Now that the strict lockdown period is over, many businesses are still finding their feet as they try to return to their previous sense of normality. It’s difficult to navigate a lot of what’s going on – we live in unprecedented times, and there’s no manual. There’s one business sector showing promise on making a full recovery, and that’s the housing market.
At Aussie Man & Van, we keep a watchful eye on the housing market’s trends to see if we need to be aware of any significant changes. Here’s our guide to London’s housing market and how it affects the services we offer.
Current Housing Trends and Removals News in London –
At Aussie, we try our best to be vigilant of any changes in other industries where it can affect how we work and organise our removals jobs. One such sector is the housing market, as we keep up to date with any trends and movements for a good reason. If there’s a sudden increase in certain types of relocations, it helps us prepare in advance and ready our crew members and vehicles.
We also find it beneficial to look back at previous moves to see where we can gain insights for future use. A lot of people left London before the lockdown began, with many heading to rural areas where their families had property. No one knew how long it would last for, and many of our customers took a few possessions, then had us transport the rest of their things several weeks after.
This led to a sharp increase in the number of people considering a permanent move from London. No matter how we look at it, the pandemic has had a massive impact on how we live and work, and many people don’t feel the same about city life anymore. Having something like a garden the kids can play in or a nice deck to enjoy the warmer evenings on is now more favourable.
This is more than anecdotal musings; large property companies like Knight Frank and Savills are reporting a significant increase in online searches and inquiries for people leaving London. A better quality of life is something many of us take for granted or consider less important than a successful career. If nothing else positive comes from it, the lockdown was able to show us things can be different, we just need to work out what we want from our home.
A Surge in Demand for Self Storage in London –
Aussie’s storage services were also experiencing a lot of new customers during the lockdown due to people working from home. A lot of companies closed their doors to help reduce the spread of Covid-19. This meant that, wherever possible, their staff would work remotely for the foreseeable future. And as a consequence, there’s less space at home because it’s now a temporary workplace.
We do our best to help our customers solve any issues, which is why we’re on-hand to assist with room conversions for home offices. It’s essential to separate your home and work life, as well as to make sure you don’t live in an uncomfortable atmosphere. And even though things are slowly returning to normal, we’re still receiving bookings for storage and creating household workspaces.
Every Aussie storage unit comes with environmental controls to keep everything in perfect condition. This eliminates issues with condensation or overheating. We have everything in place to tailor a storage package for your exact requirements. And you won’t find a better range of storage options anywhere else in London.
We have three storage options to choose from, which includes Container Storage, Self Storage and our AusBox storage packages. Depending on your storage needs, we can assess how long you may need to store with us. Additionally, we’ll work out how regularly you’ll need access before we suggest the most suitable option.
Our Covid-19 Health and Safety Measures –
Although the next phase in the lockdown process will see more activity and fewer restrictions, Aussie will continue to enact our Covid-19 Standard Health Policy. You can read more details about this here, but we’ll go over some of the key aspects in this section. It’s worth noting that we will provide updates on any major developments as we introduce them.
Aussie’s Standard Health Policy is our commitment to our customers and staff, to promote the highest standards of cleanliness and sanitisation, with a view of preventing any new infections of Covid-19. While we understand how vital a relocation is, it must always be done safely and within the guidelines set by Public Health England and the World Health Organisation.
Every member of our removal’s team will regularly wash or sanitise their hands, which includes before arrival and throughout the job. Aussie provides our team’s with PPE equipment and hand sanitiser. We will also wipe down any surfaces or frequently touched objects with disinfectant wipes. However, it’s also worth considering booking us to undertake a deep clean of your property.
We’re also performing inquiries and bookings via online video platforms. Video quoting, via WhatsApp or Facetime, is how we offer quotes, but we are still able to conduct in-person meetings where necessary. These measures will help reduce any increased risk without causing any issues with the services we offer. We will always be available to discuss your relocation by phone, email, as well as via video conferencing.
The Outlook for Homeowners and Renters in London –
The reality of the Covid-19 pandemic is the potential impact on the economy and the likelihood of a long-lasting recession. The domino effect is usually job losses due to businesses that can no longer sustain their outgoings. Whenever something on a large scale like this occurs, the housing market suffers, and property values drop. Surprisingly, by lifting several restrictions in May, a significant crash in the market has been avoided for the time being.
In March, house prices rose by 1.2% in places like Hackney, Chelsea and several other boroughs. This has had a cushioning effect on any short-term decrease in values due to the lockdown. Another reason for a brighter than expected outlook is the relatively fast bounce back that’s occurring. According to property consultants at Knight Frank, successful offers from outside the capital are 52% above the five-year average. This is in addition to 34% inside of London.
London’s renters might notice a decrease in prices as a result of the lockdown. The average is a resounding 15% drop in rental values in London, with affluent postcodes making up a large percentile of this figure. Although it’s unclear what the long-term prospect of this will be, as Savills UK suggests that it’s likely another drop 1.5% in rental values will reverse by 5.5% next year. Their perspective is that ‘rental values [are] more resilient than capital values during a downturn.’
Whether you’re a homeowner, a landlord or a tenant, the housing market will likely have its fair share of ups and downs. But things look far more positive than previously expected, mainly because of the urge for change. As thousands of people look set to leave London in the coming months, the landscape of the UK’s housing market could look very different in the next few years.
High-Quality Removals in London, the UK and Europe –
As we mentioned in a previous section, Aussie took bookings throughout the lockdown for people leaving London. Many of them were heading to locations quite some distance from the capital, which requires a different level of removals service. Fortunately, Aussie’s National Moving service is the ability to provide the same high standard of customer service we attain in London and apply it to anywhere in the UK.
We achieve this by working with partner companies throughout the UK, which gives us access to ten depots. This makes it possible to meet our highest standards of removals service and reduce your costs. From £400 (inc VAT), Aussie Man & Van will transport the contents of a one-bedroom apartment container from London to any destination.
In addition to our ability to relocate you anywhere in Britain, Aussie provides a European Removals service. We can move you to any town or city on the continent. Regardless of whether you’re moving to Peterborough or Paris, our team will assess, organise and deliver a complete removals service. Furthermore, BAR-accredited removals experts will handle your belongings during the loading and unpacking at both ends of the relocation.
Aussie’s ‘Can-Do’ Approach to Customer Service –
There are many things to contend with when you begin planning a relocation. This often results in trying to balance your home and work life while you plan your relocation. And before you know it, you’re closing in on your moving date, and you still have a lot to do. That’s why it’s crucial you book with a removals company who can assist with the preparation side of things.
Customer service is the number one focus for everything we do at Aussie Man & Van. In addition to the standard removals and storage packages, we have additional services that you won’t find anywhere else. For us, more options equal a better standard of service because we can cater to various people’s specifications.
If you’re planning your next relocation out of London to a neighbouring county or further away, you should book with a company with high ratings. Aussie is the ‘can-do’ removals and storage company. We will take on any removals or storage job, delivering the best possible service. We’re here to make your upcoming relocation as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.
Aussie Man & Van – London’s Favourite Removals and Storage Company –
Aussie has been working in London for nearly twenty years. And many of our team have experience in this industry that stretches beyond that. Our crew are experts in removals and every suggestion we make is with our customer’s interests in mind. For us, a successful relocation stems from thorough preparation and leaving nothing to chance.
Aussie Man & Van operates with a ‘can-do’ ethos that acts as the foundation of everything our company provides. We believe that a happy customer will feel complete satisfaction with every stage of their relocation. We’re always available to discuss our removals and storage services. Even if you’re planning a future move to the countryside or another part of the UK.
London’s housing market is likely to change a lot in the next few years, and you might be thinking of relocating to leave city life behind. Please contact us today if you’d like to discuss our range of services in more detail.
