A survey of the 24 branches across the UK reveals that its home finders were able to make savings for clients of up to 10% by using the company’s negotiating services.
The survey reveals the following average savings for County Homesearch clients over the last 12 months:
South East 4.2%
South West 3.1%
North West .75%
Yorkshire and North East .9%
“This shows that in most cases we have managed to reduce the price paid for a property although these savings in the North West and Yorkshire are minimum,” said Jonathan Haward, managing director of County Homesearch. “Typically, a saving of £5,000 on the asking price translates into a saving of about £13,000 over the period of a 25 year mortgage.
“The further north one goes the stronger the market appears to be. Remember, these are average savings and in some cases clients have had to pay over the asking price to secure a house, which is highly sought-after, or if the market is still hot.
“There is an assumption that negotiating the sale of a house means always saving money for clients. This is broadly true but not necessarily so in all cases. Where the market is buoyant, the price guide of the property a little too low and the demand generally high, the skill then comes in advising clients on how to secure a property they have set their hearts on by offering the asking price at the outset.
“With the cost of borrowing at a 40-year low and access to competitive mortgages still available there has been a tendency for buyers to offer more than perhaps they need. Prices are not falling but the level of growth is tailing off and the market is beginning to settle.”
