Research desk

Property intelligence for buyers who do their homework.

Market analysis, neighbourhood guides and buying advice, published weekly by the Cognie research desk.

Latest insights

Ten Questions to Ask at Every Viewing

Viewings are short and sellers are prepared. A fixed list of questions is the simplest way to leave with information rather than an impression. The answers are often vague, and the vagueness is itself informative. A property listed far longer than comparable ones nearby has a reason, and it is...

Buy-to-Let in 2026: Yields, Taxes and the Real Numbers

Buy-to-let is still discussed using gross yield, a number that describes almost nothing about whether an investment works. The arithmetic that matters is less flattering and considerably more useful. Annual rent divided by purchase price tells you which properties are worth examining. It excludes...

Freehold vs Leasehold: The Costs That Surprise Buyers

The distinction is usually explained in terms of what you own. The part that affects buyers financially is what you owe, and to whom, every year for as long as you hold the property. Freehold: you own the building and the ground it stands on, indefinitely. Leasehold: you own the right to occupy...

How to Read a Neighbourhood Before You Buy

Buyers research the property thoroughly and the surrounding half-mile hardly at all. The property is the part you can change. A street is a different place on a Tuesday morning, a Friday night and a Sunday afternoon. Parking that is plentiful at eleven can be impossible at seven. Noise from a...

What First-Time Buyers Get Wrong About Mortgage Affordability

Affordability is usually understood as the largest loan a lender will approve. That number answers a question about the lender's risk, not about your life, and the gap between the two is where most first-time buyers get into difficulty. Lenders assess what you can repay under their assumptions...