Property Industry Eye

• Millennial misery continues, as they become first generation of homebuyers to see mortgage repayments increase

  Millennial misery continues, as they become first generation of homebuyers to see mortgage repayments increase

  
  New data published in Hamptons’ Generational Affordability Index is bad news for those born between 1981–95 who have made it on to the property ladder.Those millennials huh? They’ve had it too good, for too long, chomping down on their avocado toasts and going on nice holidays and playing on their fancy phones. Good news from estate agents Hamptons then, which has just published new data that shows that the millennial generation will be the first generation of homeowners to see mortgage repaymen
• A Victorian manor house with 36 acres on the edge of the Chilterns comes to the market for the first time in its history

  A Victorian manor house with 36 acres on the edge of the Chilterns comes to the market for the first time in its history

  
  Surrounded by 450 year old woodland, this 10-bedroom property also offers 20 stables, a three-bedroom annexe and village living in Kingston Blount.Perhaps the strangest thing that used to happen to me as a child was seeing a teacher outside of school. I am friends now with lots of teachers, but the idea that they could leave the school premises used to completely freak me out. Kingston House and its 36.8 glorious acres. In a similar vein, may I present Kingston House, which is for sale with Knig
• A gorgeous farmhouse clinging to the western edge of Britain, yet it's all set up for working from home

  A gorgeous farmhouse clinging to the western edge of Britain, yet it's all set up for working from home

  
  Penny Churchill takes a look at Messack Farmhouse, a wonderful home for sale on the Roseland Peninsula.Messack Farmhouse at St Just in Roseland.The Roseland Peninsula is about as far west as you can go. This part of west Cornwall is known for its access to the famed sailing waters of the Carrick Roads, its many hidden bays, beautiful rolling countryside and overall peace and tranquillity. But not everyone knows that Cornwall was also the first county in England to install superfast broadband. Th
• Ten wonderful country houses for sale, as seen in Country Life

  Ten wonderful country houses for sale, as seen in Country Life

  
  From commutable farmhouses to a Georgian masterpiece of astonishing splendour, here’s our pick of the best houses to hit the market via Country Life this week.Bettsfield Park, Shropshire, is for sale at £4m. Hampshire — £3,950,000 What was once the hunting lodge of the Duke of Albemarle is now a nine-bedroom home set in 50 acres of Hampshire. The buildings and grounds are in fine shape, while the inside — according to the agent — has been ‘prepared for a personal internal design concept’… by whi
• A 16th century castle on an 886-acre estate in the Cairngorms, and an incredible opportunity to make a real difference for generations tocome

  A 16th century castle on an 886-acre estate in the Cairngorms, and an incredible opportunity to make a real difference for generations tocome

  
  This Aberdeenshire estate comes complete with a fairytale 16th century castle, originally built by a powerful Scottish clan.The Beldorney Estate is a unique opportunity. A spectacular 886-acre estate that puts rewilding at its heart is up for sale to the northeast of the Cairngorms National Park. Beldorney Estate includes the striking 16th century Beldorney Castle, built by the Gordon family, one of the most influential clans in the region at the time. It is one of the earliest Z plan castles in
• The fastest and slowest housing markets in Britain, a £23bn bill for landlords, and the war of words over interest rates

  The fastest and slowest housing markets in Britain, a £23bn bill for landlords, and the war of words over interest rates

  
  Sales in this neck of the woods are agreed in just 33 days, beating the 60-day average across Britain.Housing market momentum grows — but pre-Budget caution is still creeping in The lowest mortgage rates for 15 months have fuelled a rise in housing market activity, according to data from Zoopla and Nationwide. The latter, one of Britain’s biggest mortgage lenders, reported a 0.7% monthly jump in house prices in September, making for a 3.2% annual growth. Against that backdrop it’s no surprise to
• A Highgate hidden gem with seven bedrooms, a plethora of period interiors and a walled garden

  A Highgate hidden gem with seven bedrooms, a plethora of period interiors and a walled garden

  
  This could easily be a country manor house. Instead, it’s 500 metres from Highgate Village. The dream.It is difficult to imagine that there are many hidden gems left in London these days. The city boasts a population of almost 9 million people, plus countless more tourists, who spend their days going To Things and taking pictures of them on their phones. You could argue that London is one of the most well-documented places on earth. The front of the house as viewed from the street, with its priv
• A National Trust country home to call your own (at least for the next 95 years)

  A National Trust country home to call your own (at least for the next 95 years)

  
  The utterly beautiful Pamphill Manor in Dorset is owned by the National Trust — but they’ve put it on the market with one small catch.Pamphill Manor, Dorset. The epitome of the country house dream is to live in a country seat so beautiful that it’s the sort of place you’d imagine would normally be a National Trust property. So it’s with some excitement that we turn to today’s property, which is literally a National Trust property — one which the Trust has decided to put on the market to let it b
• A sweeping double staircase, stone floors and oak-panelled walls meet swimming pool and games room in this West Country mansion

  A sweeping double staircase, stone floors and oak-panelled walls meet swimming pool and games room in this West Country mansion

  
  Penny Churchill takes a look at Avishays House, a 17th century creation that’s in the grandest tradition of the country house. Avishays’ Georgian façade faces west, with views over lawns to the parkland beyond. Perched on the western slopes of Windwhistle Ridge in south Somerset, the serene medieval parish of Chaffcombe is bounded to the north by Knowle St Giles, to the east by Cudworth, to the south by Cricket St Thomas and to the west by the market town of Chard. Half a mile south of Chaffcomb
• A 1,000-year-old home — the oldest continuously inhabited house in Britain — with a £5 million discount

  A 1,000-year-old home — the oldest continuously inhabited house in Britain — with a £5 million discount

  
  Great Tangley Manor is one of the most beautiful — not to mention one of the oldest — homes in Surrey, and it’s now seen a significant price reduction. Penny Churchill and James Fisher report.Great Tangley Manor. One of the final houses to hit the market last year was among the most exciting: Great Tangley Manor, a Grade I-listed masterpiece in Wonersh which was described by Pevsner as ‘the most impressive of Surrey’s modest collection of half-timbered houses’. As if that weren’t enough, it also
• 3,600 acres on the shores of Loch Lomond in which to lose yourself and save the planet

  3,600 acres on the shores of Loch Lomond in which to lose yourself and save the planet

  
  The Stuckendroin Estate comprises enormous amounts of land on the shores of Loch Lomond, as well as two detached houses and plenty of sporting and environmental potential.The Stuckendroin Estate. With Strutt and Parker.I receive a lot of emails each day. I would argue that I probably receive too many emails each day. As a result, it takes something quite special, beyond the clickbait subject lines, to grab my attention. As you well know by now, I am always on the lookout for exciting houses for
• Six truly idyllic properties for sale, from idyllic seclusion to a commutable country estate, as seen in Country Life

  Six truly idyllic properties for sale, from idyllic seclusion to a commutable country estate, as seen in Country Life

  
  We take a look at some of the best homes to fall under the spotlight via Country Life in the past week. Lower Holditch Farm is for sale in Devon. Somerset — £1,700,000 The glass-walled room. The roses growing across the front door. The chic, clean design and decoration inside. Yes, this really is it: a country cottage that still, somehow oozes cool. Even the location backs that up: The Newt and the Hauser & Wirth Gallery in Bruton are both nearby. For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures an
• A magnificent Gothic-style home with curving staircase, a pool and a location on the site of an ancient hillfort

  A magnificent Gothic-style home with curving staircase, a pool and a location on the site of an ancient hillfort

  
  Trewsbury House, in a lovely spot near the source of the Thames, is a delight. Take a look inside.Trewsbury House in Coates, Gloucestershire. Sometimes at Country Life, it takes a good deal of musing to decide whether or not we should cover a particular house. Does this chocolate box cottage deserve a wider audience? Should we share the fascinating history of that sprawling manor? Honestly, it’s a lovely problem to have, sifting through  Britain’s prettiest homes, wondering when to stick and whe
• A two-bedroom property overlooking a Cornish cove in which to decompress

  A two-bedroom property overlooking a Cornish cove in which to decompress

  
  The Cellars is a blue-stone retreat, with astounding views over the Atlantic Ocean and easy access to the South West Coast Path.The CellarsAs the old saying goes, ‘strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government’. However, strange houses lying in beautiful locations certainly is a basis for writing about them. Some might say it is the very essence of what we do here at Country Life. Which brings me on to a property in Cornwall called The Cellars. The Cella
• 'We had to extract her by her legs in an undignified fashion so she could meet him and join us all at the table': The trials and tribulations of the country-house lift

  'We had to extract her by her legs in an undignified fashion so she could meet him and join us all at the table': The trials and tribulations of the country-house lift

  
  Anyone with a fear of being trapped in a lift may wish to look away, warns Melanie Cable-Alexander, as she explores the grandest alternatives to taking the stairs.Houghton Hall in Norfolk created an Instagram post recently about its striking lift in the back staircase, built in the 1920s. The post was surprisingly popular and reminded me of rising to the first floor in a similarly constructed cage-style lift at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire with the late Lord Snowdon, whose level of mobility,