Housebuyers to avoid 'mortgaging to the max'
Published on : 29/05/2007
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Almost a quarter of all UK homebuyers are willing to cut back on expenditure in order to avoid mortgaging to their financial limits, a new report reveals.
The study, from the Yorkshire Bank, shows that Brits are increasingly taking cost-cutting measures as the possibility of a fifth interest rise in less than 12 months looms on the horizon.
Around 24 per cent of homeowners say that they will cut their spending to avoid mortgaging to their financial limits - with close to one-third of first-time buyers saying that they will look to exercise restraint, fearing that a further rate rise might tip them over the edge of affordability.
"What our survey shows is prudence, not panic - all the signs are that the market will still remain strong," Gary Lumb, Yorkshire Bank's head of retail, commented.
"But with rises in the Bank of England's base rate, and with many economists predicting a further rise if not next month, then in the near future, it is inevitable that homebuyers will become more a little more cautious with their borrowing.
"The recent rises have started to make buyers take a realistic view of what they can and can't afford and to take measures to protect themselves against unforeseen changes in their personal circumstances," he continued.
What we're seeing is buyers being shrewder than when the housing market was at its most buoyant, both in the price they're prepared to pay for a home and how they choose to finance it."
