MBS Land & New Homes Celebrating 8th Anniversary!

Martin Blake-Symes • July 21, 2025

Martin and Caz Blake-Symes are delighted to be celebrating their eighth work anniversary today.

The business was set up on 21 July 2017. Martin had over 25 years in the Land and New Homes Sector when he decided to go out on his own.

Over the past 8 years, Martin has undertaken consultancy work for many of the larger National Developers and Housing Associations, as well as building strong relationships with some of the smaller, flourishing developers.

Martin has the reputation of having an excellent understanding of local markets, pricing, and realistically advising on maximising the potential of any piece of land in any given location.

Caz supports the business behind the scenes and manages Martin’s diary as well as the office.

Although based near Bristol, through the investment in industry-leading software, Martin’s contacts and the ability to get an understanding of a given area, he can produce appraisals and reports for locations throughout England and Wales.

To find out more about MBS Land & New Homes, please visit

www.mbslandandnewhomes.co.uk or call Martin on 07973 886609.

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Zoopla Report - UK House Price Index – February 2024

By Martin Blake-Symes • March 1, 2024

All measures of sales market activity continue to improve as pent-up demand returns to the housing market. Buyer demand is 11% higher than a year ago. A better indicator of market health is sales agreed which are 15% higher than a year ago – evidence of greater buyer confidence and more realism on pricing by sellers. The North East (+17%) and London (+16%) have led the rebound in sales.

2023 Housing market and overview for 2024 – much more positive than predicted

By Martin Blake-Symes • January 2, 2024

Sales hold up in Q4 2023, providing support for prices The final weeks of 2023 have recorded above average levels of new sales, 17% higher than a year ago and ahead of 2019 levels. Market sentiment is improving due to rising incomes and an initial decline in mortgage rates. An increase in available supply, up a quarter on last year, is also boosting choice and supporting sales.

We are celebrating our 6th Business Anniversary!

By Martin Blake-Symes • July 14, 2023

We are really delighted to be celebrating our sixth work anniversary today!

Zoopla House Price Index - May 2023

By Martin Blake-Symes • June 5, 2023

Buyers and sellers are back doing business but the outlook for the housing market hangs in the balance. Our House Price Index looks at the latest housing trends in May 2023 and why recent inflation figures might put a brake on market activity.

What are the housing market predictions for 2023?

By Martin Blake-Symes • January 4, 2023

Affordability and value for money will be the big key drivers for the housing market in 2023. These two factors are going to flip the flight to rural and coastal areas, which has dominated the housing market in recent years, into reverse. Instead, apartments and urban areas, which lost some of their popularity during the pandemic as the nation began the search for more space in idyllic locations, are making a comeback.

Now that Help to Buy comes to an end: what else is available?

By Martin Blake-Symes • November 15, 2022

With the current squeeze on people’s incomes and the gloom over affordability at the moment, especially for people seeking to get on the property ladder. I thought I would take a look at what is available to help people into their first home.

We are delighted to be a supporting business for The Brightwell 100.

By Martin Blake-Symes • March 20, 2022

We are delighted to be a supporting business for The Brightwell 100. As you may be aware, my wife Caroline has had MS for a considerable time and her type is Secondary Progressive MS, for which there is no cure and unbelievably no treatment and very little support on the NHS.

2022 – What does the New Year have in store for us?

By Martin Blake-Symes • January 4, 2022

January 4, 2022- back to work and some sense of “normality”. I expect like so many of us we have all had our festive arrangements changed by the dreaded “Omicron” over the past few weeks, although hopefully we can all get back in front of our laptops, keep looking ahead and get on with what hopes to be a more promising and positive year ahead.

MPs back setting new-build house ground rent at one peppercorn a year

By Martin Blake-Symes • December 2, 2021

MPs have backed setting the cost of ground rents on new houses in England and Wales at "one peppercorn" a year. The government-sponsored plan, if it becomes law, will effectively leave owners who buy only leases - rather than freeholds - paying nothing. The move follows concerns that leaseholders are being charged exorbitant, fast-rising ground rents

Why UK interest rates could rise this week

By Martin Blake-Symes • November 3, 2021

Borrowing money in the UK is now as cheap as it ever was - and it's been that way for years. But perhaps not for much longer. The country's main interest rate, set by the Bank of England, has been below 1% since 2009, in the wake of the global financial crisis. In March 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic caused the biggest economic slowdown for centuries, the rate was cut to an all-time low of 0.1%. But now the tide is turning and that era of ultra-cheap money could be coming to an end.