UK Property Market Was Subdued Nationally In First Quarter Of 2019

Property exchanges increased by 7.4% in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the same quarter last year, suggesting a sustained level of activity in a subdued property market, the latest analysis report shows. But the number of new property instructions fell in the first three months of the year by 5.3% to 430,000, according to the TwentyCi property and home mover report. It also shows that the only regions in the UK where average asking prices are continuing to grow are the East Midlands, the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber. Read more on the Propertywire website.

https://www.propertywire.com/news/uk/uk-property-market-was-subdued-nationally-in-first-quarter-of-2019/

Bedroom Tax Boosts Activity on Home Swapping Websites

Websites offering social housing tenants the chance to avoid the bedroom tax by swapping homes have reported a huge rise in the number of users. The biggest site, HomeSwapper, said the number of properties being listed so occupants could move somewhere smaller had increased by a third. It said there were nearly 52,000 spare bedrooms in properties available for swapping. Another website, House Exchange, said registrations from potential downsizers were up by 49% year-on-year. Read more on the Guardian website.

Bedroom Tax Home Swap Campaign Signs Up 50,000 Properties

Circle Housing is still seeing the benefits of its six-month public relations campaign to help social tenants with a spare room downsize and avoid the bedroom tax. The publicity generated by the PR threw the spotlight on the national House Exchange website, run by Circle, where social tenants from across the UK can swap homes. The campaign, launched last February, persuaded seven new social landlords to register with the site, bringing with them an additional 50,000 properties. Read more on the Guardian website.

Council Tenants Can Now 'Home Swap' Over the Internet

Birmingham’s council tenants will be able to swap their homes with social housing tenants from anywhere in England for the first time thanks to the internet. The council has selected HomeSwapper.co.uk as its web-based mutual exchange partner, providing Birmingham City Council tenants with a simple, safe and effective way to exchange homes with other council tenants and registered social landlord tenants from Birmingham and further afield.
Over 300 existing or new tenants signed up to the site just days after it went live on Friday 5 February 2010. Read more on the 24dash website.