English house price inflation reflects a base effect from the Stamp Duty Land Tax changes that took effect in England and Northern Ireland on 1 April 2025.
- January 2025
Two-year ownership rule for lease extension abolished
Leaseholders in England and Wales can now extend their lease or buy their freehold as soon as they own the property, after the two-year ownership rule was abolished from 31 January 2025.
Homeowners Alliance report found material information often missing from listings
A HomeOwners Alliance report in January 2025 found material information was often missing from property listings, as new legislation strengthens what estate agents must disclose.