Talk to many
Warrington 20 something’s, where home ownership has looked but a vague dream,
many of them have been vexatious towards the Baby Boomer generation and their pushover
‘easy go lucky’ walk through life; jealous of their free university education
with grants, their eye watering property windfalls, their golden final salary
pensions and their free bus passes.
If you had
bought a property in Warrington for say £15,000 in first quarter of 1977, today
it would be worth £227,343, a windfall increase of 1415.6%.
But to blame
the 60 and 70 year olds of Warrington for that sort of rise seems a little
unfair, with the value of the homes rising like rocket, I don't believe they
can be censured or made liable for that. A few weeks ago, I discussed in my
blog the number of people in the Warrington area who have two or more spare
bedrooms (meaning they are under-occupying the house). I see many mature
members of Warrington society, rattling around in large 4/5 bed houses where
the kids have flown the nest years ago ... but should they be blamed?
We are all
just human, and the mature members of UK society have just reacted to the inducements
of our property and tax system. The mature generations who joined the property
market party in the 1970’s and 1980’s were able to take out huge
mortgages, protected in the knowledge that inflation would corrode the real
value of the mortgage, while wage gains would boost their ability to repay.
Neither do I
directly blame the multitude of Warrington buy to let landlords, buying up
their 10th or 11th property to add to their buy to let empire. They too, are humbly
reacting to the peculiar historic inducements of the UK property market.
So, who is
to blame?
Well, hyperinflation
in the 1970’s meant the real value of people’s mortgages was whipped out (as
mentioned above). Margaret Thatcher and Nigel Lawson are also good people to
blame with Maggie selling off millions of council houses and Nigel Lawson’s
delayed ending of the MIRAS tax relief in 1987; meaning he too can get his share
of indignation. The Blair/Brown combo doubled stamp duty in 1997 and again in
2000, which, as a tax on property transactions, precludes a more
efficient distribution of the current housing stock. The Government has
had plenty of opportunity to change the draconian stamp duty rules to
incentivise those mature Warrington house movers to downsize.
However, I
have started to see over the last few years a change in Government policy
towards housing. The new breed of Warrington buy to let landlords that have
come about since the Millennium, have had their wings clipped over the last
couple of years, with the introduction of new tax rules (meaning it is slightly
more difficult to make money out of property unless you have all the national
information and Warrington property trends to hand).
It’s easy to think the only reason that hundreds of first time buyers have been priced out of the Warrington housing market is because of these landlords. Yet, I believe landlords have been undervalued with the Warrington homes they provide for Warrington people. With first time buyers struggling to save for a deposit, if it weren’t for those landlords buying up those homes over the last 10/15 years, we would have a bigger housing crisis than we have today. Since the global financial crisis of 2008/9, local councils have had to cut services, so certainly didn’t have enough money to build new homes ... homes that were provided to Warrington by these buy to let landlords.
One side of the argument is that 626 homes are being bought up by buy to let landlords each year in the Warrington Borough Council area when otherwise they might have become available to other buyers, the other side of the argument is the current national average deposit is £51,800, which is, by far, the greatest barrier to those wanting to buy their first home. Those homes bought by local buy to let landlords are not left idle, as they equate to 4,379 of new homes for local people, most of whom who see renting as a better option because of the choice, the simplicity and the flexibility which renting brings.
In the 60’s/70’/80’s, the traditional thoughts that you were a failure
unless you owned your own home have now all but disappeared, because if you ask
many young people, they would probably say renting was the perfect option for
them at certain times of their life.
Many of you reading my blog ask why I say these things. I want to share my thoughts and opinions on the real issues affecting the Warrington property market, warts and all. If you want fluffy clouds and rose tinted glasses articles – then my articles are not for you. However, if you want someone to tell you the real story about the Warrington property market, be it good, bad or indifferent, then maybe you should start reading my blog regularly.
Email me on manoj@hamletwarrington.co.uk or call on 01925 235338. If you are in the area, feel free to pop into the office – we are based on G5, Warrington Business Park, Long Lane, WA2 8TX. There is plenty of free parking and the kettle is always on.
Don't forget to visit the links below to view back dated deals and Warrington Property News.
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