An independent housing committee chaired by Sir Vince Cable has called for the OBR to assess the housing impact of every Budget measure. This comes amid reports that higher bank taxes could increase borrowing costs if lenders pass on additional costs, while new-build enquiries from second- and third-steppers rose 23% in the first half of 2026.
Advisers should prepare clients for policy uncertainty without presenting speculation as fact. AI can help segment portfolios by likely exposure—for example, upcoming remortgages, landlords, movers and prospective new-build buyers—and generate timely review prompts. Yet clients will need human interpretation of evolving tax, lending and property-market conditions, particularly where new-build valuations, incentives and Future Homes Standard costs remain uncertain.