The number of homeowners and buy-to-let landlords in mortgage arrears has jumped in the past year - though the amount of homes being repossessed remains low, according to UK Finance.
Crime fiction writer Sharon Birch, 58, and her partner Stephen are desperate to downsize from their five-bedroom townhouse in Seaton Carew, Hartlepool.
The number of new homes registered by developers fell from 189,009 in 2022 to 105,449 last year - a drop of 83,560, according to the National House Building Council.