Our Insights

by Craig Middleton – Mortgage Sales and Distribution Manager, Harpenden Building Society As we head towards the anniversary of the first lockdown it’s hard to escape the ongoing social and economic impact of Covid-19. From a commercial perspective you only have to step outside to see real life examples. The empty, non-viable retail units now […]

by Craig Middleton – Mortgage Sales and Distribution Manager, Harpenden Building Society With New Year resolutions made, many in the UK will be looking ahead having firmly shut the door on 2020. Despite a particularly difficult year generally, and with our current lockdown status in force; on a social and an economic level, those serving […]

by Craig Middleton – Mortgage Sales and Distribution Manager, Harpenden Building Society Despite the huge hardship endured by many, some positive outcomes have been created and I believe it’s important to reflect on them. In the mortgage world I’ve seen numerous examples of human resilience, operational excellence and the application of technology keeping the property […]

by Jean Errington – Business Development Manager, Harpenden Building Society The profitability of holiday lets While news of a vaccine has brought some much needed optimism to the world, the future is still far from clear. Global lockdowns, quarantines and travel restrictions are still in full force meaning international travel, as we knew it, remains […]

by Craig Middleton, Mortgage Sales and Distribution Manager, Harpenden Building Society With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to be part of everyday life, thousands of employees have remained working from home. During the first lockdown back in March many of us were operating from a corner of the living room, the kitchen table or the spare bedroom […]

by Jean Errington – Business Development Manager, Harpenden Building Society Between local lockdowns, ongoing overseas travel restrictions and the fact that Covid-cases are on the rise once more, the outlook for a holiday abroad seems even further out of reach. The summer of 2020 saw many residents cancel their plans for exotic destinations while instead […]

by Jean Errington – Business Development Manager, Harpenden Building Society COVID-19 has negatively affected life in the UK more than any other scenario since World War Two: our health and well-being; free movement; the opportunity to see loved ones; financial stability; job security and how we live are just a few examples. Despite these setbacks, […]

by Craig Middleton, Mortgage Sales and Distribution Manager, Harpenden Building Society Housing on the high street Are redundant retail units a solution to housing shortages? A lack of housing stock remains an issue today, as it has for decades, with demand outstripping availability. What new types of housing have been introduced to help ease this […]

by Jean Errington, Business Development Manager, Harpenden Building Society The potential of Annexes as Holiday Lets 2020 has brought a summer like no other. With some holidays postponed, quarantines introduced and removed with no warning and decreased or non-existent protection from travel insurance, many have eschewed a trip abroad in favour of holidaying in the […]

by Graeme Aitken, Business Development Manager, Harpenden Building Society Mutigenerational living is on the rise As we gradually edge towards a post-pandemic era, we’ve all been forced to think differently – no more so than how and where we live. During lockdown we saw numerous examples of families moving in together to share resources and […]