Uk
UK mortgage activity improved in second quarter of 2015, CML data shows
The London property market saw increased mortgage lending in the second quarter of 2015 but levels were still down compared to the same quarter last year. The latest quarterly data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders shows that home owner house purchase activity in Greater London came out of the traditional seasonal dip to show growth in the second quarter by volume and value. First time buyer activity saw similar trends with an increase in levels on the first quarter of the year, but this sector was also down on the same quarter last year. Unlike house purchase activity, remortgage lending had quarter on quarter and year on year growth in both volume and value. ‘As in the UK overall, the London market came out of the usual seasonal dip in the first few months of the year and saw increased activity but volumes are still on the same period last year,’ said Paul Smee, director general of the CML. ‘Remortgage activity has shown quarterly and year on year growth after a period of stagnation. Borrowers appear to be taking advantage of competitive mortgage rates, ahead of a potential future interest rate rise,’ he added. In Wales house purchase activity saw large quarter on quarter increases compared to the first quarter of the year, but a slight decline in volume of loans compared to the second quarter in 2014. First time buyers increased significantly from the first quarter, but decreased in amount borrowed and number of loans compared to the second quarter of 2014. Home movers went up in volume and value quarter on quarter, and while number of loans remained unchanged year on year the amount borrowed by home movers increased. The data also shows that remortgage activity increased compared to the first quarter and on the same quarter last year. ‘House purchase activity appears to have woken up in Wales after traditionally slower levels in the winter months,’ said Julie-Ann Haines, CML chair for Wales. ‘The uptick in remortgage is, in particular, striking as levels had remained relatively identical over the previous four quarters. With the current low rates of interest unlikely to continue, it seems that borrowers are now taking advantage of competitive mortgage rates before a rise,’ she added. Continue reading
Rents in Scotland show no rise, latest index shows
Residential rents in Scotland have begun to plateau as growth cools off in urban centres but are still at an all-time record high of £549 per month. In July there was no change in the average rent and there has been a down turn in annual growth, according to the latest buy to let index from lettings agent network Your Move. Scottish rents are now 2.8% higher than a year ago, however this slowed from 3.1% in the year to June, after a prolonged period of accelerating rent rises in the first half of the year. ‘We reached a tipping point in July. Rents in Scotland have been building to a crescendo so far in 2015, and rent rises have been quickening their step. But now we’ve reached a mid-point in the year, the rental market has clearly paused for breath,’ said Brian Moran, lettings director at Your Move Scotland. ‘Tenants will be relieved for now, but only time will tell whether we’ve reached a fork in the road for the private rented sector, or whether rent growth will start to ramp up again as autumn approaches, and the age old disparity between available homes and those looking to rent rears its head again,’ he pointed out. He explained that the record rents are not necessarily found in areas where they would expect to be. ‘With the severe squeeze on housing in the cities, households are casting their nets much more widely for places to live, which is driving somewhat of a renaissance in the more affordable areas of Scotland. And rental prices are holding up a mirror to this nationwide demand for homes,’ said Moran. A regional breakdown of the figures show that rents are higher than a year ago across the country while they are at an all-time high in the East, the Highlands and Islands and the South of Scotland. The average monthly rent in the Highlands and Islands has increased at the fastest rate over the past year, up 5.4% since July 2014 to reach a record £568 per month. Compared to a year ago, the East of Scotland has witnessed a 3.8% rise, bringing the average monthly rent to a historic peak of £531. Rents in the South, while still the cheapest location in Scotland to rent, now stand at £513 per month on average, after a 2.7% rise year on year. But rent growth in Scotland’s foremost urban centres appears to be on a cooler trajectory. In Edinburgh and the Lothians the typical monthly rent is now 1.8% higher than in July 2015, while Glasgow and Clyde has witnessed a 1.7% yearly climb in rental prices. Average rents in both these regions are below past peaks. On a monthly basis, rents have increased across four of the five regions of Scotland, one fewer than last month. The only region to experience a fall in rents during July was Glasgow and Clyde, where average rents dropped 1.5% during the… Continue reading
Modern kitchen makes a property more desirable, new research suggests
A modern kitchen most likely to make homes more desirable to buyers and tenants in the UK while off street parking and a back garden are also influential, according to new research. A survey of estate agents found that 28% said a modern kitchen was the one feature most likely to prove attractive to potential buyers, 23% said a driveway or off street parking, 17% an open plan kitchen/diner and 14% a back garden. Other features chosen as most desirable to buyers were an en-suite in the master bedroom, neutral painted walls, fast internet connection, a conservatory, a front garden and real wooden floors. The data was gathered by property portal OnTheMarket and it also found that according to some agents, a modern kitchen could add up to £50,000 to the value of a property and the majority said it could add between £4,000 and £5,000, depending on the property’s overall value and size. Agents who said a modern kitchen was the most likely feature to make a home more desirable were mainly based in the South East. ‘Whilst the kitchen has always been a central part of the British home, its popularity amongst buyers and tenants has increased, triggered in part by the surge in culinary TV programmes,’ said Martin Flashman, a partner at Martin Flashman & Co, which has branches in Weybridge and Walton in Surrey. ‘Buyers are particular about kitchens, their existing facilities and the ability to extend them. Families are now spending more time in the kitchen, cooking together, baking and generally being foodies,’ he added. Nick Guy, director of Martin & Co lettings in Reigate also cited the popularity of cooking television shows. ‘This has led to more people experimenting with food and pushed the kitchen to the forefront of a tenant's/buyer's mind when they view a property. Everyone likes to picture themselves cooking impressive meals among family and friends,’ he said. ‘Buying a new home represents an investment in a certain lifestyle and for some, having a top of the range kitchen with a wow factor is part of this. It is true that this is the room that can often make or break a property deal,’ he added. The majority of agents suggested that off street parking could add £10,000 to £20,000 in value, depending on the property’s overall value and size. Agents who chose this option were mainly from the South East, Wales and the Midlands. Brian Thomas, from Ferriers Estate Agents, which covers Mid/West Glamorgan in Wales, said the appeal of off street parking was no longer confined to big cities. ‘Some of our potential buyers and tenants will not even consider looking at a property if it doesn’t have off street parking,’ he said. ‘Most families now have at least two cars, so… Continue reading
