The survey of the 23 offices, from Scotland to Sussex and from Cornwall to Norfolk, comes to the general consensus that house prices are likely to climb by no more than 2% for the remainder of the year.
The prospect of securing discounts on the asking prices of houses for sale was also surveyed. The majority of County Homesearch offices managed to secure reductions of between 3-10% with an average negotiated reduction of 5% per transaction.
“This is all very good news for buyers indeed – and we only represent buyers,” comments Jonathan Haward, managing director of County Homesearch. “The one cloud for our clients is that there is probably not enough choice on the market at the higher end. Having said that, we are aware of more houses this year than last that will be coming onto the market as soon as the roses are out.
“There are a lot of historically overpriced properties on the market which will remain so, but where a vendor is willing and the purchaser is keen, deals are being readily done. If agents are overvaluing homes to get instructions they are doing their sellers no favours at all. We have reports from Devon, Bedfordshire, Bucks, Berkshire and Cumbria that some properties have been around for far too long without attracting offers. However the very best houses are still in such demand that they sell immediately, providing of course that they are of the right price and quality and in the right location.
“This survey shows that the market is a little sluggish as people mistakenly believe that house prices are going to fall. However if history dictates, the months following an election usually enjoy much higher levels of activities than the months before, regardless of which party gets elected, and this is sure to boost the market.”
