The HomeOwner Survey 2018 - Issue, trends and how we feel about our homes

6 Key Findings The state of the housing market Serious housing problems hit highest rate in five years.  UK adults are more concerned about property prices and availability today than at any point in the last five years.  83% believe house prices are a ‘serious’ problem, up from 77% five years ago.  77% of UK adults say availability of housing is now a major concern, up from 69% in 2014.  The quality of homes is a growing issue with 57% of UK adults saying it is a serious problem up from 52% in 2014. Across the country, the number one concern among Britons remains the difficulty of getting on the property ladder in the first place.  Consistently the top housing concern, 86% of UK adults say the ability to get on the housing ladder is a serious problem. Results reveal a worsening picture for those wanting to get a foot on the property ladder.  Among aspiring first time buyers, the proportion saying house prices (86%) and saving for a deposit (87%) is a serious problem is up over the past year. The leasehold/ freehold system is the fastest growing housing issue two years running.  Up 6% in 2017 and up 8% in 2018, 56% of UK adults say the leasehold/ freehold system including service charges, ground rent and other fees is a serious problem. The proportion who say getting a mortgage or remortgaging is a problem is down.  Down 5% over the past year, 65% of UK adults say the ability to get a mortgage/ remortgage is a problem (and down from 72% in 2015). Stamp duty has receded as an issue.  Likely as a result of first-time buyer relief, the proportion registering this as a problem is down 3% over the past year to 50% (and down from 64% in 2014). Those in London are feeling the impact of the crisis harder than most.  House prices, the availability and quality of homes, the leasehold/ freehold system, being able to move up the ladder, stamp duty, the home buying/ selling process and gazumping all register higher levels of concern in London than they do nationally. o 90% of Londoners up from 84% in 2014 say house prices are a serious problem. o 84% in London up from 78% in 2014 say housing availability is a serious problem. o 66% of Londoners up from 56% in 2014 say quality of housing is a serious problem. “The housing sector in the UK is on its knees. There’s a shortage of building, a constant stream of stories surrounding poor quality and unfair deals for homeowners, a lack of social housing, rising homelessness and a leasehold system that is dangerously broken. As our survey shows, these problems have escalated over the last five years and the crisis is deepening. People are just as keen as in previous years to own a home but the system is failing them, despite the introduction of flagship schemes like Help to Buy. Although Brits have reacted positively to government's changes to stamp duty, house prices and availability continue to be major concerns year on year. It’s telling that leasehold issues have been by far the fastest growing concern for the last 2 years - government needs to hurry up with their plans for leasehold reform and be more ambitious.” Paula Higgins, Chief Executive HomeOwners Alliance