By Paresh Raja, CEO, Market Financial Solutions

UK property is a popular asset class because of its historical resilience to withstand periods of political and economic volatility and quickly recover its value. Domestic and international investors are aware of this general observation, which no doubt explains why investment into bricks and mortar has been rising during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result of tax reliefs introduced by the government to encourage buyers and sellers to return to the property market, house prices have been rising at an impressive rate. According to the UK’s biggest building society – Nationwide – house prices rose in September at the fastest annual rate since the aftermath of the EU referendum vote in 2016. Nationwide recorded annual house price growth of 5% in September.

For homeowners, this is important – house prices are a useful way of measuring the capital growth of a property. If house prices are rising, it means there is strong demand for real estate which is positive news for homeowners. House price growth also allows us to assess the overall health of the property market.

Here at Market Financial Solutions, we are regularly arranging bridging loans to support the property investment intentions of UK and non-resident buyers. From our perspective, COVID-19 has not dampened the overall need for finance to complete on real estate transactions. And importantly, we are also seeing a rise in homeowners undertaking renovation and refurbishment projects amidst the pandemic.

In August, the Renovation Nation Report revealed that the typical UK homeowner had spent over £4,000 on renovation works since the introduction of lockdown measures in March 2020, ranging from garden to living room, bedroom and kitchen upgrades. This has no doubt increased in value since then.

The rise in home improvement projects is important for a number of reasons. First, it is an effective way of increasing the value of a property. Simply updating worn furnishing and fittings, adding an extension or implementing new technologies to make a home more energy efficient can significantly enhance the appeal of a home and increase its market value.

Second, the rise in renovations and refurbishments taking place drives productivity and creates new building opportunities for SME construction firms. For example, a survey that was recently published by the Federation of Master Builders showed a marked increased interest for home improvement projects. It revealed that 42% of SMEs are predicting higher workloads during the Autumn months.

In my opinion, the COVID-19 pandemic is directly responsible for this sudden hike. People are spending more time at home, either working remotely or as part of social distancing measures. Naturally, this has compelled homeowners to consider ways of upgrading their property so that they can better enjoy their office and/or living spaces. What’s more, with the UK on the brink of second lockdown, there is a general acceptance that working from home either fulltime or part-time is something that will remain the case long after the coronavirus outbreak has been contained.

Unlocking the renovation revolution

One of the biggest challenges when undertaking a home improvement project is having the necessary finance in place. The traditional method of engaging with a high street lender for a loan has become complicated. As a consequence of COVID-19, banks are treading carefully – based on reports we’ve been hearing, loans are taking longer to be approved and the range of products available is limited.

Given how important property market activity is in driving economic productivity and growth, there is a clear need to ensure that homebuyers can access finance with minimal delay and fuss. Having witnessed current trends, Market Financial Solutions has responded by offering specialist finance loans that are tailored specifically for renovation and refurbishment projects. These are structured to the specific demands of each application, which means that construction deadlines can be met without the risk of finance being delayed.

Interestingly, the government is also keen to promote home improvements, particularly when it comes to green housing. For instance, in September the government launched the Green Homes Grant to encourage energy efficient housing. Under this scheme, grants can be accessed to pay for green home improvements. This could range from the insulation of walls and floors to the installation of double and triple glazing and the addition of low-carbon heating.

I would not be surprised if the government also considers similar grant programmes to support either types of renovation projects, particularly if more people are facing the prospect of permanent remote working. Of course, a lot of research would need to be undertaken for such a proposal but there are plenty of advantages that could be on offer as part of such a scheme. For now, we will need to wait and see.

My advice for anyone considering a home improvement project is to consider all the finance options available and applying for a loan that best meets their individual circumstances. While this might seem challenging, the fact of the matter is that lenders like Market Financial Solutions are responding to demand and creating products to support such undertakings. Finding the right type of finance will only increase the chances of work being completed on time, which ultimately works in favour of the homeowner.