Landlords look to expand in 2022

A third of landlords are looking to expand their portfolios in the next year, as rising house prices and improved rental yields lead to higher levels of confidence in the market.

Research found that 34% of landlords said they were planning to buy at least one property within the next 12 months, while 14% said they were planning on buying more properties than they had initially planned.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, and property prices being at unprecedented levels, this report found there two thirds of respondents (67%) were confident house prices would continue to grow in 2022.

This is reflected in the fact that 13% of landlords said they were planning to buy in new locations. Of these, 36% said they were planning to buy in urban locations, while 30% are considering more rural locations.

The north of England is proving particularly popular as 23% of those landlords intending to extend their portfolio, are planning to buy in northern regions.

The resilience of the UK property market is clear from the research. Despite the hurdles caused by the pandemic, the market has stood firm and house prices have continued to soar in price. This has created attractive opportunities for investors and property developers, whose confidence in the market has grown over the last 12 months. Their buying activity and trends show that the market is likely to remain strong over the short term.

With 2021 announced as the ‘busiest year’ for the housing market according to Zoopla, despite recent falls in transactions, it’s clear that the market has rebounded from the lows of the pandemic.

As supply continues to be low, it’s unlikely that we’ll see house price growth slow significantly and as the year progresses following the seasonal slowdown over Christmas, property investors will be seeking further opportunities to expand their portfolios.