Your need-to-know news and numbers: March 2025.

February may have been a few days shorter than other months but there wasn’t a shortage of property industry headlines. So, let’s look at what went down, to make sure you’re armed with the stories and figures you may’ve missed.

35%

Love was definitely in the air this February – but not in the way you might think. One in three (35%) people surveyed in a recent poll said that they loved the property they live in just as much as they love their partner.

In fact, more than two-thirds (68%) of people surveyed reported that they ‘truly love’ their home.

Our homes are more than just four walls. They’re our personal spaces, and very often reflect our individual personality. Whether your taste leans more towards plain, white walls or cheetah print carpets, people are spending an average of £806 a year on home improvements, according to the survey.

In this Evening Standard article, psychologist Dr Audrey Tang offers insight into people’s dream home habits saying “it’s no surprise that people invest so much in their homes – they’re not just places, they’re physical extensions of ourselves,” she told reporters.

2 in 3

When is the best time to sell a home? If only it was as simple as asking the question.

Giving us a helping hand, the Evening Standard shared the best months for listings, based on the likelihood of a transaction completing. According to analysis, the top months are (drum roll please…) February and March.

Since 2012, around two in three (66.3%) homes listed in both months have gone on to sell successfully.

February also takes joint first place for the quickest average time to find a buyer. Alongside January, it takes 51 days for a typical home listed in February to find a buyer, closely followed by March and April at 52 days.

87%

Computer says ‘no’: A saying that, unfortunately, many self-employed individuals are hearing when trying to secure a mortgage.

Despite having an average £51,000 deposit, analysis from Together has revealed that 87% of self-employed workers agree that it is ‘much harder’ to get a home loan because of their employment status.

Ryan Etchells, Chief Commercial Officer at Together, told The Express, “The country’s self-employed workers want lenders to support their home-owning ambitions. Together’s research shows that the self-employed market now stands at 4.4 million and the sector has grown by 26% over the past 10 years.”

But good news for the self-employed mortgage sector. It’s adjusting (when it comes to income criteria). In separate analysis conducted for us by economist Rob Thomas, he predicts that lending to self-employed mortgage applicants is set to rise by 67% over the next five years, as reported in the Property Industry Eye.

£350 million

Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, has unveiled plans to funnel £350 million into the development of more affordable homes.

Aiming to turn the tide against the continuing housing crisis, the funds will kick-start the construction of 2,800 new homes. At least half of the new builds will be used for social housing, with additional funding for 250 council homes, according to the Mirror.

With many people currently locked out of owning their own homes, Rayner hopes to open doors for people who want to get on the property ladder. This announcement aims to reduce the reliance on renting and temporary housing, offering more affordable options and cutting waiting lists down. Social and affordable housing is said to be at the heart of Rayner’s Plan for Change to get Britain building.

4.5%

It’s dropping. The Bank of England announced in February 2025 that its cutting the UK’s base interest rate to 4.5%.

Together’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ryan Etchells, offered his thoughts to the Northern Echo, saying, “The decision to cut rates will act as a welcome shot in the arm for the UK housing market and the country’s stagnating economy. It will mean the costs of borrowing for first time buyers and those who need to remortgage their homes should begin to fall, improving housing affordability for millions of people.”

The decrease probably won’t be as quick as most people hope – but it’s looking up, with the Bank of England predicting that further base rate reductions may come throughout 2025 and 2026.

3

The Sun has revealed the three places where you can bag the biggest home buying bargain.

In every major town and city, research has uncovered the average house prices that’ll make it easier for first time buyers to get on the property ladder. And the three locations that make the cheapest cut have been revealed as…

Blackburn, Darlington and Sunderland.

The findings compared listings with the local average income to offer a more in-depth insight. So, it may be worth looking north when it comes to nabbing your new home.

As always, we’ll be back with another property news round-up next month.

But, in the meantime, keep up to date by following us on our socials – we’re over on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.