Property investors in London and the Home Counties are enjoying profits and rising prices way ahead of those in the rest of the country, according to estate agents.
The much-rumoured north/south property divide has widened to a chasm – with property people in the north and midlands losing out.
Data from research and surveys carried out by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors shows a ‘clear and consistent’ set of regional trends across the four main property sectors.
All of them highlight the strength of London and south east for property people, while the rest of the country is mostly languishing in the doldrums
- RICS Housing Market Survey in February 2011 showed London as the only region experiencing positive house price expectations followed by the South East. Yorkshire and Humberside recorded the most depressed house price expectations
- RICS Construction Market Survey for the last three months of 2010 showed that London and the South East were the only regions to record rising total workloads
- RICS Commercial Market Survey for the last three months of 2010 showed that within England, London was the only region with rising rental expectations in the all-property category
- RICS Lettings Survey in the first three months of 2011 showed rental expectations in the private rental market highest in London and the South East
RICS economist Himanshu Wani, said: “Part of the reason for the relative strength of the London property market particularly the prime segment is its enduring appeal to overseas investors. But it also reflects the nature of the economic recovery underway.
“With large public spending cuts forthcoming, the risks is that the existing regional disparity will become even more pronounced unless the government’s ‘growth strategy’ chalks up early successes in boosting activity and jobs away from the capital.”
Property in Yorkshire, Humberside and the north east is showing a weaker return than the rest of the country.
The counties that make up the south east are generally considered to be: London, Essex, Kent, Surrey, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire plus East and West Sussex
The latest RICS survey details can be found at: www.rics.org/economics
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