Positive selling sentiment wavers with small dip in house price optimism
The fourth monthly wave of the Halifax Housing Market Confidence Tracker in 2015 shows that two thirds of Britons (63%) expect a rise in the average UK property price over the next year, significantly lower than the 67% who said this in March 2015.
Following a small increase in house price optimism in March 2015, confidence in property prices dipped slightly in April. The fourth monthly wave of the Halifax Housing Market Confidence Tracker in 2015 shows that two thirds of Britons (63%) expect a rise in the average UK property price over the next year, significantly lower than the 67% who said this in March 2015.
This compares to 5% who expect the average price to fall, leaving the headline House Price Outlook balance (HPO – the proportion of people that expect the average house price to rise in the next 12 months less those who think it will fall) at +58. This is six points lower than the equivalent figure last month (HPO was +64 in March 2015.
At the same time, following a peak in selling sentiment in March, the proportion saying the next 12 months will be a good time to sell has relaxed: 56% of Britons said this, compared with 59% the previous month. One quarter (26%) think it will be a bad time (as in March), leaving a net balance of +30.
The net figure for buying sentiment (+26) has risen: 55% of Britons think it will be a good time to buy over the next 12 months (53% in March) and 29% think it will be a bad time to buy.
Technical note Ipsos interviewed 1,025 British adults aged 16+ face-to-face, between 10th – 20th April 2015. Data has been weighted to the known population profile.More insights about Energy & Environment
