Press Round Up June 2026

Tue 14 Jul 2026

‘Home auctions generate a disproportionately large number of disputes, according to the Property Ombudsman. Jeremy Leaf, principal of Jeremy Leaf & Co Leaf, told This is Money: “Properties sold at auction can often be transparent, with all the information you need to make an informed decision, but there are others, which are more difficult to sell for whatever reason, so the fullest possible investigation beforehand is essential. Auction packs can be short of information but buyers really need to know that they are going in with their eyes open and won’t regret their actions afterwards. A good surveyor and solicitor familiar with what happens at auction are also essential to a successful outcome."

Although Harpenden is one of the most expensive postcodes outside of London, a huge Manor House has come onto the market for just £2m. Michael Zucker, chartered surveyor at Jeremy Leaf & Co, told The Daily Mail: “The maintenance costs on houses of this type are incredibly high and any works carried out to historic properties have to comply with strict planning regulations. Obtaining consent for even minor alterations can take months and this is especially so for leasehold properties where consent has to be obtained from the freeholder too. The number of wealthy people looking to buy very large historic houses has declined enormously. Even large family houses in suburban areas can be difficult to sell, let alone a house of this type.”

Asking prices fell by 0.6 per cent on average in June, according to property portal Rightmove. Jeremy Leaf told Forbes: “In our offices, sellers wanting to attract genuine buyers have been obliged to accept a larger dose of realism when it comes to asking prices, which are increasingly recognised as an aspirational starting point only. The amount of available stock – particularly flats – as well as concerns about the cost of living and mortgage rates, are making first-time buyers nervous about making financial commitments so the market is becoming even more price sensitive.” 

Meanwhile, the more dated house price index from the Office for National Statistics revealed that the average house price increased sharply by 3.8 per cent in April. Jeremy Leaf told The Independent: “Often we have found on the ground that lettings activity and rents are in inverse proportion to sales. This time around though, while sales are rather subdued, lettings are also still sluggish.”

As many as 60 per cent of homes listed for sale in January were still on the market in June, according to Zoopla. Jeremy Leaf told The Telegraph that the war in Iran and an oversaturated housing market was “proving lethal as far as homebuyer and seller confidence is concerned”. He explained further to BBC News: "Sales are taking much longer and it is proving increasingly difficult to generate commitment. However, the overwhelming majority of sales which have been agreed are proceeding, although inevitably more slowly.” For those struggling to sell, Jeremy Leaf offered some tips in The Sun - pay particular “attention to your kitchen and bathroom if you there’s the time and budget”. That’s because these are often important to buyers but they are also particularly at risk of looking tired or in need of improvement

HMRC figures show that transaction numbers fell 2 per cent between April and May. Jeremy Leaf told PrimeResi: “Transactions are always a better measure of market health than more volatile prices. Although these figures reflect decision making principally from a few months ago, they confirm what we have been seeing in our offices – it is harder to generate commitment and momentum, particularly while uncertainty remains over economic prospects and especially mortgage rates. Looking forward, the outlook is not particularly promising now that additional political concerns have been added to the mix. However, those needing to move after negotiating as hard as possible are continuing for the most part, albeit often frustratingly slowly.”