Asking prices for British homes rose only marginally in October as more properties came onto the market, according a survey on Monday that also suggested some buyers were waiting for clarity on tax changes in the new government's upcoming budget.
Asking prices rose by just 0.3% in October, well below their average for a 1.3% monthly increase for the month, property website Rightmove said. The number of homes available for sale was 12% higher than the same time period last year, and was the highest per real estate agent since 2014.Overall activity in the property market remained strong, with buyer demand rising. Prices were 1.0% higher than a year earlier.
Tim Bannister, Rightmove's director of property science, said some buyers were waiting for a further reduction in borrowing costs by the Bank of England as well as the government's budget later this month.
"Despite a budget-shaped cloud on the horizon, the big picture still looks positive for the market heading into 2025. Market activity remains strong, despite affordability pressures on movers," Bannister said.
"Once we have more certainty about the contents of the budget, hopefully followed by speedy second and third Bank Rate cuts, we could see another surge in market optimism like we had in the summer."
The BoE is expected to cut its benchmark Bank Rate at its next meeting in November and possibly again in December. Rightmove said a fall in mortgage rates was stalling after dropping quickly when the BoE cut borrowing costs for the first time in more than four years in August.
