Britain tops the property gloom rankings
More than two thirds (68 per cent) of people in the UK think that this is a bad time to buy real estate according to the latest findings by Ipsos. Conversely, Indians are the most positive about their property market, with 64 per cent saying that this is a good time to purchase property.
The Ipsos Global @dvisor survey of 24 countries around the world asked people if they think it will be a good time to buy real estate, such as a house, vacation property or investment property in the next 30 days. Only four countries (Saudi Arabia, China, South Korea and Japan) were more negative about the idea of buying property in the current climate than the UK.
European countries as a whole are cautious about the idea of buying new property, with Russia the most positive with 57 per cent saying that now is a good time to buy. Sweden (51 per cent) and Germany (49 per cent) were split on the issue while the rest of Europe, particularly Britain, remain negative.
As a nation we also feel more negative about making big purchases than we were in the recent past. Three quarters (75 per cent) of people in Britain say they are now less comfortable buying a house or a car than they were six months ago.
A spokesperson for Ipsos said: “It’s not good news for the housing market that people not only think that now is a bad time to buy a house, but also that it’s a worse time than six months ago.
We are currently seeing a lot of examples of the public being cautious about spending until they feel confident about the economy. The green shoots might be there but it will take more than that to get people moving house.”
