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Urban development land outperforms greenfield in the UK
Urban development land values across the UK have continued to increase more than those for greenfield land, according to the latest research. Urban land values increased by 1.5% in the fourth quarter of 2015, up from 0.2% in the third quarter, taking annual growth to 7.1% while greenfield land values increased by 0.7%, up from a fall of 0.1% in the previous quarter and year on year by 2%. The latest residential development report from real estate firm Savills says that the increase in urban land values reflects a rise in demand due to an improved economy, stronger markets and increased viability. Additionally, the report says that urban values have greater scope to increase than greenfield values because they are further below their 2007 peak, an average of 42% below peak compared to 21% below peak for greenfield land. In general, development land values are linked to the supply of land and the demand from developers. The largely stable values of development land are in part due to the increase in supply of new permissions with the annualised number of planning permissions in Great Britain up by 21% in between 2010 and 2015. And it adds that a lack of new players in the market and 46% fewer house builders registered with NHBC in 2015 compared to 2005 has reduced competition for sites. Savills agents report that there is increasing demand for land in urban locations close to good transport links on which, more commonly, apartments are built such as Birmingham and Coventry in the Midlands. This is reflected in the shift in the type of new homes built. Between 2008 and 2014 houses accounted for an increasing proportion of new build homes, however, since March 2014 this trend has been reversed and we are seeing flats accounting for higher proportions of delivery at 35% in the year to March 2015 up from 29% the previous year according to data from the Department of Communities and Local Government. The report explains that the change in type of home being built reflects the improving viability and ability to finance denser sites. Immediately following the economic downturn, housebuilders focused more on developing houses because they require less upfront capital, can be built one at a time and sold as they are finished. However, now that market strength is picking up, there is greater appetite to take on the risk required to build a block of apartments where, apart from off-plan sales, flats are sold only when the whole block is complete. But not everywhere is seeing growth. For example, sentiment for development land in Aberdeen has become less positive and has impacted negatively on the overall Scottish greenfield development land index which was down 0.5% in the final quarter of 2015. Indeed, land values in Aberdeen have fallen 2.9% in the year to quarter four of 2015 for greenfield land and this is due to the continued low oil price and uncertainty over the future of the… Continue reading
Buy to let investors put off by UK government tax changes
Around one in four of people in the UK who were considering investing in a buy to let property have been put off by the Government’s plan to introduce a 3% additional stamp duty and cut tax relief on their finance costs, according to new research. Overall some 9% have given up on aspirations to own a buy to let property and 14% of existing landlords say they will sell one or more of the properties in their current portfolio because of the changes. The research by online investment platform rplan also found that 30% say they are planning to invest their buy to let deposit in an ISA instead. Under the changes, the stamp duty on buying a £250,000 buy to let property will rise from £2,500 to £10,000 from April, while that for a £400,000 property will more than double from £10,000 to £22,000. Also, from 2017, the tax relief currently allowed on finance costs such as interest payments on mortgages and loans to buy furnishings will be gradually reduced over four years. Those planning to invest in buy to let were going to use savings and investments worth an average of £43,592 to buy a property. Instead, 39% of these adults will use the money to save in a cash account, 30% will invest in an ISA, 20% will put it into their pension and 13% will put it in other stock market investments. Latest figures in the Bank of England’s Credit Conditions Survey have revealed a rush for buy to let properties before the new tax is introduced. Lenders reported that demand for secured lending for house purchase increased slightly in the fourth quarter of 2015 and is expected to increase in the first quarter of 2016. But within this, demand for buy to let lending increased significantly in the last three months of 2015. ‘The British have strong faith in property as an investment and many see it as a means of providing a pension income. But the government clearly has a policy to dis-incentivise BTL and the sharp increase in landlord mortgages revealed by the Bank of England credit survey will probably be a last rush before the gate slams shut,’ said Stuart Dyer. ‘Having a buy to let property can also mean an over exposure to one asset class for many investors, who should strongly consider the alternative of investing in a diversified portfolio for the long term, especially if this can be achieved through a tax free ISA wrapper,’ he added. Continue reading
Christchurch housing market well on way to recovery following earthquakes five years ago
Five years after earthquakes devastate the New Zealand city of Christchurch it has been announced that housing is now on track for a full recovery. Housing has been one of the most complex and challenging problems in the aftermath of the disasters that struck in 2010, according to housing officials and ministers but they added that the Government’s wide ranging support as ensured the city’s housing market is nearing recovery five years. ‘The Government has taken a step by step approach and officials project that by June 2017, the Christchurch housing market will be fully recovered with supply and demand back in balance,’ said Building and Housing Minister Nick Smith. The Government’s housing initiatives in Christchurch since the earthquakes include the Establishment of the Canterbury Earthquake Temporary Accommodation Service (CETAS), which has helped nearly 6500 households find temporary accommodation. Temporary accommodation financial assistance of over $55 million was provided to over 3,200 households and the Residential Advisory Service has helped over 3,288 residential property owners progress their repair, rebuild, and resettlement process. Over 1,000 were put in temporary accommodation, some 27,000 emergency repairs carried out on Housing New Zealand homes, and some $31 million in grants provided for social and affordable housing in Canterbury. ‘As some of the most vulnerable residents, social housing tenants were particularly hard hit by the earthquakes. Housing New Zealand’s effort fixing its houses was staggering, spending $350 million repairing over 5,100 properties,’ said Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett. Smith said that the strongest evidence of the successful recovery of Christchurch’s housing market is the latest data on rents and house prices. House prices rose by up to 13% per year following the earthquakes but grew last year by 2.7% and are now back below the national average. Rents were growing at up to 16% per year following the earthquakes but have been declining since October 2014 and in the past year, have dropped by 6%. ‘Housing was one of the biggest post-quake challenges facing Christchurch, but a concerted effort by the community, building sector, council and Government has enabled us to recover as quickly as practically possible,’ he explained. ‘With the completion of projects in the pipeline, Christchurch will have, by 2017, the safest and warmest stock of private, state and community housing in the country,’ he added. Continue reading
