Uncategorised
-
Rents rising nationwide
Rental prices are now increasing across all regions of the UK, new findings from the HomeLet Rental Index show. This is only the third time in the history of the Index –previously in October 2014 and once in December 2010 – that rent prices in every region of the UK have increased at the same time. The Index also reveals that the pace of growth in London has picked up again, after a period of slower growth, with average rents agreed on new tenancies in May 2015 exceeding £1,500 per month for the first time. Rents agreed on new tenancies across the UK in the three months to the end of May 2015 were 10.7 per cent higher than the same time last year, with the average now standing at £935 per month, or £738 excluding Greater London. The South West of England saw the largest increases, with average rent prices 13.6 per cent higher than a year ago. Scotland, (9.6 per cent), the South East of England (9.4 per cent) and Greater London (9.2 per cent) also advanced strongly. In Greater London, the average rent now stands at £1,472 for the three months to May 2015, however, when looking…
Read More » -
Buzzing builders and buyers
REPORT HEADLINES Rightmove: “House prices close to all-time high – will ‘granlords’ drive them higher?” Home.co.uk: “Home prices take a spring leap.” NAEA: “A third of all house sales made to first time buyers.” RICS: “Steadier demand and tight supply push price expectations higher.” Halifax: “House prices in the three months to March were 2.6 per cent higher than in the previous three months.” Agency Express: “Confidence continues.” Land Registry: “The February data shows a monthly price increase of 0.5 per cent.” Kate says: “It’s great to see that we have a much healthier market in 2015. Although most places are still stuck with a shortage of homes, especially versus the number of agents fighting for business, we have a market that is moving, but not ‘too fast’ and not ‘too slow’ at the moment. And better still, it’s being driven mostly by first time buyers getting themselves on the ladder, relieving some of the pressure on rental stock (or mum and dad’s house!). The other good news is that it is driving more sales of new builds. I haven’t seen so many new build sites buzzing with activity as I travel up and down the country since the start…
Read More » -
Housing stock at an all time low
Designs on Property tracks and summarises the monthly property indices. Kate Faulkner says, “Too many agents are chasing too few properties… so who will survive the fall out?”
Read More » -
Buy-to-let returns beat all other mainstream investments
Buy-to-let landlords have earned returns of up to 1,400 per cent since 1996, outstripping those returns from investment in shares, bonds and cash. The research by the Wriglesworth Consultancy, on behalf of Landbay, found that on average, £1,000 invested in a buy-to-let asset in the final quarter of 1996 was worth £14,987 by the end of last year. This was more than four times than the equivalent investment in commercial property, UK Government bonds or shares and seven times the return on cash. Despite a few downturns in the housing market over the past 18 years, including the slump following the financial crisis, overall strong levels of capital growth and soaring rental values have ensured that landlords have reaped the rewards. The analysis was based on a buy-to-let investor using the rental income to pay off their mortgage, clearing it after 13 years and cashing in during the final five. Many of those buy-to-let investors who have not sold their properties, but continue to hold on to their residential assets, may have found that the rental value of their property investments may have risen further in recent months. The latest HomeLet rental index shows that residential rents across the UK…
Read More » -
Weaker demand reflected in slowing sales figures
Designs on Property tracks and summarises the monthly property indices. Kate Faulkner says, “Nobody really knows whether the current slowdown is seasonal chill or a sign of things to come.”
Read More » -
Chancellor’s reforms may thaw the chilly housing market
Designs on Property tracks and summarises the monthly property indices. Kate Faulkner says, “The question is, will the great news on Stamp Duty deliver more sellers?”
Read More »
