House price rises confirmed

House price rises

It’s official: the last 12 months have seen the fastest house prices rise since 2004. The Office for National Statistics has released its numbers, which show prices in June 2021 were 13.2% higher than last year. The north west saw the biggest increases, with an 18.6% jump in prices. Even in London, which saw the least growth, prices still went up 6.3%.

Cheaper mortgage rates

Lenders have started offering cheaper deals* to customers with smaller deposits, according to Moneyfacts. The average 2-year fixed deal for a buyer with a 10% deposit dropped by 0.14% in August. The biggest savings for buyers with a 5% deposit came from Nationwide, which cut its 2-year fixed rate by 0.15% and its 5-year fixed rate by 0.2%.

Aid for Afghanistan

The UK has pledged to double its aid to Afghanistan to £286 million this year. That’s just under the £292 million we sent in 2019. It’s also set to welcome 5,000 Afghan refugees this year, as part of a 5-year settlement program for 20,000 people fleeing the Taliban.