A YORKSHIRE estate agency has reported a “glimmer of confidence” in the regional property market.
Latest figures from Carter Jonaes, which has offices at Slaithwaite and in Leeds, York and Harrogate, showed the agency has received 31 instructions so far this year totalling nearly £28m of property.
In Huddersfield alone, more than £5.5m of property has come to market since the New Year.
Yorkshire properties on Carter Jonas’s website received more than 28,000 visits throughout January and agents at each of the offices are noticing a renewed enthusiasm for the market – albeit with a cautionary approach.
James England, head residential at Carter Jonas’ Huddersfield office, said: “At the end of 2009 we predicted an early upturn in activity with buyers returning to the market with a greater level of confidence.
“However, we were expecting much fewer instructions after the deluge of snow in early January so these figures are particularly pleasing.”
He said: “Whereas in the past we’ve seen a real seasonality to buying trends, in the current market people are simply buying and selling when the time is right for them.
“We used to say that people waited for the daffodils before putting their houses on the market – that old adage is definitely something of the past.”
Mr England said the rise in activity could be attributed to a number of factors – from property owners becoming impatient with the market to those pre-empting a lull in activity with the forthcoming election.”
Said Mr England: “Our advice to those intending to buy or sell a property in 2010 is get on and do it whilst the going is good.”
