Britain’s ongoing housing shortage has once again come under the spotlight, with new research highlighting that the issue is not one of demand or land availability—but rather decades of underbuilding.

August does not have to be a quiet month for your property search. With the right financial preparation and viewing strategy, summer buyers can uncover opportunities others may miss.

The UK property market remains under close watch following confirmation from Prime Minister Andy Burnham that there will be no changes to stamp duty in this year’s Budget. Despite widespread speculation and ongoing calls for reform, the government has made it clear that altering or abolishing the tax is not currently on the agenda.

One of the biggest talking points this week has been the 11% week-on-week drop in sales agreed and a drop of 2% on the average asking price of a newly listed properties. While some seasonal softening is entirely normal during the summer holiday period, the scale of this fall has caught the attention of the property industry.