Regional Property Market Update Spring 2023: Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire

Stepping into spring
Despite the brake on house-price growth, the market, as well as economic outlook, is showing tentative green shoots as we head towards spring.
There has been a welcome fall in mortgage rates, with rates of below 4% for lower loan-to-value mortgages. Typical costs of a two-year deal and five-year fixed-rate mortgage have fallen back to where they were in October 2022, in spite of the Bank of England Bank Rate rising by 1.75% during this period. There has also been a rise in the number of mortgage products, with over 4,000 different products now available. The number of days a product is available before it is withdrawn has also increased, now at 28 days, up from just 15 days in January, the highest level since March 2022 (Zoopla).

 
Outlook
The housing market and economy are closely interlinked, and despite the rising cost of living, the rate of inflation has slowed and is expected to fall back over the course of the year. Employment levels remain strong, GDP forecasts are improving and any recession is expected to be less severe than first predicted. Prices are softening but many sellers continue to be over-optimistic on price. With supply returning to more normal levels, up 60% compared to a year ago, there is more choice for prospective purchasers and Zoopla report the average discount to asking price is currently 4.5%.
The British are a nation of home lovers and the pursuit of home ownership is one of our main aspirations. Newly released data from the 2021 census reveals that of the 24.8 million households in England and Wales, 15.3 million are in home ownership, the equivalent to 61.6%. For the first time since the collection of mortgage data started, more than half (53.3%) of all owner-occupied homes are owned outright, as opposed to with a mortgage or loan. Private rented property is however still in demand, with over one million more households living in the private rental sector than ten years ago.
In the East of England 67.2% of households are in home ownership, above the average for England and Wales. Just over 53% of homeowners own outright, 47% have a mortgage or loan.

 
Market dynamics
The pendulum is swinging back in favour of the buyer as 2023 unfurls. Although the number of properties available to sell remains lower than the last so-called normal market of 2019, the supply of new stock to the market is higher than a year ago, offering buyers more choice. The time taken to sell a property is edging upwards and sellers need to be sensible when pricing their property to reflect market conditions. Across 2023, sales volumes are expected to pare back to pre-pandemic levels of around 1 million.
Houses remain the most sought-after property choice for new buyers across the market, but the proportion of prospective purchasers seeking an apartment has risen. Although 39% of new buyers are looking for a three-bed house, the most in-demand property type, Hometrack report that more than three in ten buyers are now looking to purchase an apartment. Of sales recorded in the East of England in 2022, one in every six was an apartment.
 

 
Contact us
Sell your property with your local expert this winter. Contact your local Guild Member today.
 

Financial Services

Contact a specialist from Aston & Co Financial Services for help with finding the right mortgage.

Read What Our
Customers Say

Jodie Skinner

From the beginning, our experience with Michael and Rhys has been brilliant. Whenever we had a question to ask or needed some additional information, they were both just a phone call away and were always happy to provide us with an answer. As first time buyers, they made us feel ...

Sue Smith

We can’t fault Aston and co in Syston, for their handling of the sale of our property. We were kept up to date weekly and nothing was too much trouble. Both Micheal and Rhys were approachable and very professional. I would definitely recommend using them for an efficient and hassle ...

Andy

Having had issues with other agents, we came to Astons who gave us an honest appraisal of our house – not overpricing it like others to gain business. Michael and Rhys are a great partnership and Rhys being local was able to provide viewers with information that other agents hadn’t. ...

Andy Freer

Recently sold our house with Aston & Co. We honestly could not have asked for more. From the moment Michael came to value the house, to the day to day communication from Rhys we have not had to chase them once. Michael and Rhys are a great partnership and a ...

V Pears

We chose Aston & Co in Syston to handle the sale of our property. We were kept up to date regularly and Michael and Rhys dealt with all matters efficiently and quickly.We would definitely recommend using them for an efficient and hassle-free move.

Gareth Mueller

We bought a house from a vendor who used Astons & Co as their agent. Rhys was helpful and professional from start to finish and regularly kept us in the loop with how things were progressing. Communication was efficient and swift all the way through.

Julie Pearson

From the first visit to value our property to the final phone call informing us of completion Rhys and Michael at the Syston office have been brilliant, down to earth, realistic with valuation very easy to get in touch with.Making everything less stressful.Regular updates were very reassuring . I would ...

Charlotte Hings

The team at Astons are great. They’re really down to earth, take time to listen and help resolve anything they can for you.Their communication is excellent as they always keep you in the loop with what is happening with your sale. They keep both seller and purchaser happy.Fees are reasonable ...

Julie Perkins

We have recently used Aston & Co to sell our property. At all times we received regular reports from them on interest and following viewings . When our property sold Astons managed the chain keeping all parties fully informed and I believe that without their input our sale would have ...

Tina Poole

Michael and Rhys handled both our sale and purchases. They had good local knowledge, their valuation turned out to be on point. Our sale viewings were nearly all on the same day and we accepted an offer very quickly. We were kept up to date regularly with that and our ...

How Much is Your Property Worth?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation.

PROPERTY SEARCH