"Unsurprisingly it isn’t a linear descent and we could see some volatility over the coming months, despite the recent interest rate cut."
- Mark Arnold, head of mortgages and savings at Barclays
Growth in rent and mortgage spending slowed to the lowest rate in 17 months, following the Bank of England’s base rate reduction on 1 August, the latest data from Barclays shows.
In response, consumers are feeling more confident in their household finances, though some concerns around rent and mortgage affordability remain.
Spending on rent and mortgages grew by just 1.1% in August, the lowest rate recorded since March 2023. This follows the Bank of England’s decision to drop the base rate by 0.25% earlier in the month. For now, Brits are saving on costs through their bills, as warmer weather coupled with the Ofgem energy price cap resulted in the fourth consecutive month of falling utilities spending, dropping 11.4% year-on-year.
Amidst the easing of some of these financial pressures and reduced inflation, the proportion of consumers confident in their household finances hit 70% for the first time since April this year, up from 65% in July. Confidence in the UK housing market has also risen, increasing from 25% to 29% in the same four-month period. However, with 78% of mortgage holders reporting they have a fixed rate deal, only a small proportion of consumers will be feeling the benefits of recent interest rate reductions. This is reflected in the marginal decrease in those not confident in their ability to afford rental or mortgage payments, which dropped from 16% to 15% month-on-month.
For renters, competition for properties is an ongoing struggle as, for the fourth month in a row, 20% report getting less value for their money due to high demand. Amongst the 18-34-year-old group this rises to over a quarter (26%). Young renters are also facing additional pressures as students enter the market for the new academic term, with more than one in six (17%) saying the influx of students is causing too much competition for properties. Given the extra squeeze on housing supply, only 14% of 18-34-year-old homeowners say they are considering selling their home, with many opting to retrofit instead, as three in 10 (28%) say they are making improvements to their home to make it more energy efficient.
Mark Arnold, head of mortgages and savings at Barclays, said: “In the year to date we’ve seen encouraging signs that spending on rent and mortgages is decelerating on the whole, but unsurprisingly it isn’t a linear descent and we could see some volatility over the coming months, despite the recent interest rate cut.
“Many people think that interest rates are what really determine the mortgage market – and whilst that’s true to some extent, for me, the biggest driver is confidence. If you're going to make the biggest purchase of your life, you need to be confident that the economy is stable, inflation is under control, and you know what you're going to pay. That stability and confidence will determine how people spend, even for renters.”
