SURVEYS SHOW GROWING CONFIDENCE IN HOUSING MARKET

Three surveys just published show increasing confidence in the housing market. Nearly 40% of respondents to The Halifax ‘Housing Market Confidence tracker’ poll expect house prices nationally to increase next year – almost double the proportion that believe they will go down. At the same time, a similar poll by property portal Zoopla reveals that 67% of British home owners believe that house prices will rise over the next six months, with the average property price across Britain predicted to rise 3.9% during this period. In the third poll, from the Post Office, 14% of aspiring first-time buyers who plan to buy within the next five years expect to buy this year and 22% next year. Almost half (45%) are confident of being able to fund the deposit themselves by saving up, while 16% will get help from their parents and the same proportion by using the Government’s FirstBuy scheme. The Zoopla poll also shows that people are now finding it easier to get a mortgage than at the end of last year, with 17% saying availability has improved. The Halifax survey indicates that most people still think of it as a buyers’ market: 55% think now is a good time to buy, more than double the 24% who believe it is a good time to sell. Adam Offer, managing director of leading south west estate agents, Besley Hill, said these findings reflected a general view that the tide has turned and a recovery in the housing market is now underway.

SHOP WITH FLAT TO BE SOLD AT AUCTION

A generous-sized lock-up shop with one-bed first floor flat is being sold with a guide price of £165,000-£185,000 at Besley Hill’s auction at BAWA, Filton, on Thursday 24 May. The shop premises at 6 Straits Parade, Fishponds, come with a multi-purpose rear room, staff room and toilet facility while the flat above has an entrance from the rear. Further benefits include a garage and rear garden. There is scope for some improvement/refurbishment offering an investment/business opportunity. The aluminium double-fronted shop front has shutters revealing a central doorway into a main shop area (19' 0" x 15' 6" (5.79m x 4.72m) wide) opening into a secondary shop area (16' 0" x 14' 6" (4.88m x 4.42m) wide) which leads to the staff room (11' 6" x 5' 6" (3.51m x 1.68m)). The shop toilet is fitted with a white wash basin with water heater, splash back tiling and frosted glazed window to a rear door into a separate w.c. The rear office, storage or preparation room, measuring 16' 5" x 8' 5" (5m x 2.57m), includes a single drainer stainless sink unit with twin cupboards beneath. The first floor flat, which can be accessed via the shop internally or from the rear of the premises, has a 14' 6" x 10' 5" (4.42m x 3.18m) lounge with two UPVC double-glazed windows to the front. The kitchen (11' 8" x 9' 6" (3.56m x 2.9m)) is fitted with several wall and floor storage and drawer units with timber grain-effect rolled-edged working surfaces, fitted gas cooker, single drainer stainless steel sink unit, space for fridge and separate freezer, hot water cylinder and UPVC double-glazed window to the rear. The bedroom (14' 6" x 8' 3" (4.42m x 2.51m)) has a UPVC double-glazed window to front; the bathroom contains a white suite of panelled bath, wash basin and fitted shower unit; and there is a separate low level w.c. At the rear of the property are a garage (16' 5" x 9' 3" (5m x 2.82m)) and a garden/yard with lawned area and pathway leading to a vehicular lane alongside a small outbuilding/store. The property is situated near Fishponds centre in the direction of Downend via Fishponds Road (A432). Straits Parade is a rank of shops positioned slighty behind Fishponds Road on the left. For further details, including open house viewing arrangements, contact Besley Hill Estate Agents, 764 Fishponds Road, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3UA, tel 0117 9653162, email fishponds@besleyhill.co.uk, or the auctioneer’s office, tel 0117 9701551, website www.besleyhillsurveyit.co.uk

AUCTION PROPERTY WITH PERIOD FEATURES AND LARGE GARDEN

A bay-fronted mid-terrace three-bedroom house with period features and a large rear garden is to be sold at Besley Hill’s auction at BAWA, Filton, on Thursday 24 May with a guide price of £110,000 to £130,000. Situated in a popular area, close to local amenities, 4 Russell Road, Fishponds, has an entrance via a panelled door into inner vestibule with glass-panelled door to a hallway with stairs to the first floor, period cornice and under-stairs storage cupboard. The 15' 0" x 11' 2" (4.57m x 3.4m) lounge has a double-glazed bay window to front, period cornice and fireplace with mantle above while the dining room, measuring 13' 0" x 9' 9" (3.96m x 2.97m), has a period fireplace and window to the rear. Also on the ground floor are a kitchen (8' 10" x 7' 4" (2.69m x 2.24m)) with sink and gas point for cooker, a lean-to storage area, a w.c. and a glass door to the garden. On the first floor, bedroom 1 (14' 9" x 11' 5" (4.5m x 3.48m)) has a double-glazed window to the front, fireplace and built-in cupboard, bedroom 2 (12' 11" x 9' 7" (3.94m x 2.92m)) a window to the rear and fireplace, and bedroom 3 (9' 8" x 8' 3" (2.95m x 2.51m)) a fireplace and window to the rear. The bathroom has a panelled bath, pedestal wash hand basin, double-glazed window to the front and a wall-mounted hot water system. The rear garden, approximately 90 feet in length, is mainly laid to lawn. For further details of 4 Russell Road, including viewing arrangements, contact Besley Hill Estate Agents, 764 Fishponds Road, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3UA, tel 0117 9653162, email fishponds@besleyhill.co.uk, or the auctioneer’s office, tel 0117 970 1551, website www.besleyhillsurveyit.co.uk

DEMAND GROWS AS STAMP DUTY HOLIDAY ENDS

Potential buyers continued to test the market during March as the stamp duty holiday finally came to an end, says the latest RICS UK Housing Market Survey. New buyer enquires edged up in March with 9% more surveyors reporting increases rather than decreases in demand, says the latest survey. This is the highest reading in almost two years and suggests that the final weeks of the stamp duty holiday saw buyers looking to beat the deadline. Alongside this, the flow of new properties coming onto the market remained stable with a net balance of 2% more respondents reporting rises in new instructions (from +7% more in February). Significantly, many surveyors report that those looking to sell their homes must be realistic in their price expectations if they are to be successful. Looking ahead, with demand seeing gentle increases across much of the country, expectations for future transaction levels remain positive with a net balance of 20% more surveyors expecting sales to increase over the coming three months. Simon Rubinsohn, RICS Chief Economist, said there had been signs of a pick-up since the start of the year, but he expected a "pause" in activity in April owing to the stamp duty holiday having expired. However, Adam Offer, managing director of leading south west estate agents Besley Hill, reports that this "pause" has not happened and demand is slowly outstripping supply.