London offers ‘improved yields’ as market shows s...

There are growing signs that the London housing market may have bottomed out, fresh analysis shows.

Property prices in the capital have dropped in recent years with prime London values seeing the sharpest fall. They are now close to 20% below their peak of 2014, according to various property indexes.

But there are now fresh signs that the property market is finally bottoming out in London, as a sharp rise in people registering to buy is coupled with a significant drop in the number of new properties coming up for sale, according to Chestertons.

The London-based estate agency has seen a 35% rise in the number of buyers registering to buy property in the capital since the start of the year compared to the corresponding period last year.

In addition, the number of agreed sales is up 7% annually and viewing appointments have increased 12% year-on-year over the same period, further demonstrating the existing strong buyer demand in the market.

However, Chestertons reports that the number of new properties coming onto the market during this period in London is down 22% year-on-year, adding to the widening supply-demand imbalance in the market, which has acted to slow the rate that property prices have been falling in the capital.

The latest Land Registry data shows quarterly price growth in Greater London improved from -1.4% in December 2017 to -0.6% in December 2018.

Meanwhile, in Zone 1 London, Chestertons’ Index finds that in the three months to December 2018, prices in prime locations fell by 1.2%, a considerable improvement on the 2.2% drop recorded in the previous quarter.

With property prices having fallen significantly since 2014 and rents increasing in many areas of London due to a shortage of available rental properties, rental yields are also picking up and shoring up investor demand.

Yields in the London locations covered by Chestertons stood at 3.2% at the end of December 2018 compared to 3% at the same point in 2017.

In Zone 1 areas, yields rose to 2.8% by the end of December, up from 2.7% year-on-year.

Guy Gittins, managing director at Chestertons, said: “Following two years of substantial price drops, the market is now bottoming out in London.

“Property values in the capital – particularly in prime locations – have now come down to a level that is proving increasingly attractive to potential buyers, driving a huge surge in the number of people registering with agents and buying property since January.

“At the same time, the number of new properties being put up for sale has plummeted. This dramatic imbalance between supply and demand is starting to fuel small price increases in areas like Hyde Park and Putney as competition ramps up – and we’re even seeing instances of buyers attempting to ‘gazump’ others by offering to pay over asking price. The signs of recovery are there, with the prime market leading the way.

“It’s not just local buyers who are coming to the market in their droves now, but investors too, who are seeing improved yields and good opportunities.

“With the 29 March looming large in people’s minds, overseas buyers fear their window of opportunity is closing and are moving fast to invest in the London property market while prices are low and sterling is weak.”

Want to comment on this story? Our focus is on providing a platform for you to share your insights and views and we welcome contributions.
If any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.
Please help us by reporting comments you consider to be unduly offensive so we can review and take action if necessary. Thank you.