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Average UK home values up almost 3% in first half of 2015
The average value of homes across Britain rose by 2.75% during the first six months of 2015, with all regions seeing price growth, according to new figures. At the start of July the average price stood at £270,674, up £6,974 on January’s figure of £263,699, the data from property website Zoopla shows. A breakdown of the data show that although there is general growth the rate of growth varies from region to region. Scotland experienced the highest rate of growth, with an average increase in property values of 6.6% or £11,382, taking the average home value in Scotland to £183,230. The next best performing regions were the North East and North West registering a 3.1% and 3% increase respectively. Wales was the worst performing region for property price increases over the first half of 2015 with an average rise of only 1% or £1,584. Among the 50 largest cities in Britain Edinburgh registered the largest growth in house prices since January 2015 of 8.2%, representing a £20,465 increase in the average home value in the city. Next was Colchester in Essex which saw property prices rise by 7.6% or £19,088, during the six month period, followed by Aberdeen with a 6.4% or £15,416 rise in values. London saw prices rise by only 2.5%, below the national average, but this amounted to a rise of £14,385 because of the higher price of property in the capital city. Yorkshire had three of the 10 worst performing cities for house price growth in the first half with Rotherham seeing a fall of 2.1% or £2,752. Wolverhampton, Newcastle upon Tyne and Middlesbrough also saw a modest drop in average houses over the period. ‘While national property price growth saw a slow start to the first half of the year, it recovered strongly towards the end of the period. The strong regional figures across the board indicate an economy which is returning to health, with a series of Government incentives designed to encourage home buying helping to boost demand for property in all parts of Britain,’ said Lawrence Hall of Zoopla. He explained that the surge in property values in Scotland can, in part, be explained as a post referendum bounce, as businesses and capital flood back to Scotland, after withholding investment during the volatile September referendum period in 2014. ‘A post general election feel good factor must not be discounted as more devolution promised has given property prices a bounce as Scots anticipate more jobs and investment coming their way,’ he added. Continue reading
Scottish residential rents up 3.1% in a year
Year on year residential rents in Scotland increased by 3.1% in June, up from the 2.7% recorded in the previous month, the latest index data shows. This rise takes average rents to a new peak of £549 a month and June’s figure represents the fastest year on year rise since April 2014, according to the buy to let index from lettings agent Your Move. Rents also increased month on month, up 0.8%, which was a slight slowdown from the 1% recorded in May. But in the preceding six months rents were climbing at a rate of only 0.1% per month. The index shows that rents are hitting all-time local records in the parts of Scotland that have traditionally been more affordable to live, where rental prices are usually lower. On an annual basis, rents have risen across all five regions of Scotland and as rent growth accelerates across the country, new price records have been set in the East, Highlands and Islands and the South. Glasgow & Clyde have seen the biggest boost in rents year on year, with typical rental rises up 4.6% since June 2014. Rents in the Highlands and Islands have jumped 4.3% in the past twelve months, taking the average monthly rent to a record high of £563. Similarly, rents in the East and South of Scotland have both reached a new peak following annual rent rises of 4% and 2.1% respectively. In contrast, Edinburgh and the Lothian’s has experienced the smallest yearly increase of only 0.8% but this marks an improvement from negative growth in the year to May 2015. Rents in all five regions of Scotland are also higher month on month. The average monthly rent in the Highlands and Islands has risen at the quickest pace since May, increasing by 2.4%. Compared to the previous month, Edinburgh and the Lothian’s have seen a 1.7% rise in June. This brings the average rent in the area to £604 as it continues to be the most expensive location in Scotland to rent. In Glasgow and Clyde rents are 0.6% higher since May, and the South has witnessed a 0.5% monthly climb in rental prices. The East of Scotland has seen a more modest 0.2% uplift in the month to June 2015, a considerable slowdown. ‘It’s not just the big urban centres of Edinburgh and Glasgow which are coming up against an urgent shortfall of housing. There is strong demand for homes to let the length and breadth of the nation, and that is underpinning this build-up in rental prices,’ said Brian Moran Your Move lettings director. The index also shows that as of June 2015, the average gross yield on a rental property in Scotland stands at 3.8%, on par with the previous month, but down on a year ago when gross yields were 4% in June 2014. Taking into account property price growth and void periods between tenants,… Continue reading
Catchment areas of good schools in UK attracting higher property rent premium
Competition for school places in some of the UK’s best educational establishments is affecting the private rental market with more homes near them being rented to families, new research suggests. Some 28% of properties rented around schools with outstanding ratings from school inspectors OFSTED went to families with children, up from 26% in 2014 and 9% in 2008 In London competition for school places means that for the first time over half of properties rented around the best schools go to families with children, according to the latest quarterly lettings index from Countrywide plc. The firm suggests that while this is a product of the significant increase in competition for school places, the growing number of families living in the private rented sector means more of them move both for work and their children’s education. While the figures in London are most marked for schools rated outstanding, the pressure on school places in the capital means there has been uplift in families with children renting in the area surrounding most schools. Given it is the address from which the school application is made in January that the application is assessed against, the summer months are when most families think about moving. Over half of families with children in the private rented sector move during June, July, August or September in time for the forthcoming academic year. Households with children moving into the area close to an outstanding school don’t move far, an average of just half a mile. This confirms the fine margins involved getting into school catchment areas. This distance is considerably shorter than the three miles the average households in the private rented sector moves, the report explains. As with house prices, tenants pay a premium to live close to a high performing school. Given tenants move more often than home owners, this premium tends to be smaller. In 2015 the average tenant living within a kilometre of a school rated outstanding paid 14% more than someone living more than a kilometre away. While the premium attached to one and two bedroom flats is almost negligible, tenants living in three or four bedroom houses pay an average of 16% more. Where catchment areas are particularly tightly defined, a house on one side of the road can be let for 15% to 20% more than an identical house on the other side. ‘There are 1.6 million families with children living in the private rented sector, 20% more than last year, which means school catchment areas are becoming increasingly relevant to the rental market,’ said David Fell, research analyst at Countrywide. ‘Many of these families are choosing to rent close to the school gates and in some cases parents are taking advantage of the flexibility of renting to move from the fringes of their preferred school’s catchment area to ensure their child’s entry,’ he pointed out. ‘The flexibility of renting can… Continue reading
