A HUDDERSFIELD property agency says the housing market looks set to improve in 2013 – but this will not necessarily mean higher prices.

James England, head of residential for Carter Jonas in Slaithwaite, said: “2012 has proved to be another year of highs and lows – some properties have sold well amidst healthy competition, whilst others have taken longer to find the right buyer.

“Confidence remains fragile. However, despite this ongoing uncertainty, realistically priced and proactively marketed properties are still creating interest. In fact, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reported the largest rise in new buyer enquiries for three years as 2012 drew to a close.

“So what does 2013 have in store? We anticipate a general improvement in market conditions, although this improvement will not necessarily result in an increase in prices.

“We have a good number of buyers who are keen and motivated to purchase properties now and these will only increase as we move into the New Year. Likewise, we are already instructed on a number of exciting and interesting houses with a view to commencing marketing early in the New Year.

“Our advice for anyone who is considering moving at some point in the New Year is not to delay – get on and take advantage of improving market conditions.

“There may well be positive pent up demand with more active buyers and fewer properties being offered for sale than later in the spring.”

A survey by the RICS said house prices in Yorkshire and Humber will remain flat over the course of next year, while the cost of renting a home should rise by about 4%.

But the number of transactions in the region is expected to increase – moving up by 2% to more than 54,000 from about 53,000 in 2012.

With estimates suggesting that up to 25% of loans taken out at the height of the market are now in negative equity, the recent trend in repossessions looks set to continue.

However, with the number of possession claims and mortgages currently more than three months in arrears falling, the number of repossessions should dip below 35,000 in the UK for the first time since 2007.

Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist, said: “House prices in Yorkshire and Humber will remain flat next year, due to the uncertain outlook for the economy.

“More positively, the amount of sales going through in the region should increase, as the Funding for Lending scheme helps boost the availability of mortgage finance.

“But these tentative signs of recovery in the sales market should not blind us to the very real problems that still exist.

“Even with the Funding for Lending scheme and some other Government policies beginning to be felt in the mortgage market, many first-time buyers will continue to find it difficult to secure a sufficiently large loan to take an initial step on the housing market.

“Meanwhile, the alternative of renting is becoming more and more costly with a further increase in rents likely in 2013.

“Critically, the Government needs to ensure that the conditions are in place that will enable the stock of new housing, whether for purchase or rent, to rise more rapidly.”