Welcome

Thebeginning of a New Year is always my favourite point of the year despite the fact the weather and the media are doing their best to take the shine off it. But there has been a good level of initial business activity, perhaps evidence that given the nationally low numbers of houses available to purchase, we may see a resilient marketplace.

We have seen a ‘levelling out’ of house prices as competition for properties is not as strong as in recent years but we are yet to see any dramatic decreases in property values like the early nineties.

There is plenty of activity on the investment front with some Landlords still keen to expand their portfolios, while others are heading for the exit given the Council’s plan for the new class of HMOs (Homes of Multiple Occupancy) which comes in later this year. For many Landlords, rising mortgage costs together with regulation costs aimed to make homes more eco-efficient by 2030, has understandably all become too much. On the reverse side of the coin and with house prices stabilising, statistics that show 12.2% of all houses sold in the UK in 2022 were snapped up by

The south east of England is still suffering a shortage of available homes and with no quick remedy, existing properties with good links to local transport and amenities, will in my opinion, still present a good investment in the long term.

As ever, our experienced staff are available to give advice on all aspects of the market where experience matters more than it has never done in the last few years.

Neil Maxwell, Director