government

Orbit Homebuy Agents report that they have seen a significant increase in the volume of first time buyers purchasing new homes ahead of the end of the "stamp duty holiday" which ends in March.

Orbit HomeBuy Agents saw a record 175 new homes go through to completion last month through HomeBuy - the government's affordable housing scheme.

Various professionals working in the retirement housing sector, such as Peter Girling, chairman of Girlings Retirement Rentals, argues that more new retirement homes are needed if the Government's ‘downsizing' plan is to work.

The Government is being urged to pledge New Year's resolution to the housing industry after fresh data shows that there was a year-end drop in residential property building levels.

The National House Building Council (NHBC) wants the Government to keep housebuilding high on its agenda for 2012, after figures released by the organisation today reveal that the total number of new homes registered remained static in 2011 compared with 2010.

The man in charge of one of the leading UK's leading housebuilders believes that new homes sales volumes and prices during 2012 will generally remain similar to those recorded in 2011 as the market should "remain stable".

The Government's FirstBuy scheme, which was introduced earlier this year, is providing more first-time buyers with the opportunity to finally get a foot on the housing ladder by taking up a five-year interest-free loan to buy a new home.

Some housebuilders and FirstBuy can generally help homebuyers lower the amount they need for a deposit and, if they are eligible first-time buyers, this could lead to a more affordable mortgage.

The housing crisis in Britain looks set to get worse because of an inadequate planning system that is delivering fewer new homes despite the fact that the housebuilding level is at its lowest since 1920s while council waiting lists continue to grow.

Housebuilder Bellway has announced that reservations for its new build homes has increased in recent months raising hopes that the country's housing market is improving particularly the new build sector.

High demand for new homes means that visitor levels have remained steady despite wider economic concerns, with reservations between August and the end of November having increased, pushing the average selling price up by 7%, thanks to a shift towards building more family homes.

Barratt Homes, one of the best-known names in housebuilding in the UK, has welcomed the recent Government announcement of the introduction of 95% mortgages to help first-time buyers get onto the property ladder more affordably.

The government's announcement this week of its housing strategy aimed at tackling the housing shortage, boosting the economy, creating jobs and giving people the opportunity to get on the housing ladder has been widely welcomed as a boost to the whole housebuilding industry.

With housebuilding levels at an historic low, the government's housing strategy, which was released yesterday, aims to tackle the shortage of new homes, boost the economy, create jobs and give people the opportunity to get on the housing ladder.

New plans include mortgages of up to 95% of the value of new homes with government underwriting part of the risk as well as a £400m public fund to help new home developers unlock mothballed residential property schemes.