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Property Market Update February 2010

Please read our quick market snapshot below so you can find out what's happening in EVERY property market and what this means for you as property buyers, renters, investors or developers. This information and our updates will help and if you have any questions call 0845 838 1763 or email: enquiries@designsonproperty.co.uk 

Buying and Selling UpdateWell the doom mungerers are out in force this month! January's data suggested the market was 'wobbling' while February data suggests it's on the slide. The double dip everyone is questioning certainly looks that bit more likely - but that's only if you take the property price reports as a measure of what's happening in the market. The truth is that the market reports are all basing their figures versus Feb 2009 which was when we had a real uplift in the market for the first time since 2007. So effectively we are comparing an 'average' month for Feb 2010 versus an above month of activity in Feb 2009, so of course it suggests that things are moving 'downward' when in fact it's just a comparison of a good month versus a 'not so good month'. READ MORE
New Homes UpdateThe new homes market shows more bouyant figures for October, no doubt showing the increased desire for people to move prior or just after Xmas. We expect a slowdown for late November/December figures, but as stocks are pretty low and new build is such good value for money at the moment, buyers are keen to purchase where they can.  READ MORE
Residential Auctions UpdateNovember auction figures for the residential market show a poor  performance due to the lack of repossessions stock available and the likelihood that many investors are struggling to get finance. Hence percentage sold feel from October's high of 72% to 34%. Interestingly though, although the money raised was down substantially year on year (-43%) the quarter and annual falls were still less than October stats showed. HOWEVER, BEWARE that the next month or two with regards to auction data will give a lead indicator as to what happens to the general property market in 2010. If auction stats continue to show a slowdown, no doubt this will soon be reflected in the general housing market! READ MORE
Renting and Letting UpdateThe rental market seems to have taken a step backwards this month. Both FindaProperty and Belvoir Lettings show rents dropping back. Belvoir by only a small amount, FindaProperty back to levels last seen in May 09. As with house prices, rental prices vary dramatically on a regional basis.  READ MORE
Land and Self Build Update2009 proved to be one of the best year's to self build with enquiries up at BuildStore by 39%. This is due to a fall in plot prices, increased labour availability and negotiations to purchase materials. New lenders who are looking for more mortgage business are starting offering Self Builders mortgages via BuildStore. READ MORE
Property Investment UpdateBeware the 'no money down' deals are back as are companies offering you cheap properties - that you can't visit. DON'T BE TAKEN IN! Most investors are struggling for deals unless they are 'old hands' but they are still out there! READ MORE
Overseas Market UpdateThe overseas market from Brits is more of a scramble to sell than to buy currently, especially with the exchange rate movement. Only those with cash sure of what they are doing should be expanding into the overseas market.But some great offers are now availalbe! READ MORE

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Helpful Property Market Statistics
When looking at the property market, it's a good idea to know what the facts and figures are, especially as some media reports and especially headlines, tend to give a distorted view of the facts and figures.

Need a property statistic? Then just email your request to enquiries@designsonproperty.co.uk or call us on 0845 838 1763

Number of Homes
There are just over 26 million properties in the UK
Home Ownership
In the UK approximately 70% of these properties are partly owned with a mortgage lender or owned outright. The rest are owned by social landlords such as Housing Associations.  
Ownership Breakdown
Of the 70% of homes owned privately approximately 18.2mn, it is estimated that a third of these are owned outright, without a mortgage. That means approximately six million homes are owned outright.
Number of Mortgaged Properties
Out of the 26 million homes in the UK, meaning less than 50% are mortgaged, leaving approximately 12 million properties part owned and part mortgaged. 

Summary of the Property Markets in the UK
Apart from the market of home ownership, there are also lots of other markets that are worth monitoring in the UK including:-

Buying and Selling Market
Approximately 1.2-1.5 million homes are bought and sold every year in the UK. Except in 2008 when due to the credit crunch, sales fell to an all time low of around 800-900,000 transactions. 

Residential Auctions
Approximately 10% of homes are sold through auction houses during the year. In normal years that's around 100,000 properties.

Private Sales Markets
This is where a seller sells without using an agent or an auction house. Approximately 7% of homes are sold via this method, 84,000.

Part Exchange
This is where a company or builder buys a property from a seller, while selling them another property. Prevalent in the new build and retirement market.

Renting and Letting Market
Rarely reported by the media, this is an increasingly important market, with as many people renting during the year as buying/selling. There are approximately 1.5 to 2 million properties rented privately every year. ie not through a Housing Association owned property.

Land Market
Most of the land in the UK is not built on at all. There are lots of different types of land, land sold for development with planning permission; land sold for diary or arable farming and woodland.

Commercial Property
This is a massive sector within the UK and breaks down into large regeneration projects that involve social and private housing; shopping malls; office and warehouse space; new transport links right through to small commercial properties such as a small shop or office on a high street.

Overseas Property Market
This is typically broken down by country, but can also be broken down into property types as below and looked at as properties for international purchases and ones for local people.

Property Market in Detail
As well as lots of different markets, each market breaks down further into smaller markets such as:-

New Build Market
New homes built by developers which breaks down to social new builds and privately developed ones. Normally we build just over 200,000 of these a year.  

Self Build Market 
This is a fascinating market where over 15,000 people either build or employ someone else to build them their own home.

Second Hand Homes
These are homes that have already been lived in and owned. Second hand homes break down into lots of markets of their own including: 

Property Types
Flats, houses, maisonettes, bungalows all of which could have been built in different decades such as 1930s homes; Edwardian; Victorian; Georgian; Listed Homes.

Property Sizes
Typically measured in square metres in other countries, but in the UK often broken donw by one, two, three, four; five bed plus homes. 

Within this market place there are many other statistics that are important to monitor, such as the financials including:-

Average mortgage lending versus average wage
 
This gives an idea of the 'affordibility' of homes in the UK versus earnings.

Average amount borrowed to purchase a home/deposit paid
This gives an idea of whether people are taking on more debt to buy a home

What method people choose to pay off their mortgage
For example interest owner versus repayment.

Average number of people behind on their mortgage payments, or being repossessed
This gives an idea of homes likely to come onto the market and those struggling, typically in poor economic conditions, such as the 'credit crunch' or 'downturn' of 2008. Typically these figures are very low at less than 1% of the number of people who actually own a home with a lender.

Tracking Mortgage Rates Offered
This information gives an idea of what is likely to happen in the market place in the future. Normally it is worth watching what happens with fixed, variable, tracker and discount rates. 

Need a property statistic? Then just email your request to enquiries@designsonproperty.co.uk or call us on 0845 838 1763

 

 

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