On 30th October 2024 the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves delivered the Autumn budget which we had previously been warned would be “difficult”. Below we have summarised the main housing points.
House Building
The chancellor advised that the government will invest more than £5bn to deliver their housing plan. She confirmed that they will increase their Affordable Homes Programme to £3.1bn, provide £3bn worth of support and promises to increase the number of homes and support small housebuilders. The right to buy discount will also be reduced and local authorities will be able to retain more money from sales.
Stamp Duty
The chancellor has confirmed that first time buyers will continue being exempt from paying stamp duty on properties up to £425,000, this is set to be reduced to £300,000 from the 1st April 2025.
Targeting landlords and those with second properties, the chancellor revealed that second-home buyers will have to pay an additional 2% stamp duty from the 31st of October 2024.
Cladding
The government will give £1bn to fast-track the removal of dangerous cladding on homes following the Grenfell Tower incident.
Yesterday
A mortgage ‘stress test’ revolves around predicting future ‘affordability’. It is seen by many borrowers as just another hurdle to overcome, but it’s important to understand why it was introduced and who it is meant to protect.
There are several scenarios for a landlord where standard buy-to-let lending isn’t enough for their investment. For more complex properties, ownership structures, or borrowing circumstances, a specialist buy-to-let mortgage may provide options that are not available through mainstream lenders.
7 days ago
Here are the lowest fixed mortgage rates of the week, available to first-time buyers, home movers, buy-to-let, and those remortgaging.
Call us for more information: 01628 507477 or email: team@mortgagerequired.com.
21 days ago
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has announced a new measure to protect leaseholders in England and Wales from high fees and poorly regulated property management companies.
23 days ago
Saturday 26th September, Andy Burnham announced a new equity loan scheme called “Your First Home”. The scheme, which will be confirmed at next month’s budget, is aimed at first-time buyers looking to purchase a new-build property from a developer signed up to the scheme.
26 days ago
Losing your job or finding yourself ‘between jobs’ is, unsurprisingly, a stressful place to be. Keeping a cool head and taking action is important.
18 Sep 2026
This price gap between the cost of houses and flats is the biggest it has ever been. Houses are now costing 1.7 times more than a flat, which is 0.4 times higher than 10 years ago
Take a look at our list of houses vs. flats per area.
9 Sep 2026
We have seen several lenders increase their mortgage rates over the last couple of weeks. This suggests mortgage rates are likely to rise.
Although nothing is set in stone, lender repricing, rising swap rates, and continued economic uncertainty suggest borrowers should prepare for higher mortgage costs.