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Category: Lettings Update

Coronavirus results in countrywide cash-in

Vendors of countryside properties are ‘cashing in’ on the coronavirus rush to get away from busy cities – and London in particular.

That’s according to several big estate agencies dealing with such rural retreats. Frank Knight reports that their more expensive country properties are selling for as much as 17 per cent over the asking price.

Panic buying for rural idylls

The rush by wealthy city dwellers to leave the capital has seen ‘frenzied activity’ in southern rural idylls, especially in locations such as the Cotswolds.

Jonathan Bramwell, of The Buying Solution, said he witnessed a buyer instruct his solicitor after just one viewing and exchange contracts within a week. Countryside estate agents said 15 per cent of registered buyers between April and May were from London – double the number than usual.

Properties priced between £2.5m and £3.5m in both Suffolk and Sussex are now regularly getting up to 10 per cent over the asking price. The number of buyers for such properties has jumped from four to 10 year-on-year.

Even wealthy buyers hit by restrictions

Strutt & Parker estate agents in Salisbury recently sold a £2m property for £200,000 over the asking price. But analysts warn the mass exodus of wealthier couples and families from London can’t continue. The stock market is expected to be badly hit when the government furlough scheme ends in October. At the same time finance lender restrictions will get even tighter.

The value of homes valued at £5m and upwards has increased by 1.2 per cent between May and June, says Frank Knight. At the same time, offers on countryside properties within travelling distance of London, priced between £5m and £10m, is 182 per cent higher than the five-year average.

Lettings Update July 2020

There have been encouraging developments within the lettings market, triggered in mid-May when Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick set out plans to restart England’s property market. With many of those involved in the sale or rent of homes left in limbo during the lockdown period, the news that lettings and estate agents could once again re-open […]

Tenants demand bike storage

Forget super-fast broadband and space for an office, bike storage is the latest ‘must-have’ for rental properties post-lockdown.

This is according to data from executives at leading online rental app Movebubble. They report a huge shift in searches for flats with bike storage – or at least space where cycles can be stored – compared to three months ago. They also note a 193 per cent increase in demand for properties with a garden or any kind of outdoor space.

Meanwhile, property portal RightMove say 40,000 properties deals have been concluded since lockdown restrictions were lifted in England during the third week in May.

Aidan Rushby, CEO of Movebubble, said that the desire to travel safely and avoid public transport had led to lots of renters requesting “additional space in the form of bike storage” – regardless of whether they had a bike at present. This chimed with a recent Mintel survey which showed we were becoming a nation of cyclists even pre-lockdown, with e-bike sales rising by 40 per cent last year.

This potential change in behaviour lockdown has brought about also means more individuals becoming comfortable walk-through viewing videos, say Movebubble.

New tenancy electrical safety checks add to Landlord burden

New legislation for landlords to carry out electrical safety checks is due to come into force on July 1.

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 means landlords will have to provide an EICR report for all new tenancies. A copy of the report should then be passed on to tenants within 28 days of their moving in. After that the electrical installations will have to be professionally tested at least every five years.

The law will be extended to existing tenancies from April 1, 2021.

Right now, tenancy demand is at a premium. Goodlord reported an increase of 122 per cent on June 2 compared to the same day last year, meaning many landlords will already have their hands full dealing with paperwork.

Tom Harrington, Managing Director of property services  assessment provider PropCert warned landlords and estate agents should make sure they have access to electricians in time.

He added: “If electricians are unable to meet demand and checks are not carried out, this backlog could lead to tenancies being delayed or falling through, which would be highly counter-productive as the market continues to recover from the effects of Covid-19.” Failure to comply with the regulations could result in a financial penalty of a maximum of £30,000.

Landlords feel lighter after Letting Index results

Landlords in England can relax after it was confirmed the lettings market hasn’t suffered from the inactivity of the past couple of months.

On the contrary, pent-up demand caused by the coronavirus lockdown, has seen record number of enquiries in the sector compared to similar years. According to Proptech firm Goodlord’s Letting Activity Tracker the number of rental applications and completed lettings have far surpassed last year’s figures for the same period.

On June 2, for instance, the number of new rental applications were 112 per cent up on the same day in 2019, while completed lettings reached an increase of 124 per cent on June 10 compared to the same day in 2019.

Social distancing measures are still in place for viewing due to the coronavirus pandemic and video technology is increasingly being employed. But, unlike in Scotland and Wales, leases are being signed. Scotland is expected to open its property market again tomorrow (June 18) and Wales on Friday (June 19).

Build-to-rent popularity grows day by day

The number of Build to Rent (BTR) homes in the UK is now sitting at around 157,512.

This is according to the latest figures from the British Property Federation (BPF). A breakdown shows that of the total, 43,236 units are finished, 33,505 still being built and 80,771 still in the planning stage.

London has the biggest number of BTR units with 74,892. But other areas with high concentrations of the rental units are Manchester and Salford. More homes too are sprouting in the Midlands and, in fact, most UK cities have at least some form of BTR – whether under construction or still ‘on paper’ for the time being.

Giant investors plough money into BTR

The BTR sector currently accounts for around three per cent of the property market, but a recent influx of major players – attracted by the low risk the sector represents – means that number will only grow. The investors to note include Goldman Sachs, Legal & General and Aberdeen Standard Investments.

Goldman Sachs, in conjunction with developer Quintain, are building several hundred BTR units near Wembley Stadium, at a cost of £150.0 million. The banking giant last year spent £184 million for a BTR skyscraper in Birmingham.

Legal & General own 4,600 BTR units worth £1.7 billion and has many more in the planning stages, including Glasgow, Brighton, Woolwich and Croydon. Existing homes are in Manchester, Birmingham and Walthamstow.

Continuing interest north of the border has seen Aberdeen Standard Investments contribute to BTR schemes in Edinburgh. Leeds and Stratford are other locations the group is focusing on, while they recently gave £50 million for a 170-unit project in Barking in East London.

BTR the home model of the future?

Meanwhile, property analysts believe that the new ways of working for many home-owners post-coronavirus means BTR units will only grow in popularity. That’s because they tend to be in large apartment-like complexes, with facilities such as purpose-built remote working areas, onsite. Other ‘more social’ areas include entertainment rooms and rooftop gardens. These would provide the opportunity to ‘mingle’ and avoid going out in large crowds.

Lettings and renting in a pandemic

Ben Quaintrell, Letting Agent of 15 years (above). How to continue to survive and thrive during Covid-19 We hope you are managing to stay safe during these worrying times; we wanted to share the steps we’re taking that will allow us to continue to service our customers whilst ensuring we all emerge from this pandemic […]
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