Antony Roberts’ experts are often asked for their opinions on various aspects of the housing and rental markets. Below, is a selection of our comments which appeared in the press in April.
The former London home of Sir Robert Watson-Watt, a scientist who pioneered the aircraft detection radar that helped Britain and its allies win World War II, has been listed for £6.35 million with Antony Roberts, reported Mansion Global. Commenting on the listing, Amy Reynolds, head of sales at Antony Roberts, said that as well as the green spaces that neighbouring Richmond Park is famous for, nearby private schools are also a huge draw: “You have Tower House School, Ibstock Place and the German School just through the park in Ham. Then in nearby Barnes, you’ve got the Harrodian and St Paul’s boys school – so there are lots of amazing and famous private schools really close by.”
The annual rate of UK house-price growth was stable in March, according to Nationwide building society, as buyers ran out of time to take advantage of the stamp duty concession which ended that month. Amy Reynolds told The Evening Standard: “Property prices are being held in check due to affordability constraints, higher mortgage rates and cautious buyer sentiment.”
The Halifax house price index concurred with Nationwide that house-price growth remained steady in March, although it reported a month-on-month dip of 0.5 per cent in average UK prices. Amy Reynolds told The Negotiator: “Prices are unlikely to fall in prime areas where there is limited stock, but equally prices won’t rise until mortgage rates are deemed to be more ‘affordable’ again. The stamp duty concession encouraged buyers to bring forward transactions, with a flurry of activity in the first quarter. Now that is behind us, it will be interesting to see the reaction.”
While house prices continue to grab all the headlines, transaction figures are perhaps a better measure of how well the housing market is functioning. HMRC reported that seasonally-adjusted residential transactions rose by 62 per cent in March compared with February, as buyers took advantage of the stamp duty concession. Commenting in PrimeResi, Amy Reynolds said: “The end of the stamp duty concession has removed some of the urgency from the market. Some buyers accelerated purchases to beat the deadline, as reflected in these numbers.” Amy expanded further in Mortgage Finance Gazette: “Other [buyers and sellers] simply dropped back into ‘wait and see’ mode, hoping that with inflation now largely under control, the Bank of England will cut interest rates again, perhaps as early as next month [May].”
Nationwide building society reported that house prices eased slightly in April, with annual growth slowing to 3.4 per cent, down from 3.9 per cent in March. Amy Reynolds told The Intermediary: “Best-in-class properties are still attracting strong competition, and in some cases, achieving excellent prices. Buyers continue to pay a premium for properties that are priced sensibly, presented well, and located in prime areas. The message is clear: those who price according to today’s market, rather than yesterday’s headlines, are finding success.”
