An increase in the sale of second homes is putting up rental demand. 

Changes to tax regulations and a possible increase in capital gains tax has seen landlords list their properties – to the extent almost one third of all properties listed last month were second homes. That in itself could signal an increase in existing rents as demand begins once again to far outstrip supply. 

Majority of surveyors expect property prices to rise

The findings, from the latest report of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) backed up other house index figures released last week from the Nationwide and property portal Zoopla. They pointed to an accelerated UK property market – one in which property prices were expected to rise over the next year, according to more than half of surveyors interviewed. 

Analysts refer to reduced mortgage interest rates as the kickstart the market needed. And these rates are expected to fall even further with expectations that the Bank of England will reduce its base rate by a quarter percent in early November. The Bank cut it from 5.25% in August – the first reduction in four and a half years. 

Meanwhile Finance Minister Rachel Reeves warns she may increase capital gains tax from 33 per cent to 39 per cent in the budget at the end of this month.

Difficulties for today’s first-time buyers put into perspective

From second home owners to first time buyers, upmarket estate agency Hamptons this week showed just how difficult it is to access the property market today. 

Their report showed that the typical mortgage payment for Generation Z (who were born in the late 1990s) is double that paid by previous generations. The typical sum for Generation Z is £1,739 a month. Millennials have had it much easier. Those born in the 1980s pay roughly £863 a month, while Baby Boomers (born in the 1960s) have been enjoying much lower mortgage costs of £775 on average.

Not surprisingly, the costs are down to a mixture of house price increases far outstripping inflation.