Welcome to the Basingstoke Property Blog

I had a very interesting conversation with a developer this week, whilst we were talking about potential sales and rental values for a new development in Basingstoke. (I am sure you are aware, Martin & Co are always happy to look at any potential buy to let purchase in Basingstoke that you may be considering, and advise on suitability and potential rental value. We don't charge for this service, even if you are not a currently a customer). We were talking about the Basingstoke Property Market and this developer brought up the subject of a report he had read from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) that stated almost 1.8m new rental homes are needed by 2025 to keep up with current demand from tenants. He wanted to know what this meant for Basingstoke. Some commentators were saying last Winter that buy to let market was likely to slow down, due in part to the new stamp duty changes and in part due to the mortgage tax...

Over the last month, the Basingstoke property market has seen some interesting movement in house prices, as property values in the Basingstoke and Dean Borough Council area rose by 0.2% in the last month, to leave annual price growth at 13.6%. These compare well to the national figures where property prices across the UK saw a monthly uplift of 0.42%, meaning the annual property values across the Country were 8.3% higher, this is all despite the constraining factors of Stamp Duty changes in the spring and more recently the uncertainty surrounding Brexit. Looking at the figures for the last 18 months makes even more fascinating reading, whereby house prices are 17.6% higher, again thought provoking when compared to the national average figure of 13.6% higher.   However, it gets more remarkable when we look at how the different sectors of the Basingstoke market are performing. Over the last 18 months, in the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council area, the best performing typ...

942% - Rise in Basingstoke Property Prices since 1981   Roll back 35 years to 1981, Margaret Thatcher was in power, there was a Royal Wedding, Britain won the Ashes and Bucks Fizz won Eurovision with ‘Making your Mind up’. How things have changed.   The number of homeowners and property investors who said they wish they had that hindsight and bought up every house in Basingstoke all those years ago, especially when you consider what has happened to Basingstoke property values in that time.   Basingstoke Property Values since 1981 have risen by 942%.   Not a bad return when you consider inflation over the same time period has been 271.9%, meaning in real terms (i.e. after inflation), property values in Basingstoke are 670.1% higher.    It’s no wonder people can’t afford to buy property anymore and landlords are attracted by bricks and mortar. Yet the changes to the Basingstoke Property market run much deeper than property value changes,...

As from the 1st April 2018 there will be a requirement for any properties rented out in the private rented sector to normally have a minimum energy performance rating of E on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The regulations will come into force for new lets and renewals of tenancies with effect from 1st April 2018 and for all existing tenancies on 1st April 2020. It will be unlawful to rent a property which breaches the requirement for a minimum E rating, unless there is an applicable exemption. As a landlord, it has been a requirement since 2008 to have an EPC for your property, and this certificate will outline areas in your property where you can take action to improve the performance of your property. This typically relates to double glazing, wall and loft insulation, fitting thermostats in the property and the efficiency of your water and heating systems. Other areas include energy efficient lighting. Landlord’s should check to see if the current EPC for thei...

As winter approaches, the Basingstoke property market has a confident feel to it. With the continued lack of properties being built, a shortage of properties (both in terms of quantity and quality) coming to the market and the continued low mortgage rate environment, buyer enquiries from first time buyers and buy to let landlords is strong and motivation is even stronger, given those inexpensive lending rates and general demand caused by under supply. There are a few potential hurdles coming towards us in the coming months that could affect the Basingstoke (and UK) property market. Theresa May has yet to get her teeth into Brexit negotiations and we don’t know what the US Presidential elections might do to the money markets around the world, meaning that in the run up to Christmas, some savvy buyers may take advantage of the lack of certainty by making cheeky offers, but I don’t believe these will have a huge impact on property values (as during the 2008 Credit Crunch). Prope...