Today’s Halifax House Price Index – Immediate Comments

August 12, 2019

Marc von Grundherr, Managing Director of Benham and Reeves, a London estate agency with 17 offices:

“Are we seeing a further indictment of Brexit paralysis? Or is this a seasonal blip given that the summer months simply tend to see lower demand? I favour the latter especially given that the numbers that we really should focus upon here are the quarterly and annual figures. For the UK property market to have seen year on year growth of over 4% despite the best endeavours of our politicians to de-rail public sentiment, has to be viewed as at least resilient – perhaps even astonishing”.

 

Shepherd Ncube, CEO of Springbok Properties, the national estate agency and ‘fast sale’ business:

The problem with these indexes is that they paint a very generalised picture of the property market. Almost nowhere in the UK is performing at the ‘averages’ seen here with London and the South East continuing to drag the national data down with significant decreases in value. The north though, in contrast, is indeed a powerhouse currently with house prices running ahead at ‘non-Brexit’ rates. Is it a coincidence, I wonder, that many of these areas were Leave voting?

Regardless, my money’s on a post-Brexit bounce and, should the new PM actually deliver an EU exit on October 31st, whilst this may not sit well for many, it will at least draw a line in the sand for hesitant house buyers and sellers and perhaps restore our battered market to some normality thereafter’.    

 

Colby Short, CEO of GetAgent, the estate agency comparison website says this:

‘The media may well report today’s Halifax numbers as doom and gloom given the monthly drop. But is property a safe bet in the long term? History tells us that this is so and frankly, perhaps we should pay less attention to the numerous indexes that are forced down our throats as starkly indicative when, actually, they affect only those looking to sell right now and, in this market, that’s far fewer people than is usual’. 

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Home and Living

Signs of Outdated Wiring in Older Tulsa-Area Homes

Tulsa has a lot of beautiful older homes. Brookside bungalows, Maple Ridge tudors, the postwar neighborhoods that fill out Midtown and East Tulsa. They were built well, but most were built before central air, before microwaves, before two-car households with two laptops and a dozen phone chargers. The electrical systems inside them were designed for…
Read More →
LIVING BY THE SEASIDE 2022
Breaking News

Britain’s seaside price hotspots revealed

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals Britain’s seaside hotspots where prices are rising the fastest Bootle in Merseyside leads the way, with average asking prices up 11% year-on-year, followed by Crosby in Liverpool (+9%) and Penarth in South Glamorgan (+9%) Other coastal locations including Llantwit Major in South Glamorgan (+8%) and Llanelli, in Carmarthenshire (+7%) are also seeing strong price growth Average asking prices are currently 0.3% lower in Great Britain compared to last year, with some seaside hotspots outpacing the…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Hertfordshire emerges as strongest performing London commuter county

New research from UK Property Development reveals that while London property prices fell by more than -3% in the past year, prices in some of the capital’s surrounding counties have enjoyed positive growth, none more so than the premium commuter county of Hertfordshire.   In the past year, London’s average house price has fallen by…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Second homes losing appeal among the rich

New Survey Reveals Ongoing Maintenance Is the Biggest Barrier to Second Home Ownership   62% say upkeep and hassle would stop them from buying a second home, even if money were no object   A new survey conducted by luxury co-ownership platform Equity Residences has revealed that the practical realities of owning a second home…
Read More →
Letting Agent Talk

How to build a property portfolio with buy-to-let mortgages

One of the reasons property is such a popular asset choice for investors is that you don’t need to invest all the money yourself; you can leverage funds from the bank. Here’s a very simplistic example of how borrowing via a buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage allows you to multiply your returns versus owning a property all-cash:…
Read More →
Home and Living

2026’s Fastest-Growing Bathroom Trend Is the Wet Room

“Wet rooms have become one of the standout bathroom upgrades of 2026, moving from luxury extra to everyday renovation choice as more homeowners prioritise space, style and easy cleaning. The momentum is only building as spa‑style bathrooms stay in demand.” “Wet rooms used to be a niche request,” says Ant Langston, Marketing Manager at Heat…
Read More →