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Could Birmingham be the next London?

Categories:Reading and Research

As the world progresses into a new era and populations grow, cities, too, will evolve, transforming from nondescript outer suburbs into big capital cities, like Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham – even Kuala Lumpur. Infrastructural growth is the main catalyst for the changes that attract migrants, causing an increment in population numbers. Thus, small cities become capital cities.

In the UK, some of the most exciting cities today in terms of population, job and infrastructural growth are Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester.

Research compiled by Centre for Cities cites Birmingham as the second fastest growing city after Liverpool from 2002 – 2015, increasing from 9,800 to 25,800 people — 7 times faster than London over the same period. This is impressive, given how London had completely eclipsed Birmingham in the past. How the tides have changed!

Knight Frank reports that the number of people living in Birmingham will rise by 171,000 to a total of 1.3 million people by 2039, especially with the expansion of the HS2 high-speed rail line being built in central Birmingham and nearby Solihull, followed by other regeneration projects.  A sweet enticement to new investors indeed.

Birmingham: One of the Best Performing Cities in England & Wales

In the face of this renaissance, this booming city, also fondly known as “The City of A Thousand Trades” maintains its status as the heartland for British industry. The growth of the motor car as well as manufacturing continues to support the industrial sector in England and Wales,  creating more job opportunities and attracting more people — many of whom have relocated from London.

Between 1998 and 2015, job growth in Birmingham hit 30%, representing around 30,600 jobs in total.

       Biggest Growth in City Centre Population & Jobs in England and Wales

Rank City Population growth in city centre (2002-2015) Jobs growth in city centre (1998-2015)
1 Manchester 149% 84%
2 Leeds 151% 34%
3 Birmingham 162% 30%
4 Liverpool 181% 27%
5 Milton Keynes 110% 52%
6 Bristol 86% 41%
7 Newcastle 112% 29%
8 Cardiff 86% 19%
9 Brighton 38% 31%
10 Norwich 57% 16%
20 London 22% 71%

Source: BirminghamLive

However, despite the massive development and job growth, Birmingham is facing a shortage of housing. Between 2011 and 2016, only an estimated 8,000 new houses were built, whereas the actual demand was around 20,000.

The latest data by Hometrack shows that Birmingham is at the third place of house price growth in England, after Manchester and Liverpool, whilst London remains at the bottom.

Manchester clinched top spot at 7.4% growth, followed by Liverpool at 7.2%, and Birmingham at 6.8%. London stayed somewhat flat at only 0.7%.

The average price in Birmingham was at £161,200, slightly lower than Manchester at £166,100, and Liverpool, at £121,900.While price growth in London has been static, house prices there are more than double the national average at £494,800!

Price growth of leading cities in the UK over the last 12 months
Source: Hometrack

Clearly, cities in the Northwest received high capital gains over the last 12 months, yet there is still much room for growth.

Source: Hometrack
Source: Hometrack

The outlook for the housing market in Birmingham appears rosy, thanks to its economic growth thus far.

The region’s strong performance is mainly attributed to its manufacturing sector. In 2016, manufacturing made up 11% of employment in Birmingham, compared to the average for UK cities of 8.8%.

Due to costly house prices, as well as lesser employment opportunities, many Londoners, especially millennials, are relocating to Birmingham, and the other booming cities of Manchester and, Liverpool .

Ultimately, urban regeneration has played a vital part in these cities’ transformations, influencing the movement of millennials towards greater opportunities such as education, jobs and employment options.

Savvy investors are starting to see the opportunities in store for Birmingham. Are you an investor? Are you thinking of making your money work for you? Then you don’t want to miss out. Call us at 03-2162 2260 or (65) 3163 8343.

By Noorasikin Ali
Additions & Edits by Vivienne Pal

Sources:

Image source:

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Victoria Smashes NSW as Australia’s Strongest Economy

Categories:Reading and Research

Victoria, for the first time ever, has finally overtaken New South Wales (NSW) as Australia’s strongest economy, according to CommSec’s latest State of  the States report.

CommSec (Commonwealth Securities) is Australia’s largest online stockbroking firm operated by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Each quarter, it releases its State of the States report, which is an economic performance report of Australia’s states and territories. The report covers eight major economic indicators including population, employment, housing, investment, and construction.

Victoria has never owned the top spot in the report’s nine-year history until now, thanks to strong population growth numbers which have been instrumental in driving construction activity. The state currently ranks first in economic growth, dwelling starts and construction work done. In economic growth, Victoria is ahead at 26.5%, followed by NSW at 25.7% and Northern Territory at 25.6%, while Western Australia remains in the last place by 7.6%.

NSW, long standing at the top spot for economic growth in the last four years, slipped to second place due to declines in a number of housing indicators.

Figure shows the percentage of economic growth by state in Australia. Source: CommSec
Figure shows the percentage of economic growth by state in Australia. Source: CommSec

The gap between the two states, however, remains narrow, leading to the possibility of a change in positions over the next 12 months, said CommSec’s chief economist Craig James.

In terms of population growth, Victoria maintains its position as the clear winner, having toppled other states since 2015. Victoria currently holds a population growth rate of a cool 2.3% above the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) at 2.15% and Queensland at 1.67%.

Meanwhile, the Northern Territory has the lowest population growth at 0.23%.

Victoria is poised to remain in the lead for population growth with research predicting that population figures will reach approximately 6.26 million in 2018.

Victoria claims the highest population growth for the 4th time. Source: CommSec
Victoria claims the highest population growth for the 4th time. Source: CommSec

High population growth will continue to drive the broader economy — by fuelling retail spending and housing demand.

Thus, Victoria’s meteoric population growth will continue to spur Melbourne on as it maintains its credentials as Australia’s “most attractive city” due to stronger rental growth supported by tight vacancy.

As it is, Melbourne — Victoria’s capital city — is predicted to have a swell in population due to its huge student population and migration. In 2016, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported Melbourne as having the most epic population growth of any Australian city, making up almost a third of Australia’s population growth. The contrast is quite significant, with 2.4% in Melbourne compared to 1.2% in the rest of Australia.

With the current undersupply of housing, and demand driving prices, it appears that Melbourne will continue to remain, for some time to come, Australia’s Most Attractive City for global property players in the Asia Pac region.

Looking to purchase a property in Melbourne City? Hit us up — we’ve got limited stock of one of the best residences in one of the most coveted locations in the city. Or, just connect with us to find out more!

By Noorasikin Ali
Additions & Edits by Vivienne Pal

Sources:

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Investor Club World Cup Fever 2018

Categories:Reading and Research

GOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!

Excitement was the order of the day as the CSI PROP Investor Club combined an educational and advanced session on UK property taxes together with a screening of the FIFA World Cup Finals on July 15.

In keeping with our theme of Gila Bola, CSI PROP served an ambrosial mamak-style spread featuring roti canai and thosai cooked a-la-minute and made extra fragrant with generous drizzles of ghee.

Thosai and roti canai made with love and generous drizzles of ghee
Thosai and roti canai made with love and generous drizzles of ghee

The other delightful dishes of belacan fried rice, roti jala, dhall curry and mutton Myrose Rajah were a real treat, too!

More to fill those empty stomachs
More to fill those empty stomachs

While the guests filled their bellies, CSI PROP director, Virata Thaivasigamony took the stage to deliver a formal welcome and share about the investment outlook in the UK and Australia for the year. He spoke about how property in the various cities in which our projects are located  had performed over the past year, particularly the regional UK cities, which saw good growth values. Melbourne also performed well, superseding all other Australian cities.

Special welcoming speech from CSI PROP director
Special welcoming speech from CSI PROP director

Guests had the chance to win exciting prizes in the Lucky Draw, which comprised  a 3D2N stay at Pangkor Laut Resort, return flight ticket to London, afternoon tea at The Majestic Kuala Lumpur and the official World Cup Ball. (Adidas Telstar 18) and.

Lucky winners for the Lucky Draw
Lucky winners for the Lucky Draw

Knowledge —  as much as Having Fun — is an important part of the CSI PROP mission.  Richard Jepson, our special guest speaker from Adams and Moore Tax Consultancy Ltd, flew in from the UK to talk about Advanced Strategies for UK Tax as well as Basic Tax Filing It was indeed a pleasurable sharing session by someone who has been in the industry for over 15 years.

Sharing session from our special guest speaker, Richard Jepson
Sharing session from our special guest speaker, Richard Jepson

Richard highlighted few components of the UK tax system, as well as the investment vehicles that investors can employ in buying, renting and selling their investment properties. As a bonus, he also stressed on the top three things that savvy UK property investors can do to manage their UK taxes. These are important as a guide for those who want to invest in the UK property market.

To add to the excitement and joy of the atmosphere, we held a thrilling foosball competition for our sporting guests. The grand prize was a pair of return flight tickets to Melbourne, whilst our runner-ups won Adidas Telstar 18 Glider balls.

Excitement was in the air as guests sportingly participated in the CSI PROP Investor Club foosball competition.  
Excitement was in the air as guests sportingly participated in the CSI PROP Investor Club foosball competition.

The mini foosball tournament was based on actual World Cup 2018 matches, complete with  quarter-final, semi-final and final rounds. Each team comprised two people representing the 16 countries that qualified for the World Cup.

The CSI PROP Investor Club event ended with alive screening of the World Cup 2018 finals between France and Croatia on a huge high-definition LED screen. Shouts of excitement and frustration reverberated across the hall as our high-spirited guests supported their preferred teams.

The night ended on a high note — certainly, it served as a perfect precursor to our next Investor Club this September. Stay tuned for yet another fun-filled and memorable experience!

Don’t you wish you were there watching the World Cup Finals with us? If you’d like to get started on high-yield, low-risk property investments overseas and be a part of our ever-growing group of savvy investors, give us a call at 03-2162 2260, or email us at info@csiprop.com. 

By Ian Choong
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Investment Vehicles: Disposing Of Your UK Property

Categories:Need-to-Know,Reading and Research

Investors have the option of purchasing property as an individual or via an investment vehicle, such as through a company. Different taxes apply at different stages of owning a property — when you buy it, whilst you own it, and when you dispose of it.

In Part 1, we covered the taxes that are applicable at the purchase stage of the investment. Part 2 covered the next stage of investment, ie when you have already taken possession of the property. Here in Part 3, we talk about what entails when you dispose of your UK property.

Capital Gains Tax (CGT)

When you sell your home, you may need to pay Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on any gains you make when you dispose of your property.

CGT is currently only applicable to residential property. Commercial property such as student property and care homes will be subject to CGT from April 2019.

Your taxable gain is the difference in price between the purchase and sale of your property, after taking away any allowable expenses and your personal allowance (if selling as an individual).

SELLING AS AN INDIVIDUAL

All non-UK residents get an annual personal allowance of £11,700 for CGT.

Allowable expenses include the stamp duty paid upon the purchase of the property, agent fees and legal fees incurred during the purchase or sale, and payments for valuations made on the property.

CGT is taxed at 18% if your taxable gain is £46,350 or less, or 28% if more:

UK Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Rate
UK Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Rate

Example:

Jason sold his apartment for £275,000. He had previously bought it for £200,000, giving him a total cash gain of £75,000.

Jason must report the sale to HMRC, complete a full CGT computation and pay any CGT within 30 days of transfer.

Jason’s expenses come up to £30,400, and after deducting his personal allowance, he has a total taxable gain of £32,900.

Jason’s taxable gain is less than £46,350, so his CGT rate is 18%, and this will come up to a tax of £5,922, or 2.15% of the apartment’s sale price.

Example 1: Calculation of CGT
Example 1: Calculation of CGT

 

SELLING THROUGH A COMPANY

CGT for Companies
CGT for Companies

 

INHERITANCE TAX
Leaving your property to your heirs

If you are leaving your house to your heirs, you may want to take note of the taxes involved in bequeathing it.

Inheritance Tax will need to be paid on any UK assets you pass on. Currently the tax is at 40% for any amount above £325,000 per individual (what is called the ‘nil-band’ allowance).

UK Inheritance Tax (IHT) Rates
UK Inheritance Tax (IHT) Rates

Example:

Andrew owns a house worth £350,000, which is his only UK asset. He leaves the house to his son.

The house’s value exceeds the allowance threshold by £25,000, and the Inheritance Tax on that amount would be £10,000.

The tax is paid by Andrew’s son who inherits the house.

Example 1 of IHT Calculation
Example 1 of IHT Calculation

You can put estate-planning in place to significantly reduce the tax your heirs will need to pay.

This could be something simple like bringing on a spouse or re-mortgaging your house.

Spouses can inherit their partner’s allowance, effectively doubling their tax-free allowance to £650,000.

Example:

Barry owns a house worth £500,000, which is his only UK asset. He leaves the house to his wife.

There is no IHT for passing on the house to a spouse, so Barry’s wife will not pay any tax. However, Barry’s wife also inherits Barry’s allowance.

When Barry’s wife dies, the son inherits the house. Barry and his wife’s joint allowance is £650,000, which is more than the value of the house, and the son will not need to pay any IHT.

Example 2 of IHT Calculation
Example 2 of IHT Calculation

An outstanding mortgage can also be tax-deductible against your estate, and will lower the amount of Inheritance Tax charged.

Here are some other ways of estate planning:

  • Using a trust
  • Using a UK company
  • Taking out a life assurance policy not based in the UK

A good tax planner will advise you on your best options, ensuring that your heirs will get the maximum benefit out of what you leave to them.

Click here for more guides on property investment, and please subscribe to our website notifications to get the latest updates! Do leave us a comment below if you have any thoughts on our article.

If you are interested to explore UK Property’s potential for high returns, or if you need us to refer you to a good tax firm in the UK, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 3163 8343 (Singapore), 03-2162 2260 (Malaysia), or email us at info@csiprop.com!

Disclaimer: This article serves as a guide to investors. Kindly note that CSI Prop is not a licensed tax advisor. Accordingly, you should seek advice based on your particular circumstances from independent advisors and planners.

By Ian Choong

Sources:

  • Adams & Moore Ltd
  • Featured image: YourNewHouse.co.uk
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Manchester Tops House Price Growth in UK

Categories:Reading and Research

Manchester recorded a 7.0% increase in house price growth compared to London’s dismal 0.4%.

Manchester is England’s top performing city for house price growth, the latest data from Hometrack shows, while London remains on a flatline.

The data comes from the property research firm’s UK Cities House Price index, which tracks housing data across 20 UK cities and regionally.

For house price growth over the last 12 months, Manchester obtained top spot at a cool 7.0% increase followed by Birmingham at 6.5% and Liverpool at 5.9%.

Price growth in London showed no signs of recovery, staying at a stagnant 0.4%.

Across the UK as a whole, prices have gone up by 4.3% over the last 12 months.

Price Growth of UK Cities in last 12 months
Price Growth of UK Cities in last 12 months: Leading cities in the UK that outshine London.

Many cities in the Northwest have posted high capital gains over the average for the last 12 months. Yet, there is still much room for growth, as prices remain low, well under the national average.

The average price in Manchester was at £163,200, Birmingham is at a slightly lower £159,800, and Liverpool, at £118,800.

Comparatively, the average price of a home in Britain is £217,400.

Although price growth in London is stagnant, housing in the capital costs more than double the national average, at a whopping £491,200!

Average Prices in UK Cities
Average Prices in UK Cities: London prices are at stratospheric levels, making high yields and capital gains quite impossible.

Richard Donnell, Insight Director at Hometrack says that the London market is going through a period of price alignment, having posted some very large gains over the past 8 years.

“Over the last 12 months, average prices in London have grown by just under 1%. This is much lower than the annual average growth of 9% over the last 5 years. These averages mask a wide range of house price growth at a sub market level. Actually, house prices are falling across a third of London’s local authority areas.”

Homes in the capital have become unaffordable for many people after years of surging prices, while wage growth remains meagre and lenders apply tougher mortgage criteria.

However, the price gap between regional cities and the capital is narrowing.

Hometrack expects the gap in prices between London and other UK cities to close further over the next two years. This follows a similar pattern from 2002 to 2005 when London house price growth was relatively weak compared with the rest of the country, after a period of surging prices from 1996 to 2000.

Richard says, “We expect house prices to keep rising across regional cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh over the next two to three years. During this time house price growth in London will remain flat, with annual price rises of approximately 0-2%. As a result, the gap between house prices in cities outside of the south-east and house prices in London will continue to contract.”

Price falls in London will reduce the gap between it and regional cities
Price falls in London will reduce the gap between it and regional cities

Manchester and Birmingham are expected to be the first cities to move closer to London prices, with demand for housing likely to be boosted by strong job growth. They are forecast to return towards average prices being around half of those in the capital compared to a third today.

“The level of house price inflation seen in large regional cities during the last peak, between 2000 and 2003, gives a good indication of how much prices may rise this time around. If history is to repeat itself and these cities are to get back to where they were, then prices could increase by as much as 20-25%,” Richard adds.

This weekend, find out more about this amazing project in Manchester and how you can profit from it.
This weekend, find out more about this amazing project in Manchester and how you can profit from it.

This weekend, learn how you can invest £75K & GET BACK £190K in 5 YEARS with the POWER OF LEVERAGE! Come for the EXCLUSIVE WORLD LAUNCH of an iconic new residential development in the Manchester city centre – THE CROWN On Manchester’s Skyline. Call +60162288691 to book your seats now!

By Ian Choong

Sources:

  • https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/jun/29/london-house-price-growth-at-nine-year-low-amid-edinburgh-and-manchester-spurt
  • https://www.hometrack.com/uk/insight/uk-cities-house-price-index/may-2018-cities-index/
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Investment Vehicles: Buying A UK Property

Categories:Need-to-Know,Reading and Research

Have you ever wondered if you should invest in property through an investment vehicle, instead of as an individual?

In this three-part series on investment vehicles, we’ll go through the various types of taxes that are applicable when buying property in the UK individually and through a company, so that you can have a better idea of the differences between the two.

Different taxes apply at different stages of owning a property — when you buy it, whilst you own it, and when you sell it.

In Part 1 of 3, we go through the initial stage of owning a property in the UK, which is when you buy one.

The tax involved when you buy a property is called the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)

When buying a property, you are required to pay stamp duty to HM Revenue & Customs within 30 days of completion.

Generally, your solicitor, agent or conveyancer will assist with filing and paying the tax on your behalf and adding that amount to their fees. Otherwise, you can file the return and pay the taxes yourself.

 

BUYING AS AN INDIVIDUAL

Residential Property

First-home buyers

If this is your first home purchase, and it costs less than £500,000, you can claim relief as a first-home buyer.

This means that you don’t pay any stamp duty up to £300,000 and only 5% on the portion from £300,001 to £500,000.

Stamp Duty for First Home Buyers
Stamp Duty for First Home Buyers (buying as individual)

If you already own or previously owned a home outside the UK, you can’t claim relief.

If your first home purchase costs more than £500,000, you follow the rules for Single-House Owners.

Single-House Owners

Single-house owners are those who have previously owned a house before, but have sold it. 

This also applies to property outside of the UK.

Single-house owners don’t pay any stamp duty up to £125,000.

You only begin paying stamp duty at various increments from the next £125,000 (the portion from £125,001 to £250,000) onwards.

Any portion above £1.5 million is charged at 12%.

Stamp Duty for Individuals Not Owning Any Other Property
Stamp Duty for Single-House Owners (buying as individual)

Multiple-House Owners

If buying another house means you will own more than one property, higher rates apply, unless the house you are buying is less than £40,000, in which case you pay 0% stamp duty.

Stamp duty rates are higher by 3% across the bands for buyers who already own a home (in or out of the UK).

Stamp Duty for Individuals Owning Multiple Houses
Stamp Duty for Multiple-House Owners (buying as individual)

If you own just one house now, and are planning to buy a new one as a replacement, Multiple-House Owner stamp duty is applicable. However, you can get a refund if you sell the old one within 36 months of purchase.

 

Commercial/Non-Residential Property

Buyers of commercial property don’t pay any stamp duty for property price up to £150,000.

You pay stamp duty of 2% for the next £100,000 (the portion from £150,001 to £250,000).

Any portion above £250,000 is charged at 5%.

Stamp Duty on Commercial Property for Individuals
Stamp Duty on Commercial Property (buying as individual).

 

BUYING THROUGH A COMPANY

The taxes are different if you are buying through a company:

Stamp Duty applicable to companies
Stamp Duty applicable to companies

Do stay tuned for Part 2 of Investment Vehicles: Owning a UK Property.

What are your thoughts about buying UK Property through an investment vehicle? Drop us a comment below. If you are interested to explore UK Property’s potential for high returns, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 3163 8343 (Singapore), 03-2162 2260 (Malaysia), or email us at info@csiprop.com!

Disclaimer: This article serves as a guide to investors. Kindly note that CSI Prop is not a licensed tax advisor. Accordingly, you should seek advice based on your particular circumstances from independent advisors and planners. 

By Ian Choong

Sources:

  • Gov.uk
  • Featured image: lowimpact.org
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Effects of the Banking Royal Commission on Australia Property Prices

Categories:Reading and Research

Evidence has emerged to suggest the ongoing Banking Royal Commission will impact availability of financing for house purchases. However, experts say that this is unlikely to have much effect on house prices in the long term. The real drivers of property prices are land availability, construction costs, population growth, and to a lesser extent finance access and cost

The Australian Banking Royal Commission was established last December, after years of public pressure, to investigate alleged misconduct by Australia’s financial services entities.

So far, proof of appalling behaviour by Australia’s major banks and financial planners from the past decade has surfaced, which include alleged bribery, forgery of documents, the repeated failure to verify customers’ living expenses before approving loans, and selling insurance to people who are unable to afford it.

In the aftermath of the scandals, several high profile finance executives have resigned, while shares of Australia’s major banks have all fallen at least 20% from highs reached before last May’s budget.

Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, and National Australia Bank shares are about 23% below their peak of late April 2017, while ANZ’s stock has fallen 20%.

Even as the Royal Commission goes on, tighter lending standards have already been enforced by the Australian regulator, with some self-imposed, as banks attempt to realign lending practices with responsible lending principles.

What the experts say

There has been concern that as tightening regulations reduce availability of financing, demand for property will follow suit, causing a drop in house prices. Several experts have chimed in on the matter.

JP Morgan’s Australian economics team suggests that the Royal Commission will cause slower credit growth, job losses in the finance sector and slower household consumption, which will lead to declines in house prices in the short term.

While JP Morgan believes the fallout from the Royal Commission creates short term downside risks for the Australian economy, in the long run it will leave Australia’s finance and household sectors, as well as the broader economy, on a stronger footing than is currently the case.

All else being equal, JP Morgan is of the view that this should be positive for the longer-term investment and productivity outlook.

Rachel Ong, Professor of Economics at Curtin University says that the stricter regulations are not likely to impact house prices.

“The tightening of banks’ lending standards and stricter credit controls should lead to a reduction in demand for properties.

“However, this prospect is unlikely to translate into any meaningful reductions in property prices. Property prices in Australia have remained persistently high since the early 2000s,” she says.

Brendan Coates, Fellow from Grattan Institute, says that any short term reduction in house prices is unlikely to have much of an impact.

“Tighter lending standards to reduce the amount of money prospective homebuyers could borrow would push down property prices, at least in the short-term. But the effect is likely to be modest, because banks have already tightened lending criteria in recent years,” he says.

Maria Yanotti, Lecturer of Economics and Finance, from University of Tasmania, is of the opinion that the Royal Commission is more likely to affect the supply of financial services, than demand for loans.

“As a consequence of the commission’s findings we would like to think that financial institutions will have to put in place better compliance processes and stop cost-saving or income-generating practices that disadvantage or put consumers at risk. These new processes and practices will translate into higher costs for the financial institutions, which will be passed on to consumers via higher interest rates and/or lower access to finance.

“This situation will result in lower demand from those looking to own a home, in favour of higher demand for rental housing. But the effect of higher interest rates may not be strong enough to decrease demand for property by real estate investors and businesses.

“The real drivers of property prices are land availability, construction costs, population growth, and to a lesser extent finance access and cost,” she observes.

It seems apparent that falls in property prices are unlikely to make much of an impact, or are merely confined to the short-term, giving a good outlook for investment in Australian property for investors keen to get a bargain whilst capital growth has slowed.

What are your thoughts about the impact of the Banking Royal Commission on property in Australia? Drop us a comment below. If you are interested in Australia and, particularly, Melbourne’s potential for high returns, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 3163 8343 (Singapore), 03-2162 2260 (Malaysia), or email us at info@csiprop.com!

By Ian Choong

Sources:

  • https://www.businessinsider.com.au/australia-banking-royal-commission-economic-impact-jp-morgan-employment-house-prices-2018-5
  • http://www.afr.com/real-estate/will-the-banking-royal-commission-push-down-property-prices-we-ask-5-experts-20180514-h102gm
  • https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/housing-royal-commission-jitters-drag-big-banks-into-bear-market-20180613-p4zl88.html
  • https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/20/banking-royal-commission-all-you-need-to-know-so-far
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New Guidance to UK Landlord Licensing Scheme

Categories:Reading and Research

A significant change to the landlord licensing scheme is the exemption of licensing for smaller HMOs.  If you are a landlord renting out your premises in the UK to multiple occupants and have been exempt from licensing all this while, you may want to pay attention to the latest changes in legislation.

Since its implementation in the UK some 8 years ago, the landlord licensing scheme has brought changes to the UK housing market, affecting landlords across the country. 

Landlord licensing, also known as selective licensing, sets out to ensure that landlords are “fit or proper persons” and that buildings for rent are fit for occupation — all with the intention of raising standards and improve the rental market.

Recently, the UK government released new guidance affecting landlords of houses in multiple occupations (HMOs). The overhaul will take effect on 1 October.

Due to their shared facilities, HMOs often offer cheaper accommodations to students, migrant workers, and young professionals looking for cheaper rental housing.

The new guidance in the landlord licensing scheme is aimed at tackling overcrowding and ensuring all landlords’ properties reach minimum standards.

One of the most significant additions in the landlord licensing scheme is that the previous rules exempting smaller HMOs from licensing, will be removed. Other mandatory changes in selective licensing for HMOs below:

Part 1 of changes – minimum room size

The Mandatory Conditions of Licences 2018 according to Schedule 4 of the Housing Act 2004, introduces new conditions of minimum sleeping room sizes as follows:

  • Not less than 6.51 square meters for one person over 10 years old;
  • Not less than 10.22 square meters for two persons over 10 years old;
  • Not less than 4.64 square meters for children under 10 years old.

Rooms that do not fulfill the minimum requirement are not allowed to be used as sleeping accommodation. Those who abuse the regulations will be charged a penalty of up to £30,000.

Part 2 of changes – waste disposal

The government also set out new guidances related to waste disposal,  given that waste generation by HMOs is higher than standard households due to the high number of occupants.

All the above new amendments will take effect in cities in which  the landlord licensing scheme applies, for instance, London, Liverpool, Nottingham City, Leicester City, and few regions in Manchester.

We published an article on the landlord licensing scheme on our blog last November. Landlords should keep abreast of regulations affecting them or risk being penalised by the UK government. To find out about the scheme in general, take a look at first blog here: https://csiprop.com/landlord-licensing/. CSI Prop looks forward to continously keeping our readers and investors updated on the latest happenings in the Australian and UK housing markets. For a detailed list of the changes to HMOs, scroll down to the sources below. 

By Noorasikin Ali

Source:

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AsiaPac Investors Prefer to Invest in Melbourne

Categories:Reading and Research
Melbourne overtakes Sydney as the top Australian location for offshore real estate investment dollars in Asia Pacific.

Melbourne seems to be collecting more notches on its bedpost. Not only has it been named the Most Liveable City seven consecutive times; it was also named Happiest City. A new survey has now pegged it as Australia’s Most Attractive City for global property players in the Asia Pac region.

A new survey has revealed Melbourne as the No. 1 Australian city for global property players in the Asia Pacific region.

Property sales and research firm CBRE launched their Investor Intentions Survey 2018, which polled a total of 366 respondents, including real estate funds, developers and companies.

Of those polled, 70% were based in Asia, 18% in Western Europe, the Middle East and North America, and 12% in the Pacific.

The survey found Melbourne overtaking Sydney as the preferred Australian location for offshore real estate investment dollars, as Sydney fell down the yearly rankings from first to sixth. Brisbane came in at eighth place — which was Melbourne’s position last year.

Melbourne’s rise as Australia’s “most attractive city” was “due to its stronger rental growth supported by tight vacancy”.

“Although asset pricing poses a major obstacle, investors remain keen to purchase real estate for risk diversification. Investors’ focus is on income growth as capital value appreciation will increasingly be driven by income growth,” the report stated.

CBRE expects a slowdown in Chinese outbound investment to continue following the introduction of new capital controls by the Chinese government last year.

“This year’s survey indicates that Chinese investors are less keen to invest overseas in 2018. While overall interest remains reasonably firm, fewer investors intend to invest more than they did in 2017.

This reduction of Chinese investment is being offset by investors from Singapore. Cushman & Wakefield reported that Singapore overtook China last year as the largest source of foreign capital for Australian commercial real estate.

Investments into Australia from Singapore quadrupled from about $1bn in 2010 to an excess of $4bn in 2017.

It is clear that Melbourne is driving housing market growth in Australia despite slightly weakened prices this year due to tighter regulation and an ongoing Banking Royal Commission investigation.

Yet experts say that the temporary slump will not make a major impact, and, in all likelihood, is just for the short term. Here’s why:

Melbourne faces a serious undersupply of housing, and this has been a strong driver for demand. The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) warned last year that the city could have a shortfall of 50,000 houses by 2020.

In their latest report in March this year, UDIA found that the state government will need to increase approvals and commencements of new housing by more than 10% in order to meet demand.

The Victorian government has committed more resources to speeding up the approval process of new suburbs, but the delivery of necessary infrastructure such as sewerage and roads remains a bottleneck.

UDIA Victoria CEO, Danni Addison, said that the supply of new housing being delivered right now was being driven by high population and employment growth.

“The numbers tell us that despite record high levels of building activity, we’ve still got a way to go before we can stop playing catch-up and ensure there’s enough new housing to meet the demands of population growth,” she said.

Data released by SQM Research in June 2018 showed that demand for property in Melbourne has stayed at a constant high. Vacancy rates remained incredibly tight at 1.4%, the same as 12 months before.

Rental rates in the city however, have sharply increased by a total of 3.5% since the the last 12 months, giving potential for high returns on investment, whilst capital growth has slowed.

What are your thoughts about investors flocking to Melbourne’s property market? Drop us a comment below. If you are interested in Melbourne’s potential for high returns, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 3163 8343 (Singapore), 03-2162 2260 (Malaysia), or email us at info@csiprop.com!

By Ian Choong

Sources:

  • https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/melbourne-vic/melbourne-no-1-with-offshore-investors/news-story/3cd0133d959eedcc50df55ca4dee19da
  • https://www.cbre.com/research-and-reports/Global-Investor-Intentions-Survey-2018
  • https://sbr.com.sg/commercial-property/in-focus/singapores-real-estate-investment-in-australia-ballooned-141-us35b
  • http://www.afr.com/real-estate/residential/victoria-at-risk-of-housing-undersupply-warns-udia-report-20180314-h0xg5e#ixzz59lZuQh53
  • http://www.sqmresearch.com.au/19%2006%202018_Vacancy%20Rates%20Steady%20in%20May_FINAL.pdf
  • https://csiprop.com/australia-faces-major-housing-undersupply/

 

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Birmingham’s Big Comeback

Categories:Reading and Research
A bullish property market ahead for Birmingham (Img source: BirminghamLive)

Birmingham was once called ‘the first manufacturing town in the world’ and was the strategic heart of manufacturing Britain in the 20th century.

The rise of the city in the immediate years after World War 2 led to fears at the top that it was becoming too powerful at the expense of the rest of the country. The government moved some 200 industrial firms and projects out of the region to other parts of the country, which dealt a devastating blow to the Brummie economy.

The once-great city fell into a steep decline in the 1970s, and unemployment rose from zero to close to 20%. In just a couple of decades, Birmingham transformed from the manufacturing powerhouse of a fast-growing Britain to a symbol of failure.

Today, however, paints a very different picture.

All Eyes on Birmingham

The city is currently enjoying a burst of economic success, owing its change in fortune to a pro-development attitude by the Labour-run council and a well-judged government decision to press ahead with important transport infrastructure.

Birmingham’s Big City Plan, announced in 2010, sets out a development masterplan that  aims to expand the city core by 25%. This will add £2.1bn yearly to the city’s economy.

As part of the plan, £4bn in transport improvements have been announced to transform road and rail links in the city. Birmingham is the first stop on the High Speed Rail (HS2) coming from London, which will put the city’s more than 1.1 million people within under an hour’s journey of the capital, when it is ready in 2026.

As it is, Birmingham is the most popular destination for people moving from London. More than 6,000 people left London for Birmingham last year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and it looks like the HS2 will continue to inspire this exodus in the coming years. The second, third and fourth most popular destinations were all within 80km of London.

Birmingham is the most popular destination for people moving from London (Img: BBC)
Birmingham is the most popular destination for people moving from London (Img: BBC)

Businesses are also relocating from London to Birmingham. HSBC’s new head office for its retail and business lending operation, is due to open in July 2018. The bank’s move brings with it more than 1,000 of its existing London staff, and will employ some 2,000 people when it opens.

Deutsche Bank has also expanded its operations in Birmingham, with a total of 1,500 employees in front and back office capacities.

Property Market Outlook for Birmingham

The average house in Birmingham costs £162,701, just over a third of London’s average at £478,853. Office rents in Birmingham are also about a third of those in the capital.

Little wonder, then, that many Londoners and businesses operating in the capital are choosing to move to Birmingham.

Nevertheless, as with other parts of Britain, the supply of housing in this Brummie city hasn’t quite kept pace with demand, charting a potential shortfall of some 30,000 homes.

The deputy leader of Birmingham City Council, Ian Ward said: “Our expanding population means that we need to provide around 80,000 new homes by 2031 and our urban area does not have enough space. If we don’t explore other options we will have a shortfall of 30,000 homes.”

Supply of land is scarce and constrained by the greenbelt, which is a legally protected green area surrounding the city, and not allowed to be used for development.

With the shortfall in housing, rental demand is growing due to an ever-increasing affordability gap for the city’s young population trying to get on the ladder.

JLL predicts an increase in build-to-rent housing with a shift of focus from price towards quality and location. They forecast prime values to hit £500 p.s.f. by 2020 with performance being strongest in the city centre.

Compared to London, Birmingham is still currently 60% cheaper for a new-build project, suggesting significant upside potential.

Investors can look at new-build apartments like Arden Gate in the city centre as a great option for investment. This development has an attractive location, being only a few minutes’ walk from the central transport hub of New Street Station, which has just undergone a £600m renovation. It is close to entertainment and shopping centres and major businesses, including the HSBC head office.

In a 2017 survey, PwC ranked Birmingham as the highest performing UK city, ahead of Manchester, Edinburgh and London.

Regional chairman of PwC in the Midlands, Matt Hammond said, “This may be, in part, due to the big improvements in the city’s infrastructure, including the continuing development of HS2, the extended tram lines and the halo effect created by the redevelopment of New Street Station and the opening of Grand Central.”

Real estate consultancy Knight Frank predicts 19.7% rental growth by 2021, and 23.5% house price growth by 2022, further building investors’ confidence that Birmingham is a high growth market with a promising potential for high returns.

What are your thoughts about the city of Birmingham? Drop us a comment below. If you are interested in Birmingham’s investment potential for high returns, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 3163 8343 (Singapore), 03-2162 2260 (Malaysia), or email us at info@csiprop.com!

By Ian Choong

Sources:

  • https://www.ft.com/content/26c293dc-fe12-11e4-8efb-00144feabdc0
  • https://www.ft.com/content/d6c58242-b280-11e7-a398-73d59db9e399
  • https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/business-news/birmingham-finally-bouncing-back-after-8772639
  • https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/business/birmingham-among-top-cities-job-14435552
  • http://www.birminghamupdates.com/birmingham-remains-britains-leading-regional-city-for-start-up-creation/
  • http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2013-10-11/plans-for-51-000-homes-near-birmingham
  • PwC Emerging Trends Europe Survey 2017

 

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