There was a fall in the number of home movers in Britain during 2016, according to the latest Lloyds Bank Home Mover Review. This is apparently the first time in five years that numbers have decreased.

The number of first-time buyers in the UK rose by 7.3% in 2016, from 312,900 in 2015 to an estimated 335,750, according to the latest Halifax First-Time Buyer Review. This is apparently the highest level since the start of the financial crisis in 2007 (359,900).

The average price of a property in Scotland in November 2016 was £143,033, according to the latest UK House Price Index. This is an increase of 3.3% on the previous year and an increase of 1.5% when compared to the previous month.

RICS recently published its housing forecast for 2017, which predicts an average increase of 3% in house prices in the UK over the course of the year.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has given an update on mortgage activity by home movers, first-time buyers and remortgagers during the month of October.