Press Round Up August 2026

Tue 15 Sep 2026

Property prices in the north have risen on account of the ‘Burnham Bounce’, but the same can't be true of the south of England. Jeremy Leaf, principal of Jeremy Leaf & Co, told The Mirror: “Wage growth outpacing property price inflation continues to counter-balance the amount of stock, especially flats, overhanging the market as well as concerns over the likelihood of mortgage rate and inflation rises. We are increasingly hearing on the ground too speculation about property tax changes in the Budget becoming more of a factor in decision-making. The result is a stand-off between buyers and sellers but some price-softening if sellers are serious about getting their transactions over the line."

A Daily Mail reader wants to know whether they should buy a flat in a block with an ‘adverse high-density rental ratio’. Michael Zucker, chartered surveyor at Jeremy Leaf & Co, said: “This might not be an insurmountable problem but it is important that the flats are of good quality in a well-maintained block with other flats let to long-term tenants and which would appeal to owner-occupiers if not tenanted. It is also useful to take an informed view regarding the quality and calibre of each flat in the building."

The price of country cottages has fallen, due to a decline in demand. Jeremy Leaf explained to This is Money: “The change in second home taxes, such as increased council tax, has led many second homeowners to sell up. This is providing an opportunity for first-time buyers looking for more modest-sized cheaper homes, particularly in those areas such as Devon and Cornwall which have proved to popular with second home owners."

The housing market was subdued in July, according to the latest survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Jeremy Leaf told The Standard: “It may be down to the time of year, but fewer listings mean the relatively low number of proceedable buyers have less choice, which is slowly increasing the pace of decision making. However, the market remains price sensitive so generating buyer traction remains challenging, particularly while uncertainty about possible mortgage rate increases continues."

One of the biggest regrets of homebuyers is purchasing a home in the ‘wrong’ location. Jeremy Leaf told The Sun: “If you are a first-time buyer, then generally it is a relatively short-term purchase so you may only need to consider what might happen in the next five years or so. If you might want to rent the property out at some point, consider whether it would suit a prospective tenant. The proximity of a train track might not bother a tenant who is only going to live there for a short time but may be more of an issue for a potential buyer who plans to live there for many years."

Asking prices suffered their biggest monthly fall since 2018 in August, according to Rightmove. Jeremy Leaf told The Telegraph that speculation about possible tax changes in the Budget is “inevitably weighing on decision-making in a price-sensitive market”.

London homebuyers have to stump up on average £35,000 more for a deposit this year, thanks to rising mortgage costs. Jeremy Leaf told The Financial Times: “Modest rises in mortgage costs have reinforced the buyer’s hand and are resulting in lower offers, particularly for flats, many of which have remained unsold for some time.”

Building another property in your garden may end up being a valuable asset that you can sell but you need to make sure it makes up for the loss of outdoor space. Jeremy Leaf cautioned in The Telegraph: “If you use up most of the existing garden on the build, will that negatively impact the value not just of the new dwelling but also your existing home?"

Gazundering is on the rise. Jeremy Leaf told The Independent: “Gazundering, just like its equally-annoying accomplice, gazumping, is market driven. For us, gazundering is an increasing issue, but still thankfully rare and a consequence of sellers, particularly of flats in our area, outnumbering buyers. Opportunistic buyers, sensing vendor weakness or even desperation, may try to take advantage.”