Nearly half the public think house prices in their area are currently too high

According to an Ipsos poll conducted for the BBC's Panorama programme, 46% think house prices in their area are currently too high whilst fewer than one in ten (9%) think house prices are too low.

When asked about house prices over the next few years, more of the public want to see house prices in their local area go down (39%) than go up (29%). Sentiment on the future of local house prices does, however, vary with owners more likely than renters to want to see house prices rise.

Other findings:

• A quarter of the public (26%) say they are struggling on their present income these days while 44% say they are comfortable.
• Three in ten (31%) of the public who don’t own their home outright pay more than a third of their total household income in mortgage payments or rent.
• More than half the public (55%) are concerned with their ability to pay their energy bills, 31% are concerned with their ability to pay their rent or mortgage payments.
• More than three in five (63%) of those aged 18-24 say that house prices in their area are too high and more than two-thirds (69%) of private renters say prices are too high. 
• Two in five home-owners (41%) want to see house prices in their local area go up over the next few years while a quarter want to see them go down. This contrasts to those renting privately where two-thirds (67%) want to see prices to go down and just 9% want to see them go up.

Downloads

• Download the BBC topline (PDF)
• Download the BBC computer tables (PDF)

In an additional question included for Moneyweek, 16% of the public say they either currently, or plan to, use the proceeds from the sale of a property to fund their retirement while half the public say they are not retired and have no plans to use the proceeds from the sale of a property to fund their life when they do retire. Other findings:

• Owners are three times as likely as those living in social rented housing to be using, or planning to use, the proceeds from the sale of a property to fund their life in retirement (20% compared to 6%).
• Nearly a quarter (23%) of owners with a mortgage say they are not retired but plan to use the proceeds from the sale of a property to fund their life when they retire.
• 67% of those aged between 18-34 say they are not retired and don’t plan to use the proceeds from the sale of a property to fund their life when they do retire.

Downloads

• Download the Moneyweek topline (PDF)
• Download the Moneyweek computer tables (PDF)

Technical note

Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,003 adults aged 18+ by telephone across Great Britain. Fieldwork was conducted between 25-27 October 2013. Data has been weighted to the known population profile.