In Property News this week:

• Mortgage Approvals Rebound: After four straight months of decline, May saw a 3.9% jump in mortgage approvals—good news for estate agents, and possibly a sign of renewed market confidence.
• Move-In Times Hit 205 Days: According to new figures, it now takes over 200 days on average to move house.
• Cornwall Tax Crackdown Backfires: A doubling of council tax on second homes is forcing homeowners to slash prices by up to £100,000, as demand plummets in picturesque hotspots.

This week's guest: Ben Beadle – CEO, National Residential Landlords Association

Russell sits down with Ben Beadle to break down the biggest shake-up in landlord legislation in decades:

• Section 21 Is Dead: The so-called ‘no-fault eviction’ is being scrapped—replaced by mandatory reasons for repossession and a raft of new compliance rules.
• Pets Without Permission: Landlords will no longer be able to refuse pets without a valid reason.
• The Landlord Exodus: With rising costs, new energy rules, and shrinking control, are landlords are quitting the market—or not?

Email HomeFront@radionewshub.com

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In Property News this week:

• Interest-Only Mortgages Crash: Are borrowers losing interest—or are lenders pulling the plug?
• Non-Doms Flee: Changes to the non-domicile tax regime cost the government £401 million in lost stamp duty, according to estate agents, Knight Frank.
• Land Banks Unlocked: Developers finally dip into their hoarded land plots—600,000 of them worth £200 billion.

This week's guest: Charlie Lamdin – Founder, Best Agent

Russell challenges property expert Charlie Lamdin, who offers uncomfortable truths for both sellers and buyers:

• The Housing Market Doesn’t Exist: Charlie dismantles the myth of “a” housing market, revealing tens of thousands of micro-markets, often split not just by region, but by street.
• Overpricing Epidemic: Estate agents are often overvaluing homes to win instructions, distorting prices and clogging the market.
• First-Time Buyers Rule the Market: A record-breaking 54% of 2024 transactions were from first-time buyers with mortgages.

Got a question about your own buying or selling journey? Email HomeFront@radionewshub.com and it could be answered on a future episode.

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In Property News This Week:

• Rightmove reports an unusual 0.3% drop in asking prices for June—despite buyer demand being 3% higher than last year

• New government pledge of £39 billion for affordable housing could result in up to 500,000 new homes

• Over 20 years, UK house prices have soared by 74%—but market sentiment is shifting

This Week’s Guest: Lucian Cook – Head of Residential Research, Savills

Russell is joined by one of the UK’s foremost property analysts to explore what’s really happening behind the headlines in today’s market.

• Why a muted housing market may signal short-term price dips—but not a crash

• How stricter mortgage regulations insulated homeowners from a steeper downturn

• What six-times-income mortgages mean for buyers—and whether they pose a risk

Got a question about your own buying or selling journey? Email HomeFront@radionewshub.com and it could be answered on a future episode.

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In Property News This Week:

• May was the busiest month for agreed home sales since 2021, according to Rightmove—defying fears that the end of stamp duty relief would stall the market

• 57% of homeowners who considered moving in the past 12 months have now decided to stay put, with a third opting to renovate instead

• Liverpool tops the list of the UK’s busiest property markets, with an average of 46 homes sold per estate agent branch, followed by Bradford and Nottingham—Glasgow ranks lowest with just nine

This Week's Guest: Jane King – Mortgage Adviser

Russell is joined by one of the UK’s most experienced mortgage brokers to uncover what really matters when applying for a mortgage in 2025.

• The biggest mistake buyers make when it comes to credit scores—and how a mismatched address can quietly derail your application

• Why the question “how much can I borrow?” might not be the right place to start

• The real impact of your deposit size on interest rates—and why chasing a 5% deposit deal might cost you more in the long run

• Why 4–5% mortgage rates aren’t unusually high, and why they’re likely here to stay

Plus:

First-time buyer Gareth Butters beats the odds with a lightning-fast two-month completion—hear how he did it.

Got a question about your own buying or selling journey? Email HomeFront@radionewshub.com and it could be answered on a future episode.

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In Property News This Week:

• House Prices Surge Again: Nationwide reports a 3.5% annual rise with a 0.5% boost in May alone—defying predictions that the end of stamp duty holidays would kill demand.
• Rental Crisis Deepens: Average monthly rent hits £1,226—a new high not seen since October 2024, marking the fifth consecutive month of increases.
• Housing Association Scandal: A staggering four-fold increase in tenant complaints since 2020

This Week's Guest: Andy Morrison – Director, UK Property Development Ltd

With Labour promising 300,000 new homes annually, Russell grills a developer at the coalface about whether the target is realistic.

• The 1970s space comparison: Have today's new homes really shrunk compared to houses built decades ago—and is it just about room size or room count too?
• The land banking mystery: Over 1 million plots already have planning permission but remain empty—why aren't they being developed?
• Why 300,000 new homes is such a huge challenge: The real obstacles including skilled labour shortages, material cost spikes, and market dynamics that make government targets unrealistic

Plus: First-time buyer Gareth Butters beats the odds with a lightning-fast two-month completion!

Got a question about your own buying or selling journey? Email HomeFront@radionewshub.com and it could be answered on a future episode.

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In Property News This Week:

• Fines for Land Banking: Labour’s Angela Rayner sets her sights on housebuilders who sit on land without building, threatening penalties to encourage delivery on new homes.
• US Buyers Eye the UK: Inquiries from American house hunters are at their highest since 2017—driven largely by demand for smaller second homes.
• Seaside Market Cools: After years of coastal property booms, average seaside house prices are now dipping—though Sandbanks still tops the charts at £965,000.

This Week’s Guest: Julie Ford – Property Complaints Mediator

With a record 73,000 consumer complaints against estate and letting agents in the past year alone, Russell is joined by redress expert Julie Ford to explore what’s fuelling the breakdown in trust between agents and the public.

• From ghosted buyers to inflated valuations and broken promises, Julie shares:
• Why poor communication is at the heart of most disputes
• What your rights are if things go wrong during a sale or let
• How regulation—and even a simple apology—could fix a broken system
• Plus: A jaw-dropping real-life case where an unpaid rent bill traced back to a broken flowerpot

Got a question about your own buying or selling journey?

Email HomeFront@radionewshub.com and it could be answered on a future episode.

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In Property News This Week:

• House Prices See Modest Growth: The Home Front’s new "House Price Index of Indexes" cuts through the noise of conflicting market data.
• 100% Mortgages Are Back: A potential return to pre-2008 lending practices—what could this mean for buyers?
• Rental Pressures Mount: UK rents continue to climb, putting added strain on tenants.

Russell is joined this week by Marc von Grundherr of Benham & Reeves, who offers deep insights into both the London and global property markets. He describes London as more than just a place to live—calling it a “trophy asset” and a stable, long-term investment. The conversation also explores rent control policies, with a closer look at the unintended consequences seen in Scotland and Berlin.

And in his Diary of a First-Time Buyer, Gareth and his partner are racing toward exchange within three weeks. Their plan? Secure the property, complete some key renovations, and only then make the big move.

For answers to your property questions, email: HomeFront@radionewshub.com

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In property news this week:

• The Bank of England cuts base rates to 4.25%, offering relief to mortgage holders and optimism to homebuyers—what does this mean for you?
• Knight Frank boosts its UK house price forecast for 2025 to an increase of 3.5%, thanks to improving interest rate conditions
• Sadiq Khan plans to build on parts of London’s Greenbelt to tackle the capital’s deepening housing crisis

Russell is joined this week by conveyancing power duo Lorraine Richardson and Stuart Forsdike, and it’s a deep dive into what really happens between “offer accepted” and “here are the keys.” They talk about covenants, easements, and why it’s neverjust a paperwork exercise. From boundaries to bizarre planning issues, they break down why you need a good conveyancer — and what happens when you don’t.

Plus, they answer the crucial question: what can buyers and sellers actually do to speed up the process and reduce the risk of a fall-through?

And in his Diary of a First-Time Buyer, Gareth Butters is finally getting some answers from Hackney Council... but after a long wait, it turns out the searches are missing some key info. So, flood reports or indemnity insurance — what’s the safer bet?

If you’ve got any property questions you’d like answered on the show, get in touch: Homefront@radionewshub.com

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