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UK house price expectations remains positive, latest index suggests
House price expectations in the UK remain positive, but signs of a post-election bounce are largely confined to London, according to the latest property sentiment index. Some 20.2% of the 1,500 households surveyed across the UK for the Knight Frank and Markit Economics house price sentiment index said that the value of their home had risen over the last month, while 4.1% reported a fall. This gave the HPSI a reading of 58, the twenty-sixth consecutive month that the reading has been above 50. But it was a slight decrease on last month’s reading of 58.2, indicating that households may have factored in the uncertainty caused by the general election to perceived price growth. ‘There is little evidence yet of an election bounce in house price expectations, reflecting current market conditions. Activity is certainly picking up following the election of a majority government, and the certainty this has provided in the housing market,’ said Grainne Gilmore, head of UK residential research at Knight Frank. Demand is rising, but an increasing number of vendors are putting their homes on the market, and this is set to create more balance in terms of pricing. Londoners expectations for future price rises reached their highest level since November last year, perhaps reflecting the increased certainty in the outlook for property taxes in the capital,’ she added. The future HPSI, which measures what households think will happen to the value of their property over the next year, fell in May to 70, slightly down from 70.2 in April. In spite of the monthly decline, the proportion of households expecting prices to fall over the next 12 months at 5.2% was the lowest ever recorded since the survey began in 2009. Meanwhile, 45.1% anticipate a rise in the value of their property and 49.7% forecast no change over the year ahead. Households in the East of England at 77.8 were most confident about price rises, followed by those in London at 77.7 and the South East at 73.5. The data also shows that some 6.4% of UK households said they planned to buy a property in the next 12 months, down from 6.5% a year previously. On a regional basis, nearly one in 10 households in the North East is planning a purchase in the next 12 months, followed by those living in London where 8.4% of households said they would be buying a property in 2015. ‘May’s survey highlights positive house price expectations across the UK, although households are still much less bullish than was seen at the post-recession peak exactly one year ago,’ said Tim Moore, senior economist at Markit. ‘Tighter lending criteria and stretched affordability continue to restrain house price sentiment, while improving labour market conditions and continued low mortgage rates remain two key drivers of positive property price trends,’ he explained. ‘The most likely area of the property market to experience an appreciable post-election bounce is the house building sector, as decision making should reaccelerate after several months… Continue reading
UK lettings agents and landlords surprised at proposal for mandatory licensing
The private rented sector in the UK said it is surprised about proposals to introduce a mandatory licensing system due to be in the Queen’s Speech later this week at the opening of the new parliament. Prime Minister David Cameron said in his speech on immigration last week that landlords throughout the country will be required to check the status of immigrants who rent their property following a pilot in the West Midlands. But, without giving details, he also said that a new mandatory licensing scheme will be introduced along with new rules allowing landlords to evict illegal immigrants more quickly. ‘We’ll also crack down on the unscrupulous landlords who cram houses full of illegal migrants, by introducing a new mandatory licensing regime. And, a bit like ending jobs when visas expire, we’ll consult on cancelling tenancies automatically at the same point,’ he said. Landlord and letting organisations are concerned and are waiting for details which are likely to be in the Queen’s Speech on Wednesday. ‘We are pleased to see the Government listened to our housing manifesto calls for greater regulation of the private rented sector. However, whilst this is a step in the right direction, it’s not the full solution to the problem of rogue agents plaguing the market,’ said David Cox, managing director of the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA). ‘We urge the Government to take this opportunity and impose more appropriate, over-arching regulation on the whole lettings industry. We look forward to hearing the full details of the plans in the Queen’s Speech,’ he added. The Residential Landlords Association said it has writing to immigration minister James Brokenshaw asking for an urgent meeting to discuss the proposals. ‘No form of universal licensing of rented property is proven to capture the most unscrupulous landlords. As so often, the devil will be in the detail,’ said RLA chairman Alan Ward. Continue reading
UK spending on home maintenance at highest since 2008
Household spending on DIY in the UK reached £5.5 billion in 2014, a rise of 10% to reach the highest levels since 2008, new research shows. Meanwhile, total spending on home maintenance, that is DIY and tradesmen's services, increased by 8% to £6.9 billion in 2014, according to the study from Lloyds Bank. The £5.5 billion spent on DIY in 2014 was equivalent to around £200 per household. Whilst this was the highest annual total for six years, it was still 19% below the peak of £6.8 billion and 9% lower than a decade ago when it was £6.1 billion. Spending on tools and equipment for home improvements, ranging from plumbing tools to lawnmowers, increased by 9% from £4 billion in 2013 to £4.4 billion in 2014. Real spending on DIY materials rose by 10% from £1 billion to £1.1 billion. However, there is little change in spending on tradesmen Expenditure on tradesmen's services, at £1.4 billion, increased very slightly by 1% between 2013 and 2014. This means that for every £1 spent on tradesmen some £3.92 is spent on DIY tools and materials, showing how important DIY is to UK households. Total spending on home maintenance increased by 8% to £6.9 billion in 2014 from £6.4 billion in 2013. This was the third successive annual increase, taking overall spending on home maintenance to its highest level since 2008 when it was £7.2 billion. This decline has been entirely due to a fall in expenditure on materials, which declined by 35% over the decade. In contrast, spending on tradesmen’s services rose by 20% whilst spending on tools in 2014 was at the same level as in 2004. The reports says that the past 10 years have demonstrated how spending on home maintenance has a strong link to the performance of the housing market. Spending reduced by around 36% between the height of the housing market in 2007 when it was £8.3 billion, and the bottom of the market in 2011 when it was £6.1 billion. Then, as the housing market picked up between 2011 and 2014, spending on DIY increased by 13% again to bring home maintenance spending closer to 2004 levels. ‘The latest figures provide further evidence that people are continuing to increase their spending on DIY and home improvements as the economy and housing market pick up, with DIY spending increasing by 10% in the last year,’ said Andy Hulme, Lloyds Bank mortgages director. ‘This followed a sharp fall in spending between 2007 and 2011, which reflected the worst of the economic and housing downturns during this period,’ he added. Continue reading
