Negative growth. What a great and typical piece of economists’ jargon. I think they mean house prices actually fell last month. Not a surprise, as they seem to have continued to increase exponentially, defying supply-and-demand logic, given the number if new developments on every brown and green field and the huge hike in mortgage interest rates. Anecdotally, however, the picture is very different. Those trying to buy tell me they’re having to joino queues to view eligible properties, and that there’s still no chance of getting the house you want unless you offer over the asking-price odds. So I guess that’s the danger of averages and statistics, that, depending on the type and location of the place you’re trying to buy or sell, some are indeed damn lies Not much will really change until and if people start to lose their jobs; and that’s really not the way we want homes for our kids to become more affordable.
“John Lewis foray into BTR could result in losses of £57m”
I did predict a while ago that Waitrose Homes rather than Waitrose Home Deliveries could be the future. John Lewis were probably the most benign big business to decide to go into the housing rental market, a move which could swing things away from the unpredictability of the mass of private landlords who dominate the sector.
