Residential property sales market news

Our North-West London estate agents have been receiving some very good enquiries since early January and we expect demand to grow steadily throughout the month.  After the exceptional levels of activity we saw in the first three quarters of 2022, this year we expect to see a return to the calmer and more stable market we saw before the pandemic.

Demand for housing stock and the continued investment from overseas investors: these trends continue to act as twin shock absorbers, shielding the UK housing market from sharp swings or sudden drops.

Throughout 2022, we’ve seen growing demand for homes in London from both Hong Kong and Chinese nationals.  Firstly, Hong Kong professionals continue to move to the UK using the government’s BNO visa scheme and secondly, Chinese students have again been taking up places at London universities after more than two years of Covid lockdowns. Most …

Continue reading “London property market sees rising demand from Hong Kong and Chinese nationals in 2022”

The start of 2022 saw a return to normality for the London residential property market as both homeowners and investors proved keen to resume their property buying plans now that Covid lockdowns are firmly in the past. From early January we saw increasing demand from domestic and overseas buyers driving forward the market, as they …

Continue reading “London housing market – Review of 2022”

It’s no secret that the UK has seen its share of political upheaval over the last few weeks.  But as we see a new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, taking the reins at Ten Downing Street and bringing stability and confidence to the UK once again, many overseas investor clients have been reviewing their portfolios and …

Continue reading “Increasing demand from overseas buyers taking advantage of the weak pound”

The last few weeks have seen economic and political uncertainty in the UK – thankfully an unusual occurrence.  But with the appointment of a new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, we look forward to greater stability.

There are some areas in London that can take you completely by surprise as regeneration transforms them into exciting new places in which to live and work.

A somewhat turbulent end to September (to use the Government’s own description) finds the London property market having to deal with the opposing forces of stamp duty cuts and interest rates increases. The stamp duty tax cut announced on the UK Government’s recent ‘mini-budget’ will raise the threshold at which the levy becomes payable from …

Continue reading “Weak pound will continue to stimulate activity among overseas buyers”

The ‘race for space’ continues to drive forward demand for homes in North-West London, particularly in areas such as Hampstead, Highgate and Dartmouth Park.  The residential property market remains strong and enquiry levels are high, despite wider economic concerns about the energy crisis and rising inflation. Large family homes with gardens and large garden flats …

Continue reading “Larger homes driving forward the North-West London property market”

We’re seeing good demand from domestic buyers looking to find a new home, as London’s professionals continue to re-assess their lifestyles and adapt to new post-Covid ways of living and working.  We usually see a lull in demand during August, but this year enquiries have remained steady, possibly due to the continuing rush from buyers …

Continue reading “Demand for London property remains steady as buyers re-assess homes and lifestyles”

Earlier this month, the Bank of England raised interest rates by 0.5 percentage points to 1.75%. This was its sixth successive interest rate hike and millions of homeowners will see their mortgage costs rise. As the cost of borrowing increases, a potential adjustment in sales prices could present opportunities for investors less dependent on lending. …

Continue reading “Update on UK interest rates – August 2022”

The beginning of 2022 saw the London property market fly out of its post-pandemic starting blocks, before maintaining a steady and profitable pace for the next six months. At Benham and Reeves, we have been working hard to convert this new confidence into sales as international buyers return in force. The rental market has been …

Continue reading “Why international investors continue to buy overseas property”