The number of new property listings across the UK in January 2019 were up by almost two-thirds (64 per cent) on December 2018, according to online estate agents Housesimple
The number of new property listings has increased across the UK, with new listings in January 2019 up by almost two-thirds (64 per cent) on December 2018, according to the latest Property Supply Index compiled by online estate agents Housesimple.
The Property Supply Index analyses the number of new properties listed each month by estate agents across more than 100 major UK towns and cities.
Hastings topped the list of ten towns and cities in the UK with 212.1 per cent, followed by Southend-On-Sea, Torquay, Guildford and Ipswich, all of which saw a major increase in the number of properties coming onto the market in January, signaling that sellers are keen to avail the benefits of the prevailing uncertainty of brexit as an opportunity to market their homes while there is less competition around.
Among other cities and towns which saw a major increase in the number of new listings in January, was Halifax, where there has been a 116.7 per cent increase in the number of new listings in January 2019 compared with December 2018.
CEO of online estate agents HouseSimple.com, Sam Mitchell said they would normally expect to see activity pick up in the New Year, but no-one was quite sure how sellers and buyers would react to the amplified Brexit uncertainty in January. In the end, it proved to be a busy month for sellers in particular, and even with the distraction of the Commons vote mid-month, homeowners were keen to make up for lost time.
Mitchell said they are seeing a ‘life goes on’ attitude amongst homeowners, and many view the current political climate as an opportunity to market and secure a sale while there is less competition around.
It’ll be interesting to see how the next few months pans out. If the odds improve on a Brexit deal, there could be a cavalry charge of sellers putting their homes on the market. There won’t necessarily be an immediate surge in buyers, and savvy sellers may see this period of Brexit limbo as the perfect opportunity to market and have the pick of the buyers out there, he concluded.
