Do detached properties in Burpham make good investments for Buy to Let?

Several property owners in Burpham have placed their properties on the market to sell, to allow them to move on. In several instances they have not sold, so they have decided to put the property on the rental market until they believe the current uncertainty in the market improves, to have a better chance of selling their home.

One of these property owners approached me to seek my advice on what they sort of return they might expect for their detached property in Great Oaks Park.

Great Oaks Park has some excellent properties for sale and rental

We therefore discussed two matters. Would it be worth keeping the property but using it as investment rather than a residential home? Secondly, how is the rental market performing in Burpham and therefore how much rental income might they earn, in order to cover their mortgage payments plus deliver a reasonable rate of return.

Firstly, we found that 335 detached houses have changed hands in Burpham since the year 1996.

Property values in Burpham have risen on average by around 463% over the last 23 years, but most detached properties in Burpham have beaten that rise.

When we look back to 1996, a three bedroomed detached property in Great Oaks Park sold for £124,000 in January, 1996 but was sold again for £640,000 in August 2014. This is an increase of 516%. A similar property has sold this year for £725,000 which equates to a current increase of 584%.

With excellent capital growth you would expect yields to be comparatively lower, but most four bedroom properties in the vicinity of Great Oaks Park achieve rents of £2,750 to £3,000 per month. This means annual yields can be around an attractive 5%!

It therefore confirms that "yes" property is always worth keeping for the long term, as an investment property, especially in Burpham, Guildford because a capital gain is always likely.

Rental values are likely to increase in Burpham

Secondly, the rental market in Burpham continues to thrive as the area is in the catchment area of excellent schools such as George Abbott. There is a parade of local shops and two supermarkets plus great access to the A3 trunk road between London and Portsmouth. This means that there will always be excellent demand for property in the village.

Rental prices are likely to increase as there are very few 4 bed houses in the area available to rent to satisfy the market demand in this area. Rental income will therefore continue to increase yet costs will remain low, assuming interest rates charged on mortgages stay low.

If you would like to talk to us about the Guildford property market and prices please feel free to call me on 01483 320207 or go to https://instantvaluation.newman.uk.com/ to discover how much your property is worth today.

A rare opportunity in Onslow Village

These properties do not come up to often but when they do they provide a great opportunity for either a new owner, or a developer, to bring them up to a modern standard in order to reflect their personality onto the property. This is why I like this property.

Character property in need of modernisation

This is a three bedroom, 1930's, character, semi-detached house with views across to Guildford Cathedral. It has a garage which could be replaced by a 2 storey extension, subject to planning permission, and is located in the very popular and sought after area of Onslow Village. This was not only designed as a garden village and has therefore its own unique styling but it is conveniently located for the mainline railway station, Surrey University, the Royal Surrey County Hospital and the town centre.

This 3 bed house is being marketed at a price that compares favourably to neighbouring property values, by our friends at Surrey & Hampshire, in Godalming so why not contact them to arrange a viewing now? https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-63509145.html

If you would like a chat about property prices in Guildford or want to discover where you will find your next residential or investment property in Guildford call 01483 320207 or email
richard.hodgson@newman.uk.com

In the meantime why not visit https://instantvaluation.newman.uk.com/ to perform an online valuation for your home to discover how much it might be worth in today's market.

Realise the benefits of having your property re-valued every 6 months

We all know getting your home valued at different points in your life is important. This is especially important if you are trying to sell or are planning to sell in the future, but most people don’t realise you need to re-value every 6 months or so, to really reap the benefits.

The market can change quickly
The valuation you arranged is unlikely to be accurate if more than 6 months old, because the market (which tends to determine the value of your home) changes all the time. If you plan to move, or want to know the latest trends occurring in the local property market, to make an informed decision, it’s time to get a new valuation.

Guildford has gained from a 200% growth in property values over the last 20 years.

To build equity
If you haven’t arranged to have a valuation done for a while, you may discover that the increase in your property value over recent years, has created enough equity for a deposit on another property. This does not suggest you leverage yourself to the hilt, but it is useful to know how much equity you possess, particularly if you have considered moving, or are thinking of purchasing a property as an investment.

Are you considering some major renovations?
If you are, it’s also a good idea to get a property valuation to work out whether or not you might be over-capitalising your property. If you find a good valuer or estate agent, they should also be able to advise you on what kind of extension or refurbishments will add value to properties in your area, if you have thoughts of adding value to your property before moving in the long-term.

Making renovations to your home because it’s something you really want – like a walk-in wardrobe - is all well and good, but it might be an idea to keep in mind the potential resale value of your property before you proceed. For example, making a walk in wardrobe out of a third bedroom could detract, rather than add, to the value of your property if you live in an area where demographics are weighted towards families.

Maximise your war chest but do not over-capitalise your home compared to others in the area

Re-mortgaging your property
A preliminary valuation will help you work out what percentage of your property you own, and whether you can get a better deal. If your mortgage is up for renewal, you should definitely know the value of your home to give to your mortgage provider; and to support you in your negotiations to achieve a favourable mortgage and repayment terms. They will double-check the value, so ensure you get a professional valuer, to provide a more accurate figure.

So, act now. Get your new home valued to stay informed and up to date with your options.

Family living at a reasonable price close to town centre

This property provides a reasonably sized home for the advertised price so would make an ideal home for a young family. There are three bedrooms with two reception rooms and is located within a stone's throw of London Road railway station and the town centre yet has the luxury of a car parking space.

It would make an ideal investment property as well, returning around 4% gross yield if the rent charged for a single let was pitched at around £1,500 pcm. This is why I like this particular property.

Family house close to Guildford town centre

This 3 bed house is being marketed by our friends at Bourne Estate Agents so why not contact them to arrange a viewing now - https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-65673382.html

If you would like a chat about property prices in Guildford or want to discover where you will find your next residential or investment property in Guildford call 01483 320207 or email
richard.hodgson@newman.uk.com

In the meantime why not visit https://instantvaluation.newman.uk.com/ to perform an online valuation for your home to discover how much it might be worth in today's market.

Detached house with potential to modernise

Located in a quiet close within a short distance of Merrow village and local schools, including St Peters Catholic and George Abbot, this property has the potential to become a desirable family residence.

Having lived in the property for over 40 years making little change except for the addition of a conservatory and double glazing there is scope for modernisation work and the opportunity to extend (subject to planning approval) into the garden which is a corner plot. This will make the property a delightful family residence, located in a desirable area.

3 bed house in need of modernisation located in a desirable area

There are several larger 5 bedroom properties valued at the £1m+ mark located in this road to suggest that this will be a viable proposition. This is why I like this particular property.

For those who enjoy the game of golf, Guildford Golf Club is just across the Epsom Road.

The price was recently reduced so there will be a surge in demand for this property so why not contact our friends, at Hill Clements now to arrange a viewing before the property sells?
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-72108418.html

If you would like a chat about property prices in Guildford or want to discover where you will find your next residential or investment property in Guildford call 01483 320207 or email richard.hodgson@newman.uk.com

In the meantime why not visit https://instantvaluation.newman.uk.com/ to perform an online valuation for your home to discover how much it might be worth in today's market.

How can you find a good property deal in Guildford?

I was talking to a developer the other day, when he suggested that there were no property bargains for him to buy in Guildford. Here is what I discovered recently about finding bargains that I had discovered over the last few months.

A 2 bed bungalow in Gateways sold last May for £525,000. In July 2016, the property had previously sold for £575,000, a drop in value of 8.7%!

Having purchased the property at a reasonable price and realising that the average price of property in this road is £1,120,750 a developer would have had the opportunity to profit from their investment.

This road comprises mostly detached 4/5 bedroom homes so the buyer would have the scope to increase the size of this property. While the property would not lend itself to being converted into a house it did at least have sufficient garden room to allow for the floor space to be increased subject to planning permission, and by modernising the bungalow increase its value to resell the property at a higher price.

On the other hand another property in Harvey Road sold for £1,622,500 in May this year. This represented a substantial increase of 63% since it was last sold for £995,000 nearly 4 year's ago, in November 2015.

This increase in price was realised by using a cleverly designed plan to maximise the use of space throughout. This home is now an impressive refurbished and remodelled six bedroom detached family home. The property has been extended to provide an additional 100 sqm. There is a new and substantial kitchen and breakfast area plus two additional bedrooms including one further ensuite bathroom.

The prime area of Harvey Road is situated above the High Street so is very close to the town centre, in addition to providing beautiful far reaching views across Surrey and Berkshire on the horizon. Harvey Road is also close to Pewley Downs providing access to miles of lovely walking and riding countryside with many footpaths and bridleways. The Royal Grammar School for boys is located in the Upper High Street not far away; and a short walk to The High School for girls.

This just goes to prove that a property does not necessarily have to be purchased at a discount in order to realise a healthy return on one's investment, However understanding your market and creating a high specification to meet the expectations of your buyer, ideally wanting to live in a lovely house close to the town centre, does help.

If you would like to talk to us about property in Guildford please feel free to call me on 01483 600840 or go to https://instantvaluation.newman.uk.com/ to discover how much your property is worth today.

Guildford v Jacobs Well

While speaking with a number of house owners in Jacobs Well recently it appeared that they had moved away from Guildford town centre to enjoy living in larger properties but comparatively less expensive.

This made me wonder what are the actual figures and is Jacobs Well definitely a place to be considered as a potentially cheaper home?

Jacobs Well has a population of just 1,171 and is situated on the northern edge of town surrounded by woods and not far from the River Wey and Sutton Green (the former home of John Paul Getty, the billionaire). There is a small shopping parade in one of the residential roads and the centre of all social activities is the village hall.

Having previously lived in terraced properties these house owners would have sold their 2 bed semi detached properties, in Guildford, for around £424,900 whilst their new 3 bed semi-detached bungalow in Jacobs Well could be acquired for a £400,000, or slightly less, so was around 5% less expensive.

If they were to return to Guildford town centre to purchase a 3 bed semi-detached house in the area where they had previously lived this would typically cost £550,000, considerably more than their new bungalow in Jacobs Well.

So it seems that while the house owners might have saved a little by purchasing in Jacobs Well, it is really the comparative saving they have made by acquiring a property with 3 bedrooms rather than their existing 2 bedrooms, that has saved them money. More importantly they now enjoy the country life and the benefits that this has brought to them.

If you would like to talk to us about property in Guildford please feel free to call me on 01483 600840 or go to https://instantvaluation.newman.uk.com/ to discover how much your property is worth today.

Guildford Property Market update - September 2019

For this month's Guildford property market update I have taken a look at the latest figures available to indicate the state of the nation, as the housing market continues to be influenced very much by national issues such as BREXIT and what possible affects the new PM and his policies will have on the property market, both locally and nationally.

Wages rose 3.9% in the three months to June, the highest rate of growth since 2008 according to new figures released by the Office for National Statistics. Wage growth continues to outstrip inflation, 1.9% in June, the same as in May and down 0.1% on April.

GDP contracted in the second quarter of 2019. This is the first time there has been a fall since 2012. Manufacturing output and construction both fell, and the trade deficit narrowed, following a sharp rise at the beginning of 2019, coinciding with the UK's original departure date from the EU.

UK employment remains at its highest level since 1971. The ONS report 32.76 million people aged 16-64 were in employment in the three months to the end of June. The number of self-employed part-timers has increased to over 1.5 million, more than double 25 years ago.

HMRC reported house sale transaction levels in July were 12.4% below the same month a year ago. It is worth pointing out that the June 2019 figure has just been revised from a 16.5% fall to a 4.7% fall. It is likely that the July fall is not as substantial as is being currently reported.

Nationally there were 7.8% fewer homes for sale in June compared to a year ago, according to Rightmove, with sales volumes 4.6% lower to date in 2019. With demand levels starting to stabilise, the RICS expect some improvement in sales rates at the national level over the next 12 months.

The latest RICS Residential Market Survey suggests market demand is beginning to stabilise. In July demand levels increased for the second month running, following consecutive months of decline since July 2018.

The low interest rate and greater availability of mortgage products might have influenced the number of mortgage approvals. These rose slightly in June to 66,440, above the 60,000 projected in the May Bank of England inflation report. Although buyer interest remains, the average time to find a buyer in July, was 62 days, the longest since July 2013, according to Rightmove.

The latest data available at The Land Registry states the average house price in the UK is £230,292. Property prices have risen by 0.7% compared to the previous month, and risen by 0.9% compared to the previous year.

How does the local Guildford property market compare?

Average property selling prices have continued to increase but only marginally at 2% overall, over the last 12 months.

Most vendors I speak with have been concerned, for whatever reason, that their properties have been taking longer to sell. Current figures suggest the following number of days are taken for homes within a 3 mile radius of the centre of Guildford, to sell.

The number of properties sold in the most recent month for which data is available, compared to the same month last year, has reduced dramatically. Some say this is due to a reduction in the level of seller and buyer confidence due to the current state of the nation so vendors are delaying their decision to move; or extending their homes rather than move to a larger property.

Currently their are 557 homes for sale in the Guildford area with 48 having been added in the last 14 days with an average asking price of £556,692. However a substantial number of property listings have also been removed from Rightmove over the last week suggesting that properties are being sold, even after months of delay.

Source: home.co.uk

Considering the uncertainty the Country has been through in the last three years with the ‘B’ word issue, stock levels and the increase in time to sell might be of concern but as prices are still moving up, albeit by only a small overall percentage, the underlying resilience of the local market does remain strong, as suggested by the long term price increases that Guildford has experienced.

Now looking forward towards the end of the year .. how will Guildford house values change under the new Prime Minister?

Boris Johnson and Brexit are short-term distractions from the long-term issues of the UK property market. Until we start building at least 300,000 properties a year to meet the demand for UK property, demand will always outstrip supply, meaning irrespective of short-term fluctuations that may or may not be caused by domestic and world events, prices will always in the medium to long term remain stable and increase.