Analysis by Yorkshire Building Society forecasts the number of people taking their first step onto the property ladder will have fallen to 290,000 in 2023.

The market shows some shoots of recovery with new buyers coming forward up 0.3% in Q4 last year.

Resolution Foundation says there are real challenges for politicians trying to tell a single story about whether the country is making progress.

Housing market activity was weak throughout 2023 due to higher mortgage rates but cash transactions continued to run above pre-Covid levels.

Jon Hart of Moneyhub Enterprise, says Open Banking can help renters get on the housing ladder by allowing them to share data with lenders to give real-time details of their spending.

Data from HMRC shows property transactions fall for the third consecutive month, with an annual drop of 22%.

Downing Street says talk of inheritance tax cuts are wide of the mark and that fewer than 4% of estates paid the tax.

Halifax data shows average house price rose by +0.5% in November after a +1.2% rise in October, so a typical home is now worth £1,300 more than last month.