Areas of the country at risk if Interest Rates Rise.

Interest rate rises, well we have been speaking about this now for years or what now seems decades and we are yet to see them as the government knows the real risk to the country as a whole when they do in fact have to raise them. Locations across the country do vary in regards to levels of debt, loan to income ratios etc.

A recent article in the Telegraph by  highlights the ten most vulnerable places to rate rises with Newham being placed first along with Barking & Dagenham and Harlow in the top ten.

Higher mortgage rates is probably something which for many they have forgotten about as they have lived off the back of low interest rates, a rocketing high price situation and temptation to the likes of re-mortgaging to release cash etc… All pointing to a huge problem if interest rates rise.

Many new to the property marketing will of course also be vulnerable as they will have likely paid the most for their property so if we see a drop in property prices they will also face negative equity, this combination being quite the most serious of positions to be in. Older population, especially those out in rural locations may well be least effected as they will be seeing out the last few years of their mortgages and house prices will have risen sufficiently high enough to make most interest rate rises and property price falls unlikely to effect them, hence the likes of North Norfolk and West Somerset are in the top ten of the least exposed local authorities.

Map showing average loan to value ratios from Savills:
Map showing average loan to income ratios from Savills:

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

Castles, cottages, vineyards and barn conversions

The latest data from LandSale has revealed what buyers can expect to pay, and how much they can get for their money if they want to escape to the country, with castles, vineyards, barn conversions, and cottages currently offering very different routes to rural living. The analysis draws on LandSale’s internal listing data and examines…
Read More
Breaking News

Poor property maintenance could wipe £59,000 in value

The latest research by property management specialist, Rushbrook, has revealed that landlords who fail to adequately maintain their rental properties could see as much as £30,172 wiped from the value of the average buy-to-let investment across England, with this potential loss climbing to almost £59,000 in London.   Rushbrook analysed landlord-specific property values across each…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 20/8/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Why Angela Rayner Housing Secretary is in the wrong job – again   A smile, bluster and vague soundbites will not solve the UK housing crisis  Thought Leadership by Andrew Stanton – CEO Proptech-PR  ‘I have been involved in the UK property industry since the mid 1980’s…
Read More
Breaking News

Buyers Looking Beyond London

London new-build demand plummets behind commuter belt as buyers look beyond the capital   Demand for new-build homes in Essex more than three times higher than in London, while Hertfordshire faces supply squeeze amid growing buyer appetite   The latest research by UK Property Development has revealed a growing divide between London’s new-build market and…
Read More
Finance

Top six tips for first-time buyers

Independent mortgage broker, Flagstone Financial, has outlined key advice for first-time buyers, pointing to flexible options as signs of an improving mortgage market.   With high loan-to-value lending (80–95%) becoming more widely available, the property ladder is more accessible than in recent years, and experts at Flagstone Financial, partner of the Beresfords Group, are advising…
Read More
to let sign 2025
Breaking News

England’s rental stock surges by as much as 86.6% in a year

Rental listings have almost doubled in Tyne and Wear since August 2025, with Greater Manchester and a host of other markets also recording double-digit growth   The latest research from Propoly has revealed that England’s rental listings have climbed by an average of 7.4% in the past year, led by an 86.6% increase in Tyne and…
Read More