Editorial Features
We hope you will enjoy reading some of the editorial features we have pulled together for our readers, including recipes from top chef and Great British Menu host Andi Oliver on pages 40,48 and 50, an interview with Suranne Jones on page 70, some interesting insight into the pests you really don’t want invading your garden and how to deter them on page 57 and Joanna Vanderham and Dougray Scott talk about the “dark, dark world” of Irvine Welsh’s latest drama, Crime on pages 36 and 37. For the car enthusiast we have a slightly different take on motoring this month on pages 73 to 76.
Suranne Jones
Andi Oliver
Dr Andrew Salisbury RHS
House Market Insight - Resilience, Resilience, Resilience
During every month in 2023 when we start to write about the house market for this magazine, we expect to be reporting a house market in trouble because of the relentless UK media reporting of house prices falling and interest rates rising.The facts and experience from the shop floor is of a house market showing remarkable resilience half way through 2023. Yes house prices have levelled off and in some sectors there has been a small reduction in values, however this is minimal and the buyer demand remains very good. House sellers are now more realistic on price if they are serious about moving home, so we have a more balanced market with buyers and sellers more aligned on pricing, which in some part has impacted on the fact that house sales productivity at McCarthy Holden are performing better than last year. When the Nationwide recently reported the annual rate of house price growth as -2.7% in April and to -3.4% to end of May, we need to remember that these sums represent the UK wide position, so in our area of operation in the Hampshire / Surrey / Berkshire borders house prices have held up well with some sectors only slightly lower compared to a year ago. This resilience in the market is no doubt underpinned by the labour market conditions, which remain solid and also household balance sheets appear in relatively good shape because we get few if any house sales occurring because of financial stress. The residential letting market is in very good shape with plenty of tenant demand, especially around the £4,000 p.c.m. price point where properties are being snapped up by eager tenants. If you need market insight at any time in 2023, just go to our web site and ask your nearest branch for a free no obligation house price appraisal.
We look forward to producing the next edition of In The Country & Town in July when we will give our readers further market insight and bring you some of the finest properties for sale or to let.
John Holden - Chairman McCarthy Holden
mccarthyholden.co.uk | 7
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