In the autumn budget the Chancellor, Phillip Hammond made a series of changes designed to help the housing sector. Abolishing stamp duty for first time buyers – including those purchasing properties up to £300,000 outside London - is a huge step in the right...
• Buyer enquiries and sales both fall noticeably over the month • National price balance still marginally positive but London and the South East return weaker readings • Expectations point to a subdued near term outlook for both prices and sales The September 2017...
Flat headline readings mask mixed regional picture • Price series negative in London and to lesser extent the South East, but generally resilient elsewhere • New sales instructions stabilise but shortage of stock remains acute • 61% of respondents expect more...
THE DATING GAME
OLIVER MILES considers some similarities between Love and Property when searching online. Going back into the singles market after a period of life spent in a relationship can be difficult, troublesome and unnerving. Dating in 2017 is a lot different from ten years ago - never...
Uncertainty stifles market sentiment • Price growth loses momentum most notably in the south of the country • Activity indicators point to flat sales trend continuing over the coming months • Average inventory levels hit a new low highlighting ongoing supply...
There is currently an awful lot in the news about negotiating. In Europe the Brexit negotiators are sharpening their pencils while on the other side of the Atlantic President Trump would have us believe that he is the best negotiator who ever walked the earth. In fact selling...
ACTIVITY METRICS CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE • Demand slips and new sales listings decline further • Agreed sales continue to edge lower steadily • National price growth eases somewhat while expectations remain subdued The May 2017 RICS UK Residential Market...
Many of us know about the Sorting Hat at J K Rowling's Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When a new student puts on the hat it tells him or her to which of the four houses - Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin - they are most suited. Well a property is...
Key indicators show little near term impetus • Newly Agreed Sales and New Buyer Enquiries series edge lower in April • No evidence of more stock coming to the market at this stage • Forward looking metrics point to little near term change The April 2017 RICS UK...
No doubt Brexit, the economy and the NHS will dominate the 2017 general election. Energy, education and defence should also get a strong look-in while the devolved governments will be trying to get as much air time as possible. But do spare a thought for housing, as, on the...
Spring has arrived and the migratory instincts of home movers are at their annual peak. Some home migrants will only be moving a short distance from their existing habitat. Others will have a longer passage to different parts of the country or even overseas. But this is certainly...
• Lack of landlord instructions drives rental growth expectations higher • Transactions and buyer enquiries both flat over the month • Prices continue to rise steadily at the national level The February 2017 RICS UK Residential Market Survey shows key activity...
A WORD TO THE WISE
OLIVER MILES considers opposing forces that are affecting the property market this spring. The post-Brexit property market is turning into a paradox. With low interest rates, declining numbers of unemployed and an economy that appears to be on a strong path of sustained...
• New instructions increase for the third consecutive month • New buyer enquiries and sales continue to grow • Price momentum remains strong while expectations soften but remain generally upbeat The February 2016 RICS Residential Market Survey results show a...
SALES MARKET STRUGGLING TO BUILD MOMENTUM • Activity flattens during the month while near term expectations moderate • Prices continue to slip in central London although all other areas see an increase • Shortage of landlord instructions drives rental growth...
OLIVER MILES gazes into the property market crystal ball for 2017. The national press is fond of repeating what some estate agency firms have to say about the luxury market – especially in central London. This seems to suggest that it is an important part of the property...