The number of housing valuations carried out in December 2015 was 29% higher than in December 2014, research from Connells Survey & Valuation suggests.
The number of housing valuations carried out in December 2015 was 29% higher than in December 2014, research from Connells Survey & Valuation suggests.
John Bagshaw, corporate services director of Connells Survey & Valuation, said: “For the housing market 2015 has been a year of significant progress, even if at times growth has been spread a little unevenly.
“There is a steady confidence in the market that wasn’t present in 2013, or even 2014. December’s results are also a reflection of the ever-increasing demand for homes as investment opportunities, as buy-to-let landlords join home movers seeking to make some sort of profit from their property.
“The housing market is in a strong position as we head into January.”
Annual growth in overall valuation activity has been largely driven by the performances of the buy-to-let and remortgaging sectors.
Between December 2014 and December 2015, the number of valuations conducted for buy-to-let properties soared by 86%, while, over the same period, valuation activity among those looking to remortgage rose by 34%.
However, in line with overall seasonality, both sectors experienced more subdued month-on-month activity, with the remortgaging sector seeing its numbers contract by 14% between November and December 2015. Meanwhile, the number of buy-to-let valuations saw a slight 1% dip over the same period.
