Search -

Recent Articles in Financing property checklists

Properties are more affordable today than 12 years ago Oct 3, 2019: I never quite understand why many property companies and much of the media think that only ‘bad news’ stories about property sell. I also don’t understand why very few property companies, charities or property organisations aren’t telling people how affordable property is today, particularly for first time buyers, and still insist on making tenants feel so ‘miserable’ if they rent. I was asked to present at the recent RICS Housing Hub and chose the topic ‘how we can afford to put a home over everyone’s head’. To me that’s a question we should be asking and answering, rather than constantly shoving out ‘bad news’ stories. To find out more, read my article.

Why buyers' and sellers' decisions need to be based on local expert advice Sep 18, 2019: Whether you are ‘up north’, ‘down south’, in Scotland or Northern Ireland the market is now completely different. Pre-credit crunch, property markets tended to move in a ‘ripple effect’ but this trend appears to have stopped for now so it’s vital buyers and sellers make their decisions based on local expert advice rather than national or regional headlines. What we do know is that across the board, since 2005, property price growth has slowed dramatically versus previous years, and now moving in line with inflation as opposed to above, impacting on those looking at investing in property for a pension or living.

Latest London market report - falling or Brexit bounce? Sep 10, 2019: Latest news from the Land Registry shows what an amazingly diverse market property is in London. With average prices ranging from just under £300,000 in Barking and Dagenham to an astonishing £1,254,715 in Kensington and Chelsea. What’s interesting though is when you break away from London averages and dig down deep into what’s actually being sold, things never look quite so bad. For example, in Kensington and Chelsea although the average is over a million, one property - and it was just a flat! - was sold for a staggering £13,375,000 while I found a ‘bargain’ (!) property which had been sold for just £298,000 - the average price you would pay in London’s cheapest borough.

Property prices are falling in real terms for many – what’s happening in your area? Aug 13, 2019: Versus last month, property prices ‘on average’ have really slowed across all countries. For Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, they are only just keeping up with inflation – which with over 50% of people who own a home, owning it outright, means no real house price growth so far this year and for those in England with just 1% increase registering, real property values are actually falling. Regionally the differences are stark. Not just from a price perspective but also from different regions showing different trends. To find out more, read Kate's latest price report.

Where next for the property market? Aug 5, 2019: With Brexit still an unknown and property becoming a huge political tool to capture votes at the moment, there are many opinions about what will happen next. Unsurprisingly, it can be difficult for consumers to work out what to do.