THE number of houses being put up for sale rose by 36% last month compared to the same time last year, new figures reveal.
And the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB) believe April is set to be the busiest period “for decades” as prices continue to soar – especially outside London.
According to data analysed by the NAPB, 116,386 properties were listed for sale on Rightmove in February.
This is up from 85,416 last February – an increase of almost 40%.
Last April 144,737 properties were listed but Jonathan Rolande, the founder of the NAPB, said he expected this year to surpass this figure.
He said: “All the data indicates that next month is going to see a real boom in sales and transactions. I predict we could see record numbers of houses being put for sale as people try to benefit from the continued increase in house prices.
“It’s worth noting that prices are actually increasing at a much faster rate in places outside of London. So new hotspots for property are showing up and there are still great deals out there which is encouraging people to go for it.”
Mr Rolande, the director of House Buy Fast, said there were many reasons why April, traditionally, has always been the most popular month to try and move.
He said: “Thanks to the long, drawn out buying process, April is pretty much the last month parents can move in time to start a child at a new school in September.In January there is under 8 hours of daylight – by mid-April that’s up to nearly 12 hours. That’s more time to get out viewing. Two Bank Holidays at Easter give people the head-space to think about a move.
As any estate agent will tell you, homes just look nicer in spring sunlight.
“But this year the fear of increasing interest rates is resulting in buyers rushing to nab a cheap fixed rate.”
According to official data released last week, the average house price in England is now £291,560.
Regional data indicates that the East Midlands experienced the greatest increase in its average property value over the last 12 months with a movement of 11.6%.
London saw the lowest annual price growth with an increase of 2.2%
