Biggest jump in asking prices for ten years
Monday, 20 February 2012 9:03 AM
Home sellers increased their asking prices by the highest amount for a decade this month, according to Rightmove.
The property website said the 4.1 per cent increase – the highest seen since April 2002 – was down to a combination of sellers cashing in on scarcity and some evidence of increased market confidence.
Rightmove called the £9,192 increase in the average asking price in February a surprisingly strong uplift given the challenging economic environment.
This was partly fuelled by cash-rich sectors of the market where buyer demand is exceeding the available supply. Prices in London are now within one per cent of their all-time high and new listings are down nine per cent on this time last year.
But Rightmove also highlighted increased availability of mortgage deals, with the number of products with a 10 per cent deposit up by a third on a year ago.
Miles Shipside, director at Rightmove, said: “We're seeing a strong 'spring bounce' in asking prices this year, but the ball is still a lot smaller than it was before the credit crunch as market volumes are constrained.
"The biggest jump in new sellers' asking prices for nearly ten years indicates there is pricing power if you are selling the right type of property in the right place where enough potential buyers have access to funding.
"If your local market does not have those characteristics and your price-pump is based on little more than seasonal optimism and an estate agent's hot air, then be prepared for buyer response to be a let-down."
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