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London’s Luxury Residential Market Booms Defying UK’s Home Sales Slowdown

Even though the UK is now seeing the steepest slump in property prices since the 2008 financial crisis, London’s luxury residences are managing to defy Britain’s housing market downturn, reported The Business Times.

Fifteen homes in Central London valued at £5 million or higher were registered as sold in the fourth quarter of 2022—which is 63% higher than the pre-pandemic average, according to researcher LonRes. “It’s not surprising, therefore, that it tempted would-be sellers to put their homes onto the market,” said Anthony Payne, managing director at LonRes.

UK Housing Market Poised for Disruption

The UK’s housing market is facing a ‘perfect’ storm as it tries to eke out growth while coping with the surging cost of living, hiking mortgage and inflation rates, and the risk of recession.

The result: rapid cooling in property demand and sales activities leading to a selloff in the UK’s housing market.

Let’s look at how much the British housing market and buyer demand have been impacted by current economic setbacks:

  • British home prices slid in December 2022 by the most in 13 years and are predicted to slip by a whopping 20% in 2023 if the UK’s base rate continues to hike, according to The Guardian.
  • The Bank of England has been raising the base since the beginning of 2022 as part of its effort to return inflation to its 2% target level. The bank rate has gone up to an annual rate of 4.0% in February 2023—a jump of 0.5% from 3.5% in December 2022.
  • On the other hand, surveyors registered a net balance of -47% for new buyer inquiries in January 2023, plunging from -40% in December 2022.

In such a circumstance, analysts have unanimously agreed that the UK’s property market is facing more turbulence this year.

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Wealthy Buyers Are Snapping Up London’s Luxury Property

Despite the present economic upset throughout Britain, luxury sales in London are skyrocketing, outshining the UK’s housing market.

But why?

First off, even though the interest rate and mortgage rate have hit an all-time high this year, millionaires and elites are less likely to get affected by the impacts of the increase, as they’re less dependent on borrowing.

Secondly, Britain’s pound continues to tumble sharply against the US dollar, dropping a full cent to around $1.20.

Part of the weakness of the pound sterling is the increase in power of the US dollar which is attracting more international investors and wealthy buyers to flock to London’s priciest homes.

Case in point: In the first half of 2022, overseas buyers purchased 48% of the total luxury home purchases in Prime London—a jump from 13% from 2021.

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That said, the demand for luxury property management services offered by agencies like The London Management Company is getting a push, with ultra-high-net-worth buyers investing in upscale properties in Central London.

Offering bespoke services—from maintenance to upkeep and housekeeping—a class-leading agency ensures a client’s luxury property is well-managed, squeaky clean, and always ready for their arrival.

However, in the final quarter of last year, home sale activities decreased in Greater London due to climbing mortgage rates, soaring inflation, and high base rates.

“The final quarter of the year saw a change of direction,” stated the managing director at LonRes. “We’ll be keeping a close eye on how the market unfolds in the months ahead.”

Wrapping Up

Outperforming Britain’s housing market, London’s luxury houses are seeing substantial growth this year.

Source: Digital Journal

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Overseas Property Investors Conclude the Best Potential Sits Outside of London Property Market

For years, overseas property investors have concentrated mainly on the London property market. However, this is beginning to change. Indeed, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia investors saw the potential in the regional markets outside London and have taken advantage of excellent price gains since 2020.

For the last 30 years, overseas property investors have pumped money into the London property market. Lots of jobs, a robust economy, and a booming property market made it an obvious choice.

But across the country, a similar story is emerging. Investors evaluate the property market searching for value and conclude that Manchester, Newcastle, and Leeds offer great potential.

Where are Overseas Property Investors Investing Outside London?

Between April 2020 and April 2021, home prices across the UK increased by 8.9%. In London, properties appreciated by 3.3%. However, in the northeast of England, house prices rocketed up by 16.9%.

But it’s not just appreciation rates that are making investors sit up and take notice. London house prices are twice that of the national average. In a pre-pandemic world, these discrepancies could be justified by proximity to employment. However, several factors have changed the game.

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Work-from-home has caused buyers to exit London in search of properties with more space. With fewer people obliged to commute daily, suburbs and regional cities are more appealing.

Meanwhile, successive governments have committed to a policy of decentralisation. While much of this process involves granting power to local governments, there are grants to encourage companies to set up regional offices. Indeed, Goldman Sachs announced a technology centre in Birmingham this April.

Where are Overseas Property Investors Going?

The majority of overseas property investors are focused on private homes for rent, particularly homes for young professionals. The business model is relatively straightforward: develop the property and keep the asset for rent, or sell it on, generally within Asia.

According to Savills, the combined investment into the property market in Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds was over £1bn in 2020. This figure constitutes a staggering £630m growth in two years. Better yields offered in the regions are one of the most significant factors in these increased investment flows.

Indeed, as long as regional cities offer better investment opportunities, the pattern will continue. Many major UK banks and finance are not interested in regeneration because of the risks involved. Without the help of overseas property investors, the UK’s housing shortage would be much worse.

Conclusion

For investors, finding opportunities outside London is producing higher yields. For many professionals, work from home is here to stay, which will allow a more flexible approach to buying housing in different areas.

With many cities around the country benefiting from the work of overseas property investors, other cities have begun to take note. With many areas in need of regeneration, these investment flows could be precisely what the country needs.

Written by Kelly Geeson

Source: Property Forum

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London sees surge in demand from Hong Kong buyers

Mortgage brokers and estate agents have reported increased demand from Hong Kong buyers following new security laws in the region as well as UK stamp duty changes, low interest rates and a weak pound.

Estate agents Chetertons says that the ongoing tension between Hong Kong and China resulting in Boris Johnson’s offer of British citizenship to three million of the city’s residents has boosted London’s appeal.

It says that between June 1 and July 7, the number of new buyers from Hong Kong registering with Chestertons more than doubled compared to the same period last year.

Chestertons’ data also shows that these buyers are expanding into areas that have not previously appealed to Hong Kong investors.

Previously buyers have looked at higher yielding areas such as Canary Wharf.

Recent interest has been more focused on family homes for people thinking of relocating.

South west London and central London have seen enquiries from Hong Kong buyers rise by 53 per cent compared to last year.

In the last four weeks in Putney, where there has traditionally been almost no interest from Hong Kong buyers, Chestertons has registered numerous new buyers.

Elsewhere in west London, 75 per cent of the apartments released in the first phase of a new development were reserved by Hong Kong buyers within a matter of weeks, although these were mainly for investment.

Chestertons’ managing director Guy Gittins says: “Given the close historic ties between Hong Kong and the UK, London has always been popular with Hong Kongers as a place to visit, invest and educate their children.

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“However, the current situation and uncertainty in Hong Kong has caused many to look at London property as a ‘safe haven’ investment, while the stamp duty holiday and the weak pound are added attractions.”

The surge in interest has also been noted by mortgage brokers.

Altura Mortgage Finance managing director Rob Gill says “There is certainly an increased interest in all things UK among Hong Kong residents at the moment.

“We are seeing an increased number of enquiries from potential Hong Kong buyers both directly and via our network of professional introducers.

“From a practical point of view however, few people move continents and buy a new home straight away, they are more likely to rent for a year or two before taking the plunge.

“We’re having plenty of conversations with sensible clients who want to understand their options and increase their chances of getting a good mortgage deal when they are ready to buy.”

Private Finance mortgage consultant Chris Sykes says: “Expats who may have been considering purchasing a UK property – either with the intention of using it as their main home in the long-run, as a holiday home or as an investment – may be encouraged to push ahead with purchases as a result of declining house prices and changes to the stamp duty threshold.

“We believe we will see more overseas buyers and expats looking to purchase UK property in the coming months.

“We have also seen a particular increase in mortgage enquiries from Hong Kong residents since the implementation of the new national security law.

“This sudden rise in demand is likely to continue to increase as the situation develops.”

By Leah Milner

Source: Mortgage Strategy