Overseas buyers now make up 20% of all buyers in the prime London market, helping boost sales, but greater London will be slower with annualised average growth of 2% over the next five years.
The prime central London market is seeing persistent demand in the current global economic and financial instability, while supply levels are close to an historic low as home owners and investors sit on prime assets, according to the Residential Property Forecasts report from Cluttons covering the second quarter of 2012.
These same factors are stimulating demand from investors, particularly from overseas based buyers seeking to secure funds in the prime London residential market. Buyers from Greece, Spain and Italy have a growing presence in the market, with 20% of all buyers in central London currently from abroad. This figure rises to between 35 to 40% for properties valued over £5 million. However, the vast majority of these buyers have a connection with the UK and are making purchases from an informed position.
The report points out that the pace of growth in the London market has slipped over recent months, with activity in the housing market taking a backseat to the Jubilee and the approaching Olympics.
It says that the current low volume of homes for sale is likely to persist over the summer which, combined with ongoing uncertainty, means house prices are set to grow by 2 to 3% in 2012. While subdued in historical terms, this is a positive outcome for the market in the current climate. Cluttons anticipates UK house prices will fall by close to 3% this year, followed by a marginal further fall of up to 1% in 2013.
‘The central London market remains buoyant, but even London activity is slowing relative to its performance in 2011. The outcome of the current Eurozone crisis is not yet known, which is denting confidence and encouraging London property owners to retain central London residential assets in the face of instability in the residential markets,’ said Sue Foxley, head of research at Cluttons.
‘At the same time, strong demand from international buyers seeking a safe haven is creating even more competition for homes and sustaining prices. Whatever the outcome of the Eurozone crisis, buyers and investors are demonstrating faith that London is well positioned to see a faster return to growth than most of its European counterparts,’ she explained.
The Central London rental market continues to slow following the unsustainably high growth witnessed last year, but despite the current readjustment Cluttons remains positive about the medium term prospects for the sector.
The firm points out that demand is strong and the ongoing difficulties faced by prospective first time buyers in saving for a deposit and securing a mortgage, will support rental values. Cluttons expects rental growth in the prime market will increase by an annualised average of 3% over the next five years to 2016.
