Whether you invest in UK property to live in, flip for a profit or rent out over the long-term, seeing the value of your asset rise is the aim of the game.
When you buy a property, it’s not always easy to know when it’s time to move on from it. Buying at a competitive price and selling when the market is hot can seem like a good strategy. However, if you assess the long-term trends of the UK property market, generally, the longer you can keep it, the more you will make.
Research from Hamptons revealed that, in 2021, 92% of sellers gained more than what they had paid for a property. What’s more, those who had made their purchase within the past 20 years sold their property for £95,360 more than it was originally bought for, with the average seller owning the asset for 8.8 years.
UK property investors weighing up their options right now will need to keep an eye on forecasts, although experience has taught us that these must sometimes be taken lightly.
The pandemic arguably caused a UK property boom rather than bust, and most agree that, although price rises might slow down, values will continue to rise for the next five years, particularly in the north of England.
UK property profit patterns
The Hamptons data shows that sellers’ profits have been on the rise in recent years. Back in 2015, 86% of people who sold homes and properties achieved a higher sale price than what they paid. This has steadily risen to today’s figure.
Now, new predictions from the National Association Of Property Buyers have emerged to show that profits could rise even more this year, and might even hit six figures.
Jonathan Rolande, from the NAPB, says: “We’ve seen growth for nearly 10 years but the past 22 months has really seen the speed accelerate and agents are already reporting a busy start to this year – with prices set to increase even further.
“The boom has been aided by the fact interest rates are still very low and low-deposit mortgages are becoming more readily available.
“Combine this with the gradual unlocking of the economy as the Omicron risk subsides, and the traditional Spring bounce, and it creates perfect market conditions.”
Reinvest into the housing market
Typically, of course, homeowners in particular often don’t see the profits they make in cash terms, as they reinvest into the UK property market. Downsizers are the exception, as well as landlords and property investors who may decide to reinvest in another location or a property in a different price range.
Aneisha Beveridge of Hamptons comments: “House price gains are primarily driven by two factors – the length of time people have owned their home and the point at which they bought in the housing cycle.
“Typically, homeowners who have owned their properties for longer have seen more price growth and therefore made bigger profits. Most of these profits are never seen by sellers as they are reinvested back into the housing market when they make their next purchase.”
Where to invest next?
Those selling property in London often stand to make the biggest gains, as house prices in the capital remain significantly higher than most other parts of the UK. However, house price growth there has been decidedly stinted compared with elsewhere in recent years.
Property investors who decide now is the time to divest their London property assets will find better value and higher yields in the north, where regeneration and rental demand has led to booming economic and housing market growth.
In fact, 2020 saw the highest number of properties purchased by Londoners outside the city since 2007, at 111,780, according to Hamptons. This accounts for 274,970 bedrooms in homes across the country, traded for 238,990 bedrooms in the capital.
The research found that almost a third of London-based investors were buying properties in the north, where yields are stronger.
The best yields can normally be found in areas like Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Birmingham. Rental demand in these locations is on the up, while house prices are more reasonable than in the south. For investors targeting monthly rental yields, these can be the most lucrative locations.
BuyAssociation has a range of property investment opportunities available across the UK, from London and surrounding areas to the burgeoning north of England. Get in touch to find out more.
