TOP STORY: HOUSE PRICES FALL AHEAD OF BUDGET

House values have been on the up this year – but new figures suggest prices have cooled in recent months, which could be good news for first-time buyers… and bad news for sellers.

New Halifax data shows house prices in the UK fell by £794 in September to an average of £298,184, while growth over the past year slowed to 1.3%.

Now, experts are saying house values could continue to fall, as demand from buyers is surprisingly low. 

Apparently, concerns about what may be announced in the upcoming Budget (eg. a property tax) are stopping people from moving – and it’s leaving sellers desperate to flog their properties for low prices.

💡 What does this mean for you?

For sellers

Well, if you’re thinking of selling your home or moving, you’re unlikely to get a good price right now, unless you live in a highly sought after area.

Brokers have reported seeing sellers having to slash their asking prices by tens of thousands of pounds to attract any interest.

If your sale isn’t urgent and you want to hold out for a higher sale price, it could be worth seeing what is announced in the Budget and whether the property market picks up down the line.

For first-time buyers

On the flipside, the lack of competition in the market is great news for first-time buyers, as it means they should be able to negotiate a great deal – and potentially get on the property ladder with less money.

If you are thinking of buying, now is a great time to look. Remember that people in the sales chain will be looking to get the best deal possible for the seller, so take what you are told with a pinch of salt.

Professionals on the ground say there is very low demand, so we think it’s worth offering below the asking price.


RABBIT OUT THE HAT: TORIES PLEDGE TO SCRAP STAMP DUTY


This week’s shock announcement is from the Tory party, with leader Kemi Badenoch pledging to scrap stamp duty if the Conservatives get back into power at the next election.

Stamp duty is a very unpopular tax. You pay it when you buy a new property, starting at 2% for properties worth up to £250,000, up to 12% for properties over £1.5 million (it doesn’t apply to first-time buyers, up to £300,000).

The amount paid in stamp duty has been gradually rising over the past few years, with homebuyers paying £9.3bn between January and August this year – up 20.6% on the same period last year.

What would it mean for you? Here’s what we think….

Initially, scrapping stamp duty would save everyone money. Woohoo! 

We think scrapping it could provide a boost to the housing market, at least initially, as it will make it cheaper for people to move house – and many people may have been holding off because of the stamp duty cost.

However, the biggest winners of abolishing stamp duty would be the wealthiest people, as they pay the most in tax, and first-time buyers are exempt for the first £300,000 they spend.

Experts have also warned that increased activity in the housing market could push up house prices, which could mitigate any benefit of scrapping the tax.

One positive outcome could be that more people get a Lifetime ISA – a type of savings account that comes with a 25% government bonus on what you save (up to £1,000 per year) – as these accounts offer free cash for first-time buyers, but are widely under-utilised.

This is because scrapping the tax could encourage some people, particularly those buying larger first homes, to make the leap.

TIP OF THE WEEK: GET UP TO £1,200 FREE CASH BY SAVING

Did you know that if you’re on a low income and claim benefits, you could get up to £1,200 in free cash from the government by saving some of your own money?

The scheme is called ‘Help to Save’ and gives people on benefits, including Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit, a bonus of 50p for every pound they save, up to a maximum bonus of £1,200.

You can apply online for an account through the government website. You’ll need a Government Gateway user ID and password.

FROM THE REGULATOR: DRIVERS COULD CLAIM £700 COMPENSATION

Banks could have to pay out up to £8.2 billion in compensation to customers mis-sold car finance deals.

The issue revolves around ‘discretionary commission arrangements’, which were where brokers got paid commission from car finance lenders if they got customers to agree to pay a higher interest rate on their deal – which wasn’t disclosed to the customer. Eesh.

The City regulator ruled this was unfair, and said this week that affected customers should receive around £700 in compensation per agreement through its compensation scheme.

There are expected to be around 14 million people affected by the scandal.

What does it mean for you?

You are entitled to compensation if you took out a car deal between April 2007 and November 2024 and you weren’t told by your car dealer about one of these commission arrangements.

If you aren’t sure whether you’re affected, ask your lender whether there was a discretionary commission arrangement on your deal. If they say there was, you can make a complaint.

Once the FCA launches its compensation scheme, lenders will contact customers who have complained. Those who complain now should get their compensation faster.

If you don’t complain now but are affected and haven’t moved house, your lender should contact you within six months, and you’ll be asked whether you want to opt into the scheme.

However, if you’ve moved house since taking out the loan, you’ll need to contact the lender directly.

DEAL OF THE WEEK: UP TO £900 FREE CASH FROM BARCLAYS

Barclays has launched a new bank switching offer where customers could receive up to £900 if they switch both their current account and their ISA savings.

Customers can get £200 for switching to a current account with blue rewards,  £400 free cash for switching to a premier account, and £500 for switching their ISA.

The offer ends November 27th. You need to apply through the Barclays app and follow the criteria to qualify.

INVESTING INSIDERS FINANCIAL BOOK AWARDS 2025

Investing Insiders is launching a first-of-its-kind Financial Book Awards this autumn!

Whether you’ve read a book that’s transformed your finances or written one to help others, we want to hear from you. 

Awards will be given for the following categories:

  • Best for Personal Finance
  • Best for Budgeting
  • Best for Investing
  • Best for Pensions and Retirement
  • Best for Children’s Finances
  • Best for Small Businesses

Submissions will be judged by an expert panel of industry specialists, chaired by multi-award-winning financial journalist Moira O’Neill. 

Shortlisted entries will be announced by 9 November 2025 and winning submissions will be announced by 10 December 2025.

Authors of the winning titles for each category will receive an engraved trophy and be featured as our top pick for 2025!

To enter, simply complete the Investing Insiders Financial Book Awards 2025 submission form  

Jargon Buster

  • FCA: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the UK’s financial watchdog which is responsible for protecting customers and keeping the market fair.
  • Budget: An event where the chancellor announces upcoming tax and spending changes by the government.
  • Stamp duty: a tax paid by certain buyers when purchasing a property or piece of land in the UK.

Your Questions Answered

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