Commercial Owner Occupiers Planning for the Long Term

How owner occupiers are taking steps to ensure the long-term future of their businesses and property portfolios.

For many in the UK property market, 2022 was a reactive year as we responded to global events and domestic political uncertainty, and this led to price volatility. As we all now adapt to the new market conditions characterised by high inflation and interest rates, Strettons is seeing evidence that people are planning, not reacting, and taking steps to ensure the long term future of their businesses and property portfolios. 

We all hope that there will be good news to come later in the year. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stated that reducing inflation is one of the Government’s key priorities for 2023, and economic analysis indicates both inflation and interest rates will come down by the end of the year. However, in the immediate term the cost of borrowing will remain higher and both loan to value and credit control criteria will be more challenging for borrowers and investors than we have seen for some years. 

Prices are stabilising following the volatility caused by the mini budget in the autumn, and investors, particularly owner occupiers, are now capitalising on the raft of opportunities available across all asset classes. 

Owner Occupiers Planning for the Long-Term

Over the past three months, Strettons has seen a notable uptick in the number of owner occupiers who see the current market conditions as an opportunity to invest in the future of their business. In the City Fringe and east London, company owners are investing in buying offices and other business premises, seeing the re-base in property prices as the perfect time to secure an asset for their business or for purchase within any SIPP. 

This is particularly relevant for companies that do not need debt finance to transact on a property. Cash is king and will remain a key catalyst to transactional activity at all price points in the market throughout 2023 and into 2024.   

Recently, Strettons acquired Paynes Wharf in Deptford, SE8, a £5.1m 25,424 sq ft vacant office building for managed workspace operator, Artistic Spaces, for their own occupation. Strettons has also recently sold Clock House, a seven-storey mixed use building in Stamford Hill to a private owner occupier for £4m following a highly competitive bidding process.  This represents a handful of recent sales – particularly of office premises – we have sold to end occupiers.

Whilst those who have financed debt funded transactions are now having returns squeezed by interest rate hikes, those investors and owner occupiers with cash and low gearing are in an ideal position to enter the market and acquire assets at a discount compared to 12-18 months ago. 

Planning for Income Returns 

In addition to owner occupiers planning for the long term future of their business, we are also seeing a shift in investor focus. Investors are now planning for income returns and aggressively exploring value-add opportunities whether through prospects for future rental growth, scope for refurbishment and rent & asset re-positioning; or change of use and redevelopment. Our clients are engaging with all Strettons’ agency teams to take advice on how to ensure income from current assets is maximised through effective property management or which investment opportunities can provide income return, especially in our auctions department. High yielding auction lots have performed well during our recent auctions. 

At Strettons’ March auction, a freehold commercial and residential investment in Leyton sold for £735,000, against a guide of £675,000 plus, representing a 7.4% yield. In Walthamstow, a freehold commercial investment plus ground rent sold for £169,000 off a guide of £150,000 plus, representing a 6.5% yield.

Responding to societal trends will also present opportunities for building owners to improve rental tones and generate additional income streams by changing the permitted use class of their buildings. Our property management department is currently advising clients across a range of asset classes on how they can optimise occupier demand, income flow and the capital value of their assets.

The cost of debt will impact investment returns throughout the year and potentially cause problems for those with refinance events falling in 2023 & 2024. Our Receivership & Recovery team has seen a corresponding rise in enquiries from lenders to put in place strategies to mitigate risks.  

A level playing field for Private Investors, SIPP Purchasers and Owner Occupiers? 

For those who are well funded, the new market conditions can present the ideal opportunity to secure business assets that will produce income and capital growth for the long term. 

There is no question that the levels of buying activity during the recent spell of historically low interest rates and inflation combined with positive rental growth had radically lowered property investment yields. With the funds having largely withdrawn from certain sectors of the market, and a good pinch of understandable caution from those who have been aggressively acquiring in the market over the past 3-5 years, arguably, there is a more level playing field for well geared private investors, SIPP purchasers and those seeking buildings for owner occupation than has been the case for some years.