38% of individuals transferring residence or contemplating doing so, figures present

Housing market situations are surprisingly buoyant, with 38% of individuals actively transferring or contemplating doing so, based on an index.

The tempo of annual home value development slowed barely to 12.1% in April, barely down from 14.3% in March, Nationwide Constructing Society stated.

Property values elevated by 0.3% month-on-month.

Throughout the UK, the common home value in April was £267,620.

Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist, stated: “Annual home value development slowed modestly to 12.1% in April, down from 14.3% in March – nonetheless, that is the eleventh time up to now 12 months that the annual development price has been in double digits.

“Costs rose by 0.3% month-on-month, after taking account of seasonal results – the ninth successive month-to-month enhance, although that is the smallest month-to-month acquire since September final yr.

“Housing market exercise has remained stable with mortgage approvals persevering with to run above pre-Covid ranges.

“Demand is being supported by sturdy labour market situations, the place employment development has remained robust and the unemployment price has fallen again to pre-pandemic lows. With the inventory of properties available on the market nonetheless low, this has translated into continued upward stress on home costs.

“Nonetheless, it’s shocking that situations have remained so buoyant, given mounting stress on family budgets which has severely dented shopper confidence.”

Mr Gardner stated individuals’s expectations of their very own private funds over the subsequent 12 months have “dropped to ranges final seen throughout the depths of the worldwide monetary disaster greater than a decade in the past”.

He added: “Furthermore, housing affordability has deteriorated as a result of home value development has been outstripping earnings development by a large margin over the previous two years, whereas extra just lately borrowing prices have elevated (although they continue to be low by historic requirements).”

A survey of round 3,000 individuals for Nationwide this month indicated 38% throughout the UK had been both within the means of transferring or contemplating a transfer.

Mr Gardner stated the proportion was significantly excessive in London, the place virtually half stated they had been transferring or contemplating a transfer.

Even in Wales, the place the share was lowest, greater than 25% had been both transferring or contemplating a transfer, he added.

These figures are excessive contemplating that solely round 5% of the housing inventory is turned over in a typical yr within the UK, he added.

Mr Gardner stated: “For many movers and potential movers, nearly all of these surveyed want to commerce up – the exception being amongst these aged 55 and above, the place practically 40% want to transfer to a smaller property in comparison with simply 7% trying to transfer to a bigger property.”

The analysis additionally discovered 17% of these transferring or contemplating a transfer stated they had been doing so not less than partly to scale back spending on housing, both by transferring to a special space and/or by transferring to a smaller property.

Mr Gardner added: “We proceed to anticipate the housing market to sluggish within the quarters forward.

“The squeeze on family incomes is ready to accentuate with inflation anticipated to rise additional, maybe reaching double digits within the quarters forward if international power costs stay excessive.

“Furthermore, assuming that labour market situations stay robust, the Financial institution of England is prone to increase rates of interest additional, which will even exert a drag available on the market if this feeds via to mortgage charges.”