Posted on: Thursday, September 22, 2022
Over 100,000 sales have taken place each month to date in 2022, according to the Bank of England, a feat achieved only twice in the last fifteen years (2014 and 2017). While demand remains higher than pre-pandemic times, mortgage approvals–considered a forerunner for demand–have eased back in recent months. The Bank of England reports that 63,770 mortgages were approved in July, a 5% fall on the pre-pandemic average (2015–2019). Sales prices currently remains remarkably robust, both Halifax and Nationwide reported a month-on-month rise in August.
At 8.0%, annual property price growth in the South West has moderated from 11.3% at the start of the year. However, in all areas across Devon and Cornwall, annual property price growth remains in double digits. Price growth is currently strongest in Mid Devon and Plymouth.
The cost-of-living crisis is dominating daily news, with consumer confidence in the economy at a historic low (GfK). Inflation has hit double digits, with the Bank of England warning that it is set to rise further. The Bank Rate rate, currently at 1.75%, is likely to rise to over 2% by the end of 2022. While over two-thirds of outstanding mortgage balances and 95% of new approvals are on fixed-rate deals (FCA), for new homeowners and those looking to remortgage, costs are edging up. The impact is likely to be most significant in markets where affordability levels are already stretched.
Homes continue to go under offer quickly, taking an average of just 32 days to sell (Rightmove). Conversely, across the UK housing market the time taken to complete a sale has risen, now in the region of four months, as conveyancing delays remain a significant issue. For buyers seeking to move in by Christmas, the clock is ticking.
The current economic situation is unchartered territory for many homeowners, particularly those not yet born or too young to remember the prolonged periods of double-digit inflation and high interest rates in the 1970s and 1980s. Mortgage lending regulation also means the housing market is in a different state to the Global Financial Crisis. An average of independent forecasts published in August expects the rate of inflation to lower over 2023 and by 2024 to have dipped back to below the Bank of England 2% target. Meanwhile, Bank Rates are not predicted to rise much above 3% (NIESR), still low by historical standards.
As property prices and demand continue to rise, sell your property with experts in the property industry this autumn. Contact your local Guild Member today.
We are required by law to conduct anti-money laundering checks on all those selling or buying a property. Whilst we retain responsibility for ensuring checks and any ongoing monitoring are carried out correctly, the initial checks are carried out on our behalf by Lifetime Legal who will contact you once you have agreed to instruct us in your sale or had an offer accepted on a property you wish to buy. The cost of these checks is £60 (incl. VAT), which covers the cost of obtaining relevant data and any manual checks and monitoring which might be required. This fee will need to be paid by you in advance of us publishing your property (in the case of a vendor) or issuing a memorandum of sale (in the case of a buyer), directly to Lifetime Legal, and is non-refundable. We will receive some of the fee taken by Lifetime Legal to compensate for its role in the provision of these checks.