Over half of UK home owners think EU vote will affect property prices

The UK referendum on the country’s future in the European Union is still years away but already home owners think it will have an impact on property prices.

Some 55% believe that leaving the EU will have an impact on house prices in the UK. Of these 34% think leaving the EU would actually strengthen the value of their home, with 21% believing it will lead to a decrease in their property price, according to the poll by eMoov.

It is thought the economic impact of leaving the EU will be felt hardest in London, however some 52% of those surveyed in London think it will push up the price of their property, with just 23% thinking the opposite.

When Britain first joined Europe in 1973, the average house prices was just £9,045. Despite a post legislative referendum in 1975, UK house prices continued to increase for another 16 years to 1989.

During Britain’s tenure as a member of the EU the average UK house price has increased by more than 2,000%. Based on these figures, it would seem the EU has been good for the UK property market, but Britain’s future in Europe still remains uncertain.

‘The consequences of exiting the European Union stretch far beyond its effect to UK property prices, however homeowners across the nation are understandably apprehensive as to the impact it could have on their property price, as our research shows,’ said the firm’s chief executive officer Russell Quirk.

Pro EU campaigners have forecast central London will be worst hit if Britain does choose to leave the EU. ‘We saw how pre-election uncertainty froze property demand in the prime central London market. The uncertainty of Britain’s future in the EU could result in a similar effect on a much larger scale, but 52% of home owners in London seem confident a Brexit will only strengthen the value of their home,’ he explained.

‘This said, post-election stability failed to revive the high end London market, so who’s to say the same won’t happen if we do come out of the EU,’ he concluded.