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19 April 2023

Savills research points to a significant reduction in London land transactions over the last six months. Central London residential land values have declined 5.5% annually but have remained stable over the last quarter, however Outer London values have declined by 9.5% in the six months to March 2023 taking the annual decline to 16%.

The Outer London market has  been disproportionately impacted by build cost inflation, slowing sales rates, the end of Help to Buy and rising mortgage rates. For the six months to March 2023 office land values have declined by 17.6% in Central London and 22.6% in Outer London.

6 April 2023

On an annual basis the Halifax House Price Index shows that house prices were 1.6% higher this March, however this is the weakest increase since October 2019. The typical house price is now £287,880, 2% below the peak last August. London prices are just 0.1% higher than a year ago at £537,250.

1 April 2023

The Nationwide House Price Index reports that house prices in the UK were down 3.1% this March compared to a year ago, and this is the largest annual decline since July 2009. Mortgage approvals were also weak at 43,500 cases in February, almost 40% below the same time last year.

23 March 2023

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted 7-2 to increase  the Bank Rate by 0.25% to 4.25%; two members preferred to keep the rate at 4%.  The MPC will adjust the Bank Rate as necessary to return inflation to the medium term target of 2%. Inflation unexpectedly rose to 10.4% in February.

22 March 2023

The ONS UK House Price Index for January 2023 shows that average houses prices rose 6.3% to £290,000 in the 12 months to January 2023. This is down from 9.3% in December 2023. London saw a rise of 3.2% to £534,000, which is the lowest rise  in the UK.

16 March 2023

A CBRE report ‘The effects of regeneration on local property values’, analysed 11 regeneration zones in London and concluded that locations within a 10 minute walk benefitted from an average additional 2% increase per annum in residential property prices. The locations analysed were Canary Wharf, Colindale/Burn Oak, Elephant and Castle, Greenwich Peninsula, Kings Cross St Pancras, Nine Elms, Paddington, South Bank, Stratford, Wembley and Woodberry Down. Paddington benefitted the most with a 5.8% increase per annum. The research attributes this to many factors including improved transport links, enhancements to the area’s heritage, retail and green space.

9 March 2023

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Market Survey in February 2023 reports falling house prices based on their House Price Balance. The House Price Balance is a figure based on the difference between RICS surveyors reporting an increase in house prices and the number of surveyors reporting a decline. Although negative, the figure has improved from -45% in January to -29% in February. With the rental market, the RICS report rent rises due to continued supply and demand imbalance.

2 February 2023

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted 7-2 to increase the Bank Rate to 4% from 3.5% with the aim to achieve the 2% inflation target while maintaining growth and employment. Two members preferred to keep the rate at 3.5%.

15 December 2022

At the December meeting of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee the members voted 6-3 to increase the Bank Rate by 0.5% to 3.5%. Two members preferred to keep rates at 3% and one member preferred to increase the rate to 3.75%.

3 November 2022

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted 7-2 to increase interest rates by 0.75% to 3%. One member preferred to increase the rate by 0.5% and one by 0.25%.

8 March 2022

The City of London Corporation has obtained an Article 4 Direction removing the development right to convert offices to residential in the ‘Square Mile’ from the 1st of August 2022.