At Austin Property Services, a lot of our work focuses on bringing buyers and vendors together. We know these are challenging times, and many first-time buyers are concerned about their ability to afford a home.

We will keep you in touch with all aspects of the housing market, and we will ensure you remain connected to the most likely buyers of your home.

NAEA Propertymark figures offer insight into house hunters looking for homes

There has been a lot of information and statistics issued in the housing market since it re-opened after lockdown, but some bodies and organisations are more highly regarded than others. When NAEA Propertymark issues information, people listen. This is because it provides realistic information from estate agents across the country.

Some of the leading statistics revealed by the organisation include:

• The number of house hunters registered per NAEA branch member increased by 7% between February and May

• The number of house hunters registered per NAEA branch member rose from 322 pre-lockdown to 344 post-lockdown

• In May, 70% of properties sold at a price that was lower than the initial asking price

• The average number of properties available, per branch as of May 2020, was 35

• This figure is a fall from the figure of 41 per branch recorded in May 2019

• The supply of homes, based on year-on-year, figures fell by 15% between March 2019 and March 2020

• Sales to first-time buyers in May stood at 32%, increasing from the 22% sales to first-time buyers in February

Mark Hayward is the Chief Executive of NAEA Propertymark, and he said; “It’s great to see the market up and running again, bringing some much-needed confidence back. With estate agents following new socially distanced protocols and the demand for viewings soaring, we are set for an exciting summer.”

Mark continued by saying; “It will be interesting in the coming months to see if the lifestyle changes triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic will have an impact on house sale locations, especially in and around commuter towns.”

More support for first-time buyers?

There have been calls from MPs for more to be done to support first-time buyers looking to step onto the property ladder. Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols said; “The Government must be proactive in ensuring that the banks assist first time buyers rather than wealthy landlords to access homes on the market. Too many young people are losing life opportunities to the Covid-19 pandemic, and this must not be another instance of that. I have written to the Secretary of State for Housing to ask what measures will be taken to support first time buyers.”

Eleanor Williams is a Finance expert at Moneyfacts.co.uk, and she said; “First-time buyers are a vital part of keeping the mortgage market moving, and so it comes as great news that lenders are again starting to relaunch products in the higher LTV tiers. Concern has been raised about the possibility of house price falls and consequential potential negative equity situations, making lenders understandably more cautious about lending in these higher-risk circumstances.”

Eleanor continued by saying; “Lenders have also found though that they have been overwhelmed by the level of demand for these brackets of products, resulting in some needing to withdraw deals only recently relaunched in order to manage their workload. Consumer demand is clearly evident, and the re-introduction of more deals for those with a 10% deposit, or even less, by more lenders would hopefully provide prospective purchasers with the choice they need to move forwards with buying a home.”

Mortgage products for first-time buyers were removed or reduced by lenders during the initial days of lockdown. Since then, there has been a slow release of mortgage products suitable for these buyers. The more products of this nature available for buyers, the better for the entire industry, including vendors.

We know many people have questions and queries right now, and we are here to help as best we can. Please get in touch with Austin Property Services if there is anything, we can assist you with.