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

Breaking News

Second home hot-spots hit hardest by property slump

New analysis finds second home hot-spots, as well as London, lagged well behind national average growth Rathbones warns of relying on property to fund retirement, with research showing that equity portfolios outperformed housing by six times Housing in areas with high proportions of second homes lost more value in real terms in 2025 than the…
Read More
New Build for Merseyside
Estate Agent Talk

Strong demand for buyer support schemes

Less than 2% of homes for sale offer buyer support schemes despite strong demand – More than one in three scheme-backed homes already sold as affordability pressures continue to drive buyer demand The latest analysis from London estate agent Benham and Reeves has revealed that homes offering buyers additional support through affordability and purchasing schemes…
Read More
AI in estate agency letting agency property
Estate Agent Talk

A quarter of homebuyers think AI search will become more important than portals

New research from UK Property Development (UKPD) suggests that artificial intelligence could be poised to reshape the homebuying journey, with a quarter of recent homebuyers believing AI-powered search will soon overtake traditional property portals as the primary tool for finding a home. The findings come from a survey of 500 homeowners who purchased a property…
Read More
Breaking News

East of England struggling to meet demand for large family homes

The East of England is facing a growing shortage of large family homes, according to new analysis from UK Property Development (UKPD), creating increasing challenges for buyers leaving London in search of more space, better quality of life, and access to one of the capital’s most desirable commuter regions. UKPD analysed live property listings data*…
Read More
Breaking News

One in four tenants evicted a month ahead of the Renter’s Right Act

New analysis of 150,000 tenancies by COHO reveals that the Renters’ Rights Act (RRA) drove an estimated 73,900 additional tenancy eviction notices since 2023, with nearly 20,000 issued in the final month before the legislation came into force on 1 May. The data released this month by the property management software developer, revealed a sharp rise in evictions,…
Read More
Breaking News

First-time buyers paying £38K up front

Average cost of buying a first home climbs above £38,000 as removal costs surge New research from Lyons Bowe that the average cost of buying a first home now stands at £38,353, with first-time buyers facing substantial upfront costs beyond the purchase price itself, as removal costs continue to soar. Lyons Bowe examined the average…
Read More