UK mortgage lending dipped in October as buyers hesitated due to economic and political uncertainty caused by Brexit and the upcoming General Election.
Gross mortgage lending across the residential market last month was £25.5bn, a dip of 0.9 per cent compared to October 2018.
Mortgage approvals for home purchases by the main high street banks increased three per cent and remortgage approvals soared 12.7 per cent, according to the latest data from UK Finance.
Credit card spending, which amounted to £11bn in October, was 2.3 per cent lower than last year, and repayments were in line with expenditure, demonstrating that consumers are managing their finances responsibly.
Personal borrowing through loans increased 7.4 per cent, and overdraft use was 1.2 per cent higher than the same time the previous year.
John Goodall, chief executive at buy-to-let specialist Landbay, said: “The reality is that lenders are (and have been) ready and willing to lend, instead it’s would-be buyers who need that final nudge to make their move.
“Looking forward, with the election looming, we may finally see the cloud of uncertainty begin to lift – assuming there is a clear parliamentary majority.
“If this does happen, we could see a spike in demand as those who were holding off in recent years consider making their move in 2020. With their genuine appetite to lend, lenders will be gearing up to facilitate any increase in demand.”
Mark Harris, chief executive at mortgage broker SPF Private Clients, added: ‘Gross mortgage lending has fallen slightly compared with last October, reflecting perhaps the high level of uncertainty that continues to hamper the housing market as a whole.
“Until the general election result and Brexit are settled, it looks unlikely that the lack of confidence this is instilling in the market will change.”
By Jessica Clark
Source: City AM