Boost for UK borrowers as Santander ‘fires starting gun’ on mortgage price war

Bank to offer first two-year deal under 4% with rivals likely to follow suit

Average service charge for flat in England and Wales hit £2,300 last year

Annual rise of 11% is likely to fuel fresh calls for Labour to accelerate overhaul of scandal-hit leasehold sector

Average property price increases by 0.7% in January to record £299,138 as market starts year ‘on positive note’

Decision will lead to lower borrowing costs for those on trackers – but fixed-rate deals will stay the same

Increase in January of 0.1% on previous month but annual rate slows to 4.1%, says Nationwide

Estate agent reports that revenues and profits for 2024 beat market forecasts

Typical advertised rent outside London dipped £3 to £1,341 a month in final quarter of 2024, says Rightmove

The Holme in Regent’s Park, which has 40 bedrooms, was put on the market two years ago for £250m

Homes in the city cost 8.5 times the annual earnings of the typical full-time worker, Nationwide says

Schemes backed by previous government to improve energy efficiency have left homeowners unable to sell

Adele rented Grade II-listed house for six months and is named in planning document as owner says he can’t find buyer

Number of homes new to market 11% higher than a year ago, despite uncertainty over interest rates and stamp duty

FCA also aims to change law to try to prevent a repeat of mass compensation schemes for consumers such as PPI

Surrey town saw 12.5% increase in asking prices last year with rest of UK rising just 1.4%, according to Rightmove

Britons 39% worse off than Dutch equivalent due to housing costs 44% higher than western European average