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With the UK House market still in despair, Property owners are looking out for signs of optimism and there is a perhaps unexpected positive effect on Property Values beginning to make itself felt.
The United Kingdom Pound is currently Frail compared to most other currencies. Take for example the Euro. Just a couple of years ago 100,000 euros would have translated into £70,000, hardly enough to buy you a modest terraced home in a reasonable area of the UK. But at the moment that same 100,000 euros would get you £86,000. And, because the prices of Properties in the UNITED KINGDOM has slumped by about 20% in the same time; that £86,000 will now buy you lots more than it would have 2 years ago. In a nutshell your 100,000 Euros has gone from an equivalent home buying power of £70,000 2 years ago, to an equivalent £107,000 today, a 50% improvement in purchasing power. But, these buyers are well aware that they must strike before the pound strengthens. That’s great news if you need Sell Property Fast, because it balances your bargaining position quite a lot. For sure, if I was needing to Sell my Property fast, I’d be sure to make sure it was well publicised abroad as well as at home.
This 2 way effect is luring foreign investors. These could be individuals selling property abroad (assuming their local market is reasonable) and then repatriating back to the UK . They see the present climate as a great time to return to the UK and actually gaining in capital base by doing so. Others are raising funds locally (abroad) and then bringing funds to the UK at these attractive exchange rates and entering the buy to let property market. Such investors can find that they are bringing in the same rental income they would have enjoyed two years ago for only two thirds the outlay. And as long as they do not convert the rental income back to their native currency they do not suffer the penalty of selling a weak pound. They can retain income within the UK to fund further good value property investments.
Another kind of foreign buyer is the corporate investor or fund manager. There are signs that a good many very big funds are trying to come into the UK residential property market to snatch extremely good value Houses using very good value currency UK pound. Again this plays on the double advantage effect described earlier. Funds are being used to build UK based rental portfolios or in a few cases to just trade in houses in the UK . It is thought that many such funds come from the far east, especially China. Once again, if you can attract these buyers you’re sure to make a Quick Home Sale at a decent price.
All of this is a little, but positive, influence on the house market. By the ubiquitous effect of the rules of supply and demand; this can only have a positive effect on Values . More crucially it stimulates turnover and can unlock Home chains, so one investment purchase can lead to a number of onward sales and a further increase in turnover.