In our opinion, we are firmly in a buyer’s market and anyone looking to purchase now should look to drive a hard bargain. Average house prices could have further to fall so the time is ripe for purchasers to negotiate robustly on property prices. Buyers should take a long-term view, whether they’re nesting or investing. Given the current economic backdrop, it is impossible to predict the timing of a sustained national recovery in activity and prices, but it could take a number of years for consumer confidence to improve on the back of a strengthening outlook for the economy and a resumption in the flow of credit. Interest rates are highly likely to rise in the future – the only question is when and how quickly. As a result, fixed and capped mortgages offer a sensible and very well-priced option for buyers with sizeable deposits.
Market intelligence: signs of recovery
