HM Land Registry Price Index Overview

Whether you are already convinced that the UK property market is a good place to invest or not, it is always more than just a “good idea” to have a handle on how the market has performed both historically and recently.

The fact of the matter is that house values, buying trends, and supply/ demand are intrinsically interwoven with the country’s economy.

Considering available data

This would logically suggest that even if you are considering investing in some other sector, you would be prudent to take at least a cursory look at how property is performing over time and the best place to access the crucial data that you need is via the HM Land Registry price Index.

In this article, we will provide a brief overview of what you will find there and further consider how the information might assist in making an informed investment choice.

Property – A stable investment in turbulent times

No matter what line of business you are in or how you are employed in the UK, it will not have escaped your notice that the last twelve months there has been more financial uncertainty than we have seen in several generations.

The irony is, however, that according to the aforementioned index, during the last twelve months to the year ending January 2019, the average house price has increased by a little over £6,000.00.¹

Finishing ahead

Whilst this may not represent a breath-taking increase, it is worth noting that month by month during that time, prices only dipped slightly towards the end of the year which is traditionally a “slow” period for sales.

The good news for owners and investors alike is that despite this minor hiccup, the increase in values to the start of 2019 remained at an average price increase from £224,405 to £230,630.²

Using the free tools at your disposal

The irony is that the HM Land Registry Price Index provides a whole raft of usable data that can be accessed by anyone and the only surprising fact is how few people take advantage of this invaluable free tool.

From areas and house types to percentage changes, the online data can be crunched into several different formats. It even provides funding data that can be cross-referenced with the FCA, such as cash or mortgage and price indexes across everything from status to property volumes.

Making decisions based on reliable data

No one is likely to argue against the reliability of the data that HM Land Registry collates and notwithstanding its accuracy, it is the single most relevant market directing factor known to bear on the property industry.

Considering, therefore, that such data is so widely available and in the public domain, it would be somewhat churlish to dismiss or worse still ignore it altogether.

If you are considering the benefits of property investment either for a rental return or with an exit strategy in mind, the data on the Land Registry website is probably the ideal place to start carrying out your research.

^{1, 2} Uk House Price Index, House Price Statistics, Average price by type of property in United Kingdom

Please note, this blog post is not to be considered as investment advice. We recommend you seek independent financial advice and conduct your own due diligence before making any investment.