Tag Archives: london
Stamp duty change and Brexit result in falling prices in prime central London
Prime central London property prices fell again in the first quarter of 2016 but transaction levels increased marginally, according to the latest index to be published. Overall the market was notably quieter during due to a combination of the uncertainty surrounding the European Union referendum and a slowdown following a boost in the first quarter ahead of stamp duty changes in April. The market has also been influenced by higher stamp duty for high value properties, according to the report from real estate firm JLL which adds that potential buyers adopted a wait and see attitude ahead of the referendum vote. Since the vote to leave the EU, and the subsequent weakening of sterling, several international buyers have been more active although a good deal of uncertainty remains, especially in terms of the medium term outlook, the report says. However, the fact that the vote is now in the past also seems to have encouraged a few more domestic buyers back into the market. The number of properties on the market has increased again during the second quarter as vendors fail to sell or elect not to sell at prices unacceptable to them. This additional choice and bargaining power for purchasers is contributing to both the scale of price falls and the slowdown in transactions. ‘Given recent uncertainty it is unsurprising that prices have weakened again. On average prices have fallen by 3.3% in the year to quarter two, but they have also declined in every quarter since the first quarter of 2015 as a variety of influences have impacted on confidence and switched the balance of power in favour of buyers,’ said Neil Chegwidden, residential research director at JLL. The data also shows that prices slipped by 0.9% in the second quarter of 2016 having fallen by 1.1% in the first quarter and price falls over the past year have been greater for higher value properties although large lateral flats continue to hold their value better than other large apartments or houses. On average prices have declined by 6% over the 18 months to the second quarter of 2016 with higher value property prices down by an average 10% and prices have fallen across all price ranges during quarter two and over the last year. The sub £2 million market continues to be the most resilient. However, prices have fallen in each quarter since the first quarter of 2015. On average prices in the sub £2 million bracket have fallen by 2.6% over the 12 months. Meanwhile, prices in the £2 million to £5 million market have been declining for 18 months now, with prices down 2.9% during the year to the second quarter. Prices in the £5 million to £10 million price bracket and the £10 million plus market have been impacted most notably by the stamp duty changes. Prices have dropped by 4.4% in the year to quarter two in the £5 million to… Continue reading
Rents still rising across most of UK but growth is slowing
Average residential rents in the UK continued to rise in July with demand still more than supply but the rate of growth is slowing, the latest index data shows. Excluding Greater London the average rent agreed is now £779 per month, some 2.3% higher than a year ago while the average rent in London is now £1,599 per month, up 4% over the year. The growth has continued since the beginning of the year and the outlook remains strong despite the growth slowing, says the rental index report from HomeLet. The data suggests that landlords have been able to continue securing higher rents on new tenancies despite the economic uncertainties created by the UK’s vote to leave the European Union in June. It mirrors data from the housing market, with mortgage lenders also reporting modest growth in house prices in the month following the Brexit vote although many agree that is still too early to measure what affect Brexit sentiment has had on the market. Looking forward, the fundamental forces in the private rental sector remain unchanged, the report suggests with Britain’s growing population, the relative unaffordability of house prices, and the lack of new homes being built combined with the reduction in social housing suggest that the private rental sector will continue to be an ever important source of homes in the years and decades to come. A breakdown of the figures show that there is considerable regional variation recorded by the index. Month on month rents increased the most in East Anglia with a rise of 3.7% and the region also topped the annual growth with a year on year rise of 9.7%, taking the average to £897. But rents fell by 3.7% month on month in Scotland but are up 1.4% year on year to an average of £676. The only other region to see a month on month fall was the North East with a decline of 0.4% to £537 and a year on year fall of 5%. Year on year rents have fallen in the South West by 2.1% but are up by 0.7% month on month to £894 and by 0.5% in the North West to £660 but the region has seen month on month growth of 0.5%. Ultimately, rents will be determined by supply and demand in the private rental sector, according to Martin Totty, chief executive officer of HomeLet’s parent company Barbon Insurance Group. ‘Population growth will continue to increase demand, and that the housing stock isn’t growing quickly enough to meet that demand. However, with rents ultimately limited to a tenant’s ability to pay, rents are likely to continue to climb, albeit at the slowing pace noted most recently,’ he said. ‘We won’t know exactly how Brexit is impacting the private rental sector and it will be several months yet until we see some clearly established trends in the marketplace. It seems likely that with lenders concerned about the prospect… Continue reading
Demand continues to fall in prime central London property market
Although the wider UK property market is yet to suffer any detrimental impact from Brexit, London’s prime market is seeing demand continue to fall, the latest index suggests. In the £1 million plus sector in London demand has fallen by 10%, the lowest level on record and a further drop since demand cooled following April’s changes to stamp duty for buy to let and second homes purchases. The data from the prime central London property index from hybrid estate agent eMoov shows that the five areas where demand is at its lowest are Mayfair at 3%, St Johns Wood, Knightsbridge and Belgravia all at 4% and Fitzrovia at 5%. The index, which records the change in supply and demand for property above £1 million by monitoring the total number of properties sold in comparison to those on sale, shows that some 75% of London’s most prestigious locations have seen demand remain static or drop since the second quarter of the year. Indeed, the only places to have seen a positive uplift in demand for property over the last three months are Holland Park at 44%, Marylebone at 38%, Notting Hill at 17% and Primrose Hill at 9%. Notting Hill is also fourth hottest where demand levels are concerned, currently at 14%. With Belsize Park enjoying the highest demand across the prime central London sector at 18%, followed by Islington at 17%, Chiswick at 15% and Holland Park at 13%. According to Russell Quirk, eMoov chief executive officer this slowdown was always likely to happen as these areas of London rely heavily on high end foreign investment and second home visitors to survive. ‘Whilst the rest of the UK market seems to be ticking along with little impact as of yet, the immediate weakening of the sterling and negative response from the rest of the EU seems to have had an instantaneous knock-on effect on the prime central London market,’ he said. Continue reading
