propertyfinder.com and the UK Housing Market

The United Kingdom has over to 61 million people living in close to 25 million properties. The quality, cost and availability of UK housing are important factors influencing the social welfare of the country and UK economy.

Of the different types of UK properties available, over 80% of people choose live in a bungalow or house, with terraced and semi-detached houses the most popular option. In London, almost half of the properties are apartments, flats and maisonettes. The UK housing market now sees a trend toward people wanting to live by themselves which in turn increases demand for properties in the UK. With this is mind it is no surprise to learn that in 2007, 47% of new dwellings built in England were flats.

The biggest change in the UK housing market has been the notable increase in the levels of owner-occupation. In 2005, 70% were of properties in the UK are owner occupied. The dramatic growth of owner occupation is due to the Government's ‘right-to-buy' policy, which has allowed council tenants to purchase their properties.

Throughout the years, UK property prices have fluctuated considerably and this is most evident in UK cities. Searches on propertyfinder.com clearly demonstrate this. A search a page like flats to buy in Birmingham or a page like apartments to rent in Manchester show significantly lower prices than on a page like London flats. Average prices for Birmingham property (click to see indicative prices) are £162,759 and Manchester property (click to see indicative prices) price average is £152,134 . This compares with average property price in London of £356,209. Overall, London is one of the top 10 highest priced areas in the country. Topping the list is Windsor property at an average property price of £425,711.

Birmingham property prices vary according to the type of property – whether it's a Birmingham flat or a detached house in Birmingham. According to Land Registry data, all Birmingham property prices have increased by 3.3% . As the population of this city continues to grow, demand for houses means prices will increase. Over 60% of Birmingham properties are owner occupied which is 10% lower than the national average of 70%. Interestingly, of the properties in Birmingham 30% are rented and the remaining per cent are private arrangements or live for free.

To this day, people still have different reasons for moving home. Often, it's the need for a larger property or a better home or a home closer to work. People who own their home move because often they want a smaller or cheaper house or flat to buy.

If you're looking to buy property in the UK, search one of the UK's leading property website propertyfinder.com. You'll have access to a database of over 280,000 real estate listings and more than 4,000 real estate agents nationally. Searching for your new home has never been easier, whether it be London, Birmingham or Manchester.

Comparing Birmingham Properties for Sale with Manchester Properties for Sale on propertyfinder.com

Birmingham Real Estate Listings

Manchester Real Estate Listings

Birmingham Real Estate Information

• Birmingham has 1,006,500 residents in the City according to the 2006 Sub-National Mid-year Population Estimates
• 4 closest UK cities are Conventry, Lichfield, Wolverhampton and Worcester
• There are over 400,000 dwellings or houses in Birmingham (click to see indicative prices)
• The most popular type of property in Birmingham (click to see indicative properites) is a house or bungalow followed closely by semi-detached house
• When it comes to living arrangements, Birmingham homes (click to see indicative properites) are made up of couples (383,503 households)

Manchester Real Estate Information

• There are 452,000 residents in Manchester City with more than 2 million residents in the Greater Manchester region
• 186,285 dwellings, otherwise known as houses in Manchester (click to see indicative properties) are in the City
• Over 135,000 people live in a house or bungalow in Manchester (click to see indicative properites), the most popular form of accommodation
• Of all Manchester homes (click to see indicative properites), the highest proportion are occupied by 1 person only (over 65,000 dwellings)
• In Manchester, over 25,000 houses are rented through Estate Agents

propertyfinder.com

If you're looking to buy property in the UK, search one of the UK's leading property website propertyfinder.com. You'll have access to a database of over 280,000 real estate listings and more than 4,900 Estate Agents. propertyfinder.com is part of a global network known as the REA Group that has 19 real estate websites with operations in 12 countries.

propertyfinder.com Online Statistics

Unique Browsers  1,928,116
Page Impressions  32,092,548
Source: Omniture SiteCatalyst February 2008

United Kingdom's Online Statistics

Number of UK websites visited per person  70 Websites
Average time a person spends online per visit  46 Minutes
Source: Nielsen/Netratings Internet Audience Metrics February 2008

propertyfinder.com Contact Information

propertyfinder.com
Level 2 Union House
182 – 194 Union Street
London SE1 0LH
Telephone: 08700 75 8888
www.propertyfinder.com

1. Census 2001 - People and their homes in England and Wales Office for National Statistics. www.statistics.gov.uk
2. Housing Highlights Social Trends, Office for National Statistics. www.statistics.gov.uk
3. ibid
4. National Statistics, Housing Tenure, March 2005 www.statistics.gov.uk
5. ibid
6. Land Registry of England and Wales. Figures for England and Wales are for the period October to December 2007.
7. ibid
8. ibid
9. ibid
10. ibid
11. Census 2001, [Key Statistics for Local Authorities& Census Area Statistics]