Fine & Country National Housing Market Report October 2023

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OCTOBER 2023
£847,000 £1,271,287 +2.4% £677 £43.9bn 19,676 MORTGAGE APPROVALS (AUG) 45,354 -2.3% -37.3% RESIDENTIAL TRANSACTIONS (AUG) 87,010 1.5% -15.6% GROSS MORTGAGE LENDING (AUG) £19.7bn 5.6% -21.1% NEW HOMES BUILT (Q223) 58,050 3.9% -13.5% NEW HOMES BUILT (ANNUAL) 247,256 - -2.3%

MARKET CALIBRATION

As we enter the final quarter of the year, the market continues to adjust to higher borrowing costs. Interest rates being unexpectedly held at 5.25% is a good sign for the housing market, and sentiment should slowly improve as buyers and sellers increasingly know where they stand.

PRICES

The average house price in September was £257,808, showing no monthly change compared to August (Nationwide). This is an improvement on the 0.4% decline that economists had previously anticipated for the same period, house prices proving resilient in the face of high interest rates. Regions less stretched on affordability have seen shallower falls. Spotlighting London, the decline in prices slowed in the last three months to the end of September to 3.8% year-on-year, indicating the capital is holding up well in tough conditions (Nationwide). The prime market remains particularly strong, with positive year-on-year growth of 2.4%. The average price of a property in the prime market is now £1,271,287, and all regions bar one had positive annual growth.

ACTIVITY

Mortgage market activity, an indicator of future demand, dipped in August, with 45,000 approvals, 8% lower than the previous month. This is a 14% improvement on the start of the year, although it remains below the long-term average. Gross mortgage lending rose from £19.1 billion in July to £19.7 billion in August (Bank of England). With increasing competition between lenders as we move through autumn, activity should pick up again. Consumer confidence rose to -21 in September 2023 from –25 in August, the highest reading since January 2022, and defying expectations of a slowdown to -27 (GfK Consumer Confidence Tracker). This is boosted by the prospect of lower mortgage rates, with Zoopla recording an uptick in buyer demand, up 12% since the August Bank Holiday weekend. Transaction numbers showed a small uptick on the previous month, with

87,000 taking place in August, albeit 16% lower than last year’s higher levels (HMRC). Buyers looking to move are highly motivated. Three-quarters of buyers in August were confident they’d purchase a property within the next three months (OnTheMarket).

MORE CHOICE

Affordability for those relying on mortgages is still a challenge after sustained high interest rates. Buyers now entering the market are particularly conscious of their budget and are careful not to overstretch themselves. 80% more homes are available for sale than in September 2021. This increased choice means that there may be headroom for buyers to negotiate with sellers, putting pressure on asking prices. The average discount is 4.2% of the asking price, the largest since March 2019 (Zoopla).

OUTLOOK

Affordability remains stretched but is slowly improving, with mortgage rates continuing to fall on the back of dipping swap rates. The average five-year fixed rate has dropped below 6%, after reaching 6.38% in August (Moneyfacts). Those with a low loan to value or no mortgage are in a particularly strong position. Inflation is steadily easing, forecast to end 2024 at 2.6% (HM Treasury Consensus Forecast), improving the outlook for the Bank Rate, which is thought to be at or very close to its peak. Buyers increasingly know where they stand and sentiment should improve as volatility reduces. Prices are forecast to soften into 2024, then set to rebound by 9% between 2025 and 2027 (HM Treasury Consensus Forecast).

£541,000 £710,802 +5.5% £348 £841,000 £1,166,282 +4.6% £553 £1,670,000 £2,731,091 -4.9% £1,301 £408,000 £555,955 +2.3% £291 £521,000 £725,368 +4.2% £374 £1,020,000 £1,486,281 +4.6% £615 £783,000 £1,081,552 +4% £511 £489,000 £639,981 +1 6% £337 £595,000 £788,517 +4.8% £393 £513,000 £698,212 +5.9% £353
0% 1 5% 3% 4 5% 6% 7 5% 9% 10 5% 12% SEP 2022 OCT 2022 NOV 2022 DEC 2022 JAN 2023 FEB 2023 MAR 2023 APR 2023 MAY 2023 JUN 2023 JUL 2023 AUG 2023 £ 640 £ 595 £ 757 £ 1,090 £ 677 £0 £150 £300 £450 £600 £750 £900 £1,050 £1,200 DETACHED SEMI-DETACHED TERRACED FLAT/APARTMENT ALL PROPERTY

£456,127 £1,210,000 £1,751,085

-32% -28% -24% -20% -16% -12% -8% -4% 0% AUG 2022 SEP 2022 OCT 2022 NOV 2022 DEC 2022 JAN 2023 FEB 2023 MAR 2023 APR 2023 MAY 2023 JUN 2023 JUL 2023
£274,920 £847,000 £1,271,287
£271,971 £686,000 £960,648 £218,608 £689,000 £1,084,149 £227,969 £739,000 £1,171,732
£286,719 £864,000 £1,290,035
-1 2% 0% 1 2% 2 4% 3 6% 4 8% 6% 7 2% 8 4% SEP 2022 OCT 2022 NOV 2022 DEC 2022 JAN 2023 FEB 2023 MAR 2023 APR 2023 MAY 2023 JUN 2023 JUL 2023 AUG 2023 £ 349 £ 289 £ 247 £ 350 £ 297 £0 £50 £100 £150 £200 £250 £300 £350 £400 DETACHED SEMI-DETACHED TERRACED FLAT/APARTMENT ALL PROPERTY
35 37 40 45 52 62 57 55 55 55 55 55 57 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 AUG 2022 SEP 2022 OCT 2022 NOV 2022 DEC 2022 JAN 2023 FEB 2023 MAR 2023 APR 2023 MAY 2023 JUN 2023 JUL 2023 AUG 2023 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 AUG 2022 SEP 2022 OCT 2022 NOV 2022 DEC 2022 JAN 2023 FEB 2023 MAR 2023 APR 2023 MAY 2023 JUN 2023 JUL 2023 AUG 2023 2023-10-04

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