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A proposed scheme offering first-time buyers the chance to purchase a new-build home with just a 2.5% deposit sounds attractive. But Jordan Turner argues that beneath the headline figure, familiar problems around affordability, equity loans and long-term repayments remain. University of the Built Environment

Help to Buy version 2? Good intentions but flawed beneath the surface

A proposed scheme offering first-time buyers the chance to purchase a new-build home with just a 2.5% deposit sounds attractive. But Jordan Turner, senior lecturer in Real Estate at the…

How thirsty are data centres? The truth about their water consumption

By Matthew Smith and Linda Serck Hosepipe bans are rife across England during August 2026’s drought, yet Europe’s largest data-centre cluster in Slough is guzzling millions of litres a day…
Gazumping and gazundering

Tackling gazumping and gazundering: lessons from Scotland and Ireland

Following his appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Money Box Live: House Sale Nightmares, Associate Professor David Hourihan examines whether proposed reforms can bring greater speed and certainty to the homebuying…
Pippa Middleton - Barton Court, Kintbury footpath row. University of the Built Environment academic Matthew Smith offers legal perspectives around public rights of way

Pippa Middleton’s footpath battle exposes legal labyrinth around public rights of way

As a public inquiry weighs up a disputed route across the Berkshire estate owned by Pippa Middleton Matthews and her husband James Matthews, the case is shining a light on one of…

Why we must rethink the UK’s obsession with the Energy Performance Certificate

By Jordan Turner, Senior Lecturer at the University of the Built Environment For nearly two decades, the UK has been fixated on one measure of environmental virtue: the Energy Performance…

Home buying and selling reforms – can the Government really fix a broken system?

As the government unveils sweeping reforms to the home buying and selling process, Jordan Turner, Senior Lecturer at the University of the Built Environment, explores whether the proposals will truly…

What the UK can learn from Ireland’s ban on upwards-only rent reviews

By David Hourihan Programme Leader, MSc Real Estate With a ban on upwards-only rent review clauses under consideration in the UK, University of the Built Environment senior lecturer David Hourihan examines…

RICS’ updated service charge code – a step forward, but is it enough?

By Tony Wallace Lecturer, BSc (Hons) Real Estate Management and MSc Real Estate The second edition of the RICS Professional Standard on service charges in commercial property promises greater transparency…

What is the BRRRR method (and how does it work)?

The BRRRR method has emerged as a popular alternative to traditional house flipping investment strategies. Here’s why. The COVID-19 pandemic, energy crisis and economic downturn has turned the global housing…

A guide to master leasing: the pros and cons you need to know

Master leasing has emerged as a new strategy to combat the global housing crisis and rising homelessness. Here’s how it works. The supply of new housing is falling behind demand.…

A guide to PropTech (and how it’s shaking up real estate)

PropTech is the latest technological innovation that is set to revolutionise real estate. Here's how it works. There’s no denying that digital acceleration has become a driving force behind the…

Green leases, defined: how can they improve sustainability in real estate?

Implementing green leasing could help address the role of operational carbon emissions in the ongoing climate crisis. Read on to find out how. While gas, oil, automotive and aviation are…