London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jan 26, 2026

Cost of living: 'We've got to sell our family home due to mortgage rise'

Cost of living: 'We've got to sell our family home due to mortgage rise'

A mother-of-three said she was devastated at having to put her house on the market because she could no longer afford her mortgage payments.

Emma Piddock, 32, from Norwich, is selling her family home and looking for a shared ownership property instead.

It means the family would only own 25% of the property, which she said was "extremely upsetting".

The government said it was focussing on restoring stability to the economy and mortgage market.

Mrs Piddock's two-year fixed mortgage currently costs £711 a month but is coming to an end.

The family would be paying at least an extra £200 a month if they stayed in their three-bed mid terrace home, which they have owned for four years.

The local government worker, who lives with her husband and three young children, said moving to a new house under a shared ownership scheme was the family's only option.


Emma Piddock wanted to leave the equity from her house to her three daughters

"We can't afford to rent privately but I earn too much money to qualify for social housing. We don't want to give up our home but we can't see any other solution," she said.

"I've contacted companies that specialise in buying houses quickly and it's an avenue we are having to consider, even though they are offering us £40,000 less than what we believe is the value of the house, of around £220,000," Mrs Piddock said.

"We wanted to pass on the equity from our house to our daughters so it's a horrible situation to be in."


The average interest rate charged by mortgage lenders recently hit its highest level for 14 years.

Mortgage rates began to rise due to uncertainty caused by the government's mini-budget in September.

The Lib Dems have suggested homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages amid rising interest rates should be able to apply for a £300-a-month grant.

A government spokesperson said: "We have taken action to restore immediate stability to the economy and markets - including mortgages - and that remains our focus as we approach the autumn statement.

"The financial regulator's rules require firms to deal fairly with customers in payment difficulties but we know some people will be worried, which is why we are doing what we can to help.

"The energy price guarantee will save the typical household around £700 this winter, we are providing payments of £1,200 to the eight million most vulnerable families and we have cut taxes for millions of working people by reversing the health and social care levy."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Claims “Total” U.S. Access to Greenland as NATO Weighs Arctic Basing Rights and Deterrence
Air France and KLM Suspend Multiple Middle East Routes as Regional Tensions Disrupt Aviation
U.S. winter storm triggers 13,000-plus flight cancellations and 160,000 power outages
Poland delays euro adoption as Domański cites $1tn economy and zloty advantage
White House: Trump warns Canada of 100% tariff if Carney finalizes China trade deal
PLA opens CMC probe of Zhang Youxia, Liu Zhenli over Xi authority and discipline violations
ICE and DHS immigration raids in Minneapolis: the use-of-force accountability crisis in mass deportation enforcement
UK’s Starmer and Trump Agree on Urgent Need to Bolster Arctic Security
Starmer Breaks Diplomatic Restraint With Firm Rebuke of Trump, Seizing Chance to Advocate for Europe
UK Finance Minister Reeves to Join Starmer on China Visit to Bolster Trade and Economic Ties
Prince Harry Says Sacrifices of NATO Forces in Afghanistan Deserve ‘Respect’ After Trump Remarks
Barron Trump Emerges as Key Remote Witness in UK Assault and Rape Trial
Nigel Farage Attended Davos 2026 Using HP Trust Delegate Pass Linked to Sasan Ghandehari
Gold Jumps More Than 8% in a Week as the Dollar Slides Amid Greenland Tariff Dispute
BlackRock Executive Rick Rieder Emerges as Leading Contender to Succeed Jerome Powell as Fed Chair
Boston Dynamics Atlas humanoid robot and LG CLOiD home robot: the platform lock-in fight to control Physical AI
United States under President Donald Trump completes withdrawal from the World Health Organization: health sovereignty versus global outbreak early-warning access
FBI and U.S. prosecutors vs Ryan Wedding’s transnational cocaine-smuggling network: the fight over witness-killing and cross-border enforcement
Trump Administration’s Iran Military Buildup and Sanctions Campaign Puts Deterrence Credibility on the Line
Apple and OpenAI Chase Screenless AI Wearables as the Post-iPhone Interface Battle Heats Up
Tech Brief: AI Compute, Chips, and Platform Power Moves Driving Today’s Market Narrative
NATO’s Stress Test Under Trump: Alliance Credibility, Burden-Sharing, and the Fight Over Strategic Territory
OpenAI’s Money Problem: Explosive Growth, Even Faster Costs, and a Race to Stay Ahead
Trump Reverses Course and Criticises UK-Mauritius Chagos Islands Agreement
Elizabeth Hurley Tells UK Court of ‘Brutal’ Invasion of Privacy in Phone Hacking Case
UK Bond Yields Climb as Report Fuels Speculation Over Andy Burnham’s Return to Parliament
America’s Venezuela Oil Grip Meets China’s Demand: Market Power, Legal Shockwaves, and the New Rules of Energy Leverage
TikTok’s U.S. Escape Plan: National Security Firewall or Political Theater With a Price Tag?
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
Will AI Finally Make Blue-Collar Workers Rich—or Is This Just Elite Tech Spin?
Prince William to Make Official Visit to Saudi Arabia in February
Prince Harry Breaks Down in London Court, Says UK Tabloids Have Made Meghan Markle’s Life ‘Absolute Misery’
Malin + Goetz UK Business Enters Administration, All Stores Close
EU and UK Reject Trump’s Greenland-Linked Tariff Threats and Pledge Unified Response
UK Deepfake Crackdown Puts Intense Pressure on Musk’s Grok AI After Surge in Non-Consensual Explicit Images
Prince Harry Becomes Emotional in London Court, Invokes Memory of Princess Diana in Testimony Against UK Tabloids
UK Inflation Rises Unexpectedly but Interest Rate Cuts Still Seen as Likely
AI vs Work: The Battle Over Who Controls the Future of Labor
Buying an Ally’s Territory: Strategic Genius or Geopolitical Breakdown?
AI Everywhere: Power, Money, War, and the Race to Control the Future
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Arctic Power Grab: Security Chessboard or Climate Crime Scene?
Starmer Steps Back from Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Amid Strained US–UK Relations
×