Housebuilders ‘More Optimistic’ For Year Ahead

Workloads for small building companies fell in the final quarter of 2019 but builders are more optimistic for 2020 according to a recent survey from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). According to reports, in the three months to December 2019 builder’s workloads fell into negative territory with around 21% of firms reporting lower workloads, 5% higher than the previous quarter. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/housebuilders-more-optimistic-for-year-ahead/

Brexit Uncertainty Constrains Construction Sector Optimism

The uncertain outlook for the UK economy has led to reduced optimism, according to the results of the Q3 2019 RICS UK Construction and Infrastructure Market Survey. With anecdotal evidence from respondents suggests that the housing market slowdown, coupled with unrelenting Brexit and political uncertainty, is weighing on investment decisions. The survey results point to a notable deceleration in workloads, this quarter, with only a net balance of +10% reporting an increase in total workloads, down on average from +33% between 2013 and Q2 2016. Read more on the RICS website.

https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/press-releases/brexit-construction/

Two Thirds Of Landlords Remain Optimistic About BTL

According to new research commissioned by Cambridge & Counties Bank, 64% of UK landlords are optimistic about the outlook for the residential buy-to-let sector over the next three years despite Brexit worries. Of this, 13% are “very” optimistic in terms of investment growth and yields. The specialist property lender revealed that a significant number of landlords are using the current market volatility to grow their portfolios: 19% are looking to grow their portfolios by a third and 11% want to double it over the next three years. The research found that just 19% of landlords are looking to sell. Read more on the Property Reporter website.

https://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/landlords/two-thirds-of-landlords-remain-optimistic-about-btl-outlook-over-the-next-three-years.html