Filtered by Subscriptions: UK Housing Use setting UK Housing
Pause in price falls unlikely to mark the trough The stabilisation of house prices in September was a surprise given mortgage rates are still well above the level which allowed the first leg down in house prices to bottom out. But leading indicators of …
2nd October 2023
Approvals to remain weak for the next six months The further decline in mortgage approvals in August to their lowest level since the aftermath of last autumn's “mini” budget showed that high mortgage rates are keeping home purchase demand very weak. Our …
29th September 2023
As we anticipated , housing starts in England spiked to their highest level on record in Q2 as builders began work early to avoid having to conform with the Future Homes Standard. More timely monthly data show that starts slumped in July and August in …
28th September 2023
Despite ending the interest rate hiking cycle today, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) succeeded in convincing financial markets that interest rates will remain high for some time. As market interest rate expectations determine fixed mortgage rates, the …
21st September 2023
The news that UK Prime Minster Sunak is set to further dilute the government’s climate policies demonstrates that when the political going gets tough, climate policies are the first to fall by the wayside. From a macro perspective, the biggest risk is …
20th September 2023
Our forecast that the Bank of England won’t start cutting interest rates until the second half of 2024 means mortgage rates are likely to stay between 5.5% and 6.0% until mid-2024. While transactions volumes have only seen a modest decline so far, we …
19th September 2023
Overview – A slower fall in core inflation than in the US or the euro-zone will mean that the Bank of England keeps interest rates on hold at the probable peak of 5.50% for longer than the US Fed or the ECB. But our non-consensus forecast that higher …
18th September 2023
Depressed activity remains consistent with falling house prices The further deterioration of the RICS survey figures in August suggest the peak in mortgage rates seen in July are continuing to dampen demand. And as we don’t think rates will fall …
13th September 2023
The Q2 Mortgage Lenders and Administrators statistics showed that higher rates are limiting lending and making it more difficult than ever for single-income households to get onto the housing ladder. Meanwhile, arrears took a step up as another cohort of …
12th September 2023
According to Halifax, house prices are up by 20% compared to 2019 even after their recent falls. But adjusted for inflation they slipped to a seven-year low in August. High mortgage rates point to a further fall in prices in both real and nominal terms. …
7th September 2023
Largest annual fall since 2009 The steep fall in the Halifax House Price Index in August confirmed that the further leg down in house prices we have been forecasting has materialised. If we are right to think that mortgage rates will remain around current …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Construction PMIs weaken as new orders fall back The fall in the headline CIPS construction PMI from 51.7 in July to 50.8 in August left it just above the 50 “no-change” mark. …
6th September 2023
The adoption of remote work meant central London was left out of the COVID-19 house price boom. But with house prices in outlying towns and rural areas around the capital starting to stagnate too, there are tentative signs that the relative …
5th September 2023
The start of a new leg down in prices The large monthly fall in house prices in August confirmed that the further leg down in house prices that we have been forecasting has begun to materialise. With mortgage rates likely to remain around current levels …
1st September 2023
Renewed surge in mortgage rates begins to take its toll The decline in mortgage approvals to a five-month low in July showed the renewed surge in mortgage rates since April has begun to take its toll. But given the lag between quoted mortgage rates and …
30th August 2023
Our forecast that the Bank of England won’t start cutting interest rates until the second half of 2024 means mortgage rates are likely to stay between 5.5% and 6.0% for the next 12 months. While transactions volumes have only seen a modest decline so far, …
25th August 2023
Having risen in value by much less than houses over the past three years, flats were selling at the biggest discount to houses on record at the beginning of the year. But higher mortgage costs are causing buyers to reassess what they can afford to buy, …
24th August 2023
Mortgage arrears were still low in Q2, but the number of Buy-to-Let (BTL) mortgages in early arrears increased at an alarming pace. We suspect that will continue in Q3. A growing number of landlords inability to meet their mortgage costs is likely to lead …
17th August 2023
Market conditions continue to worsen Given the recent rise in average mortgage rates to their highest level since 2008, we are not surprised by the further deterioration in the RICS headline survey figures. And as we do not expect market conditions to …
10th August 2023
Halifax prices edged lower in July With mortgage rates rising to around 6% in July, it was no surprise that the slide in the Halifax house price index continued. Although there might be a modest fall in mortgage rates in the near term, we think they will …
7th August 2023
Overview – Our forecast that the Bank of England won’t start cutting interest rates until the second half of 2024 means mortgage rates are likely to stay between 5.5% and 6.0% for the next 12 months. That will price many buyers out of the market, and …
4th August 2023
The headline CIPS construction PMI resumed its upward trend in July, with the rise to 51.7 more than reversing the drop into contractionary territory in June. All sectors saw an increase in their respective balances, with commercial rising to 54.4, its …
Mortgage rate surge starts to take its toll The slight fall in house prices in July is the first sign of the surge in mortgage rates since mid-May taking its toll. As we expect mortgage rates to remain around their current level for the next 12 months, we …
1st August 2023
Surge in mortgage rates yet to take its toll Given the recent surge in mortgage rates, the increase in mortgage approvals to their highest level since October 2022 in June was a little bit of a surprise. But that reflects the lag between quoted mortgage …
31st July 2023
New home construction has been surprisingly resilient to weaker demand so far this year. But that partly reflects activity being brought forward before building standards were tightened in June. With that boost now over and survey data indicating a …
24th July 2023
The lower-than-expected CPI inflation data for June probably signals the end of the upward march in mortgage rates. But mortgage rates are likely to plateau rather than fall as the Bank of England keeps interest rates high until next summer and lenders …
19th July 2023
Mortgage rates have risen to a level that could cause costs on a fifth of rental homes to exceed the rent. That is likely to lead to a significant number of forced rental property sales, which will undermine the tight supply conditions that have limited …
Lenders expect narrow spreads to keep upward pressure on mortgage rates The narrowing in interest margins reported by mortgage lenders in the Credit Conditions Survey suggests that mortgage rates won’t fall significantly anytime soon. Meanwhile, it became …
13th July 2023
Demand falls at fastest rate since last October As we expected, the rise in the average quoted mortgage rate from 4.4% in May to 5.1% in June caused agreed sales and new buyer enquiries to slump. The deterioration in market conditions has left surveyors …
The further increase in mortgage rates to around 6% has left affordability particularly stretched in London. On top of the shift to remote working, which has allowed buyers to consider more affordable areas, that is likely to mean that buyer demand in …
10th July 2023
A fragile plateau The decline in the Halifax house price index in June was surprisingly modest given the scale of the increase in mortgage rates in the same month. But the current level of house prices looks unsustainably high given where mortgage rates …
7th July 2023
The shift to fixed mortgage rates and the rise in the number of homes owned outright means that while some borrowers face a sharp rise in mortgage payments other homeowners will sit out this interest rate cycle entirely. The most vulnerable group is …
6th July 2023
Construction slows as interest rates stay higher for longer and recession looms After two months of gains the headline CIPS construction PMI reversed course in May, dropping to a five-month low of 48.9, which indicated a contraction in activity. All …
We recently held a Drop-in titled “Industry’s decarbonisation challenge – From aviation to property”, which you can view on-demand here . This Update addresses some of the questions we received during the event, including those that we did not have time …
3rd July 2023
National index resilient, but regional data confirm affordability matters The pause in the fall in house prices extended into June according to Nationwide, but we think it is just a matter of time before the spike in mortgage rates in recent weeks causes …
30th June 2023
The Calm Before the Storm The tick up in mortgage approvals in May sustained the partial recovery from the slump at the beginning of the year. (See Chart 1.) But the increase reflects earlier declines in mortgage rates and will be cut short by their more …
29th June 2023
Higher mortgage rates have not only priced many buyers out of the market altogether, but also reduced the size of mortgage those still able to buy can take out. (See Chart 1.) The latest surge in mortgage rates to almost 6% means that, for the same …
28th June 2023
Note: We’ll be discussing the UK’s economic, housing market and policy outlook in light of the BoE’s June rate decision in an online briefing on 22nd June at 10:00 EDT/15:00 BST . Register now . A return to mortgage rates of around 6% for the first time …
20th June 2023
Note: We’ll be discussing the UK’s economic, housing market and policy outlook in light of the BoE’s June rate decision in an online briefing on 22nd June at 10:00 EDT/15:00 BST . Register now . Overview – As the UK’s recent problem of higher inflation …
19th June 2023
Borrowing curbed in response to rising interest rates With mortgage rates surging, the number of loans issued to buy a home dropped sharply in Q1, with Buy-to-Let (BTL) lending seeing the most severe drop. Those that did press ahead with a home purchase …
13th June 2023
Refinancing risks increase The recent upward revision to our mortgage rate forecast and the fact that the majority of those that need to refinance this year are on two-year fixes means that we are now more worried about the risk posed by refinancing. …
8th June 2023
Normalising supply could make future drop in demand more damaging The significant improvement in the RICS survey in May echoed the pause in house price falls in the past few months. But the survey also showed an increase in supply, which could …
Pause in May will give way to renewed falls ahead House prices were unchanged in May according to Halifax. Given that lack of momentum, the increase in mortgage rates following the bad inflation data published on the 24th of the month is set to tip house …
7th June 2023
The headline CIPS construction PMI increased for a second month in a row in May to 51.6, indicating a small rise in activity. But in line with last month there was a marked difference between the commercial and housing sectors, with the former rising to …
6th June 2023
The renewed decline in mortgage approvals in April will have dashed hopes that the jump in March marked the start of a recovery. Moreover, with mortgage rates now on their way back up, lending is likely to remain weak throughout the second half of the …
1st June 2023
House prices flattened off in May after a rise in April. But with mortgage rates now on their way back up we suspect that the stabilisation in prices over the last couple of months will soon give way to renewed falls. The -0.1% m/m fall in house prices in …
High net immigration helps explain why rental growth accelerated to its fastest pace on record last year. Immigration won’t be as high this year, adding to the reasons to think that rental growth has peaked. But strong pay growth, high mortgage rates and …
30th May 2023
The upward revision to our Bank Rate forecast suggests that mortgage rates will return to a similar peak as last autumn by the end of the year. That would undermine the recent pick-up in mortgage approvals and lead to renewed falls in house prices. Higher …
The increase in mortgage rates has been the main determinant of the size of house price falls in developed market economies. Very tight supply in the US, and to a lesser extent the UK, has also supported prices in those markets. Employment, incomes, …
25th May 2023
The larger than anticipated rebound in mortgage approvals in March and a slowdown (or even partial reversal) of house price falls suggested that the housing market downturn may have ended much earlier than we anticipated. The unwinding of some of the …
19th May 2023
