British house prices continued to fall towards the end of 2022, UK surveyors say.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors found 42 per cent of professionals across the UK reported a decline in prices, its December 2022 survey.
In a further indication of a weakening market, 26 per cent of surveyors reported price falls in the November survey, and indicate the downward price trend gaining further traction, the institute said.
All regions across England are recording prices softening to some degree, with feedback pointing to East Anglia and the south-east having the sharpest rates of decline, the findings show.
But within the negative UK-wide figure, house price readings across Scotland and Northern Ireland are still marginally in positive territory, albeit a significant turnaround from the strong growth reported six months ago, the institute said.
The latest survey also indicates a weakening to the sales market towards the end of 2022, with a net balance of professionals reporting falls in new buyer inquiries.
Dubai property apartment prices - January 2023 - in pictures
The number of new property listings on the sales market also fell and there was an overall decline in agreed sales.
This downwards sales trend became clearer across virtually all parts of the UK over the month, with survey participants in the north-west of England, Scotland, Wales and London all reporting a particularly quiet month for activity in the latest results, the institute said.
The December survey also asked if property professionals were seeing more interest from buyers in homes that are more energy-efficient.
About 40 per cent of those surveyed said yes, but this was outweighed by 60 per cent who did not see this trend, the institute said.
However, 61 per cent of survey contributors said highly energy-efficient homes were holding their value.
Dubai property apartment prices - December 2022 - in pictures
Tenant demand for leased properties increased over December, according to a net balance of 28 per cent of contributors.
But this was the lowest reading since February 2021, and suggests that the pace of demand growth is slowing across the rental market.
On the supply side, new landlord instructions remain on a downward trend, with a net balance of 24 per cent of professionals seeing a decline in December.
Near-term expectations continue to point to rents being squeezed higher, the institute said.
“The latest Rics residential survey highlights the emerging challenges in the housing market as new buyers grapple with more costly finance terms and uncertainty over the outlook for the economy," said Simon Rubinsohn, the institute's chief economist.
“Meanwhile, feedback around the lettings market once again demonstrates the need for some concerted thinking about how to create a thriving sector that caters for both the private and ‘affordable’ renter.”
Mairead Carroll, the senior specialist in land and property standards at the institute, said: “It will be fascinating to see how important energy efficiency becomes to buyers over the next 12 months."
The residential market report is a monthly sentiment survey of chartered surveyors in the UK’s residential sales and lettings markets.
GIANT REVIEW
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Engine 3.5L V6
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Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
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Price: Dh155,000
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Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
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Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Timeline
2012-2015
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May 2017
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September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
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October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
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