Tag Archives: middle-east
Trend of letting to rent becoming more popular in UK
There is growing evidence that the concept of let to rent is becoming more popular in the UK where a home owner rents their property out and then rents a place in another location. While let to rent isn't a new concept, it's becoming a great deal less niche as an alternative owning and living option. ‘One of the biggest factors in this trend is the massive and rising cost of moving, and the difficulties that many owners are encountering in replacing their existing mortgage with a similar deal,’ said David Brooke Smith of Stacks Property Search. He explained that there are lots of reasons and schools are one of the main drivers. ‘Families who want to live in a specific catchment area, or who want to be close by for a child's limited time at a particular school, are letting out their home and renting close to the school,’ he pointed out. ‘It's also a great way of trying out a new area without committing to it fully. So for those who are contemplating a move from town to country, vice versa, or from one part of the country to another, or wanting to try out a specific village that has caught their eye but about which they know nothing, it reduces the risk of buying in haste and repenting at leisure,’ he added. Other scenarios include short term work contracts, taking time out, such as on a sabbatical and some even want to move, but can't bear the idea of selling their much loved property. ‘There are huge benefits to let to rent. Selling and buying is a big step both emotionally and financially so if there's ever any doubt that it's the correct long term decision, letting to rent makes a lot of sense,’ said Brooke Smith. But he warned that while let to rent is often a win-win scenario, there are several issues that need careful consideration before making a decision, most importantly the figures. He pointed out that that big disadvantage is that the rental income will be taxable income. ‘You can offset costs related to the property you're letting, but you can't offset the actual cost of renting. So if you want an even playing field, the figure you have available for your rental may need to be less than the figure you can achieve for letting your property out,’ he explained. ‘Depending on where you're moving from and to, the figures could stack up very nicely. Letting in London, and renting in the country, should mean you're well placed financially. But going in the opposite direction will mean you have to be pragmatic about what you can afford,’ he added. He also explained that availability can be a challenge in rural areas as rental homes are often in short supply and the choice can be further limited if landlords choose not to welcome children and or dogs. Home owners will also need to get consent to let their… Continue reading
Capital city home values in Australia up 3.3% in first four months of 2016
Home values in Australian capital cities continued to rise in the first four months of 2016, up 3.3% compared to the same period in 2015, the latest index shows. In April, the pace of capital gains rebounded from the relatively flat numbers recorded in March, with dwelling values increasing by an average of 1.7%, according to the Corelogic April home value index. Across the country, housing market trends remain mixed, however, and CoreLogic research director Tim Lawless noted that the improvement in the rate of capital gains has been ‘broad based’ during 2016 with every capital city except Perth recording a lift in dwelling values over the calendar year to date. ‘The results show value growth moved at a faster pace compared with the final three months of 2015 when capital city dwelling values slid 1.4% lower off the back of weaker market conditions in Sydney and Melbourne,’ he explained. ‘While we’ve seen capital gains moderate substantially after peaking last year in Sydney and Melbourne, dwelling values continue to trend higher, just not as fast,’ he added. The data shows that the annual rate of growth in Sydney peaked at 18.4% in July last year and has since moderated back to slightly less than half the peak rate of growth, at 8.9% over the most recent 12 month period. Melbourne’s housing market continues to show a level of resilience to a slowing trend, however the annual growth rate has fallen from a recent peak of 14.2% to the current annual growth rate of 10.1% but Melbourne was the only capital city to see double digit growth over the past year. Perth and Darwin remain as the only two capital city markets to experience a decline in home values over the past 12 months, with Perth values down 2.1% and Darwin values 3.7% lower. ‘With recent month on month increases in home values in these two cities, the declining trend rate is now levelling. This may be an early sign that these markets are beginning to find their cyclical trough after more than a year of annual declines,’ said Lawless. Over the current growth cycle, which commenced broadly in June 2012, capital city dwelling values have moved 34.4% higher, led by a 52.7% rise in Sydney home values and a 37.1% lift in Melbourne values. Lawless pointed out that this highlights the two tiered nature of Australia’s housing market at present. Brisbane experienced the third highest rate of dwelling value growth over the growth cycle to date and dwelling values in the city are now up 18% and Lawless explained that Australia’s regional markets also exhibited a lift in house values over the year to date. He added that while house values across the non-capital city markets have generally underperformed compared with the capital city regions, regional house values moved 2.4% higher over the first quarter of the year. Continue reading
Uncertainty over UK referendum on EU already affecting property markets
The forthcoming UK referendum on the future of the country in the European Union is already affecting property markets with uncertainty creeping into decision making, according to a new analysis. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has looked at what the impact is currently and also assesses what the outcome of a leave and a stay vote might be. It points out that its recent residential market surveys indicate a chronic shortage of housing across the UK. Residential investment transactions in the residential sector have slowed and limited house buying transactions across the house price spectrum. ‘This is not unexpected as there's usually a slowing of residential transactions before any national poll. After an election vote we typically see the residential sector recover and bounce back as stability and confidence returns,’ the report says. ‘Should the UK opt for a Brexit, we could assume that uncertainty could linger while the UK Government negotiates new trade deals and relationships with the EU and third countries,’ it adds. The analysis report explains that the lower to middle priced property market is, in the main, directed by domestic participants so the uncertainty has had less impact on demand and house prices at this end of the market when compared to the higher end. However, a significant number of higher end properties, particularly those in London and the south east, are purchased by EU and non-EU individuals and the report suggests that a Brexit could see less demand for higher end properties from these individuals, thus relieving pressure in demand for higher end residential areas. ‘We can, therefore, suggest house prices could decrease in the immediate to short term,’ the report states. It also suggests that there could be an effect on student accommodation. There was over $6.5 billion of investment in the UK student accommodation sector in the first three quarters of 2015. ‘Changing higher education enrolment rules could deter international students thus affecting demand for student and PRS accommodation,’ it adds. It also points out that the concern is generated by a series of unknowns for decision makers. There is risk generated by the debate in the lead up to the June referendum, uncertainty over the referendum outcome, uncertainty over the process for exit if it comes to that. There would also be uncertainty over the renegotiated package if the UK remain in the EU and uncertainty over the exit negotiation period and potential trade deals. ‘Anecdotally, this uncertainty has already had an impact on decisions in property markets and heightened the perception of risk attached to the UK. Investors are hesitating, occupiers re-planning their footprints, and building pipelines are slowing,’ the report says. It explains that the impact of the referendum has been likened to the uncertainty and risk created in domestic and FDI investments markets by General Elections, and the nearest comparator is the Scottish Independence referendum in September 2014. But RICS believes that the impact of the EU referendum is greater than those,… Continue reading
