As inflation continued to hit the UK and while the government offered a Stamp Duty Tax break, not a few savvy investors joined the race to buy a real property. Instead of speculating by investing money on traditional stocks, foreign currency or crypto currency, buying a property without having to pay tax on the first GBP 500K value of the purchase price, was a sound investment alternative. Investing on a housing property can be self-liquidating as it can leased or rented out on a contractual basis.
Inflation as we all now it reduces the buying power of a currency. This means that if currently you have the super buying power to purchase a choice property without having to resort to taking out a loan, the value of that asset will increase over time. Real estate after all, always appreciates in value even in times of inflation.
Mortgage-Ready Home Buyers Stayed Ahead of the Race for Space
Those who were mortgage-ready, or have the financial capability to put up equity or down payment, were able to stay ahead in the race to buy a house before the Stamp Duty Tax break ended.
Putting off a decision to buy a house would have reduced the buying power of their equity money. As investors and not only home buyers elevated the demand for a limited supply of housing available in the open market, the buying trend likewise inflated the selling price of real estate.
Why Many First-Time Home Buyers Got Left Behind
Many first-time home buyers were in fact affected. Mainly because the 15% down payment they estimated before, was no longer sufficient. This was in light of the continuously increasing value of homes in the UK housing market.
How did that happen? Supposing that in June 2020, when the average price index of homes was pegged at GBP234,000, they estimated that a GBP35K they had in savings was enough to meet the 15% down payment. However, since the Stamp Duty Tax break spurred a huge increase in buying activities, the prices of properties in the open market also went up.
In not being able to find and buy a home before the Stamp Duty Tax break expired, the GBP35K savings is no longer sufficient. The latest average price of a UK home as of October 2021 had inflated to GBP267k. This denoted that while still house hunting, the equity they have to pay continued to increase. If based on the current average price index, they have at least GBP40k.
This is why the recent spate of home buying activities came to be called “the race for space.” House hunters have been looking for a real estate property that not only provided a decent living place but also ample space for a change. However, they have to find one real quick before the dwindling supply of available houses reaches a price index that they could no longer afford.
That is regardless of the low interest rate on housing loans. After all, the amount due as interest, despite a locked-in low rate will also increase, as calculations will be based on the principal amount of the loan.
To summarize, if the demand for housing increases but not met with a corollary increase in supply, the prices of property will go up. The longer it takes for one to buy a property, the more likely that the buying power of one’s money will diminish.
Here’s a tip: Borehamwood, which is only a 25-minute train ride away from London, has had housing developments in recent years. Those who immediately reached out to Borehamwood Estate Agents for help, lost no time in finding a house that more or less met their requirements and within their budget.
