Welcome to our weekly update giving you the key stories, breaking news and topical analysis from the past week up to today, 20 April 2018.
The UK property market is full of ups and downs, but this week we learned which three cities are the ones to watch in the months ahead, as well as how the north-west and West Midlands are outperforming the rest. Buy-to-let is still a strong market, and many landlords are remortgaging to improve their portfolios. Here are seven stories you might have missed this week…
1. These three cities are the ones to watch in the UK property market
The UK’s housing market is continuing to grow at a slow but steady pace, indicating the end of volatility at least in the medium-term, but some regional cities are expected to buck the trend with stronger rental and house price growth. To read the full story, click here.
2. Housing sector moving towards proptech and smart home technology
Technology that allows you to remotely control your home appliances isn’t new, but it’s becoming increasingly mainstream and is something developers, investors and landlords could use to entice tenants and enhance their offering. To read the full story, click here.
3. North-west sees highest annual house price rise in latest figures
House prices in the UK have climbed to a record £305,732 according to the most recent data released by Rightmove after values edged up by 0.4% between March and April – but the north-west was by far the top performer. To read the full story click here, and to learn about the standout performance of the West Midlands click here.
4. Threefold rise in landlords remortgaging for home improvements
Tenant numbers in the UK are rising and the new generation of renters want high-quality accommodation. This coupled with factors including the 3% stamp duty surcharge has led to a rise in landlords releasing money from their properties to improve them rather than trading them in. To read the full story, click here.
5. German-style tenancies to benefit millennials who will never own homes
A third of youngsters currently in their 20s and 30s will never own their own property, while half are likely to still be renting in their 40s. But is this necessarily a bad thing? Maybe the UK could take a leaf out of continental Europe’s book… To read the full story, click here.
6. Is buy-to-let still lucrative for landlords despite the barriers?
The buy-to-let market has been hit by a number of hurdles in recent times, but investor appetite in the sector isn’t going anywhere as bricks and mortar is still the top investment in the UK. To read the full story, click here.
7. Here’s what buyers really want when looking for a new-build home…
A comprehensive survey conducted by estate agent Savills has discovered the top priorities for today’s buyers of new-build properties, and the results reveal how the intended target market should be a huge influencer for developers and investors. To read the full story, click here.
