Homes market surges as buyers burst out of lockdown gloom and head out of town to view properties
- Savills estate agents say interest in new homes has increased by 30 per cent
- There were 906 homes sold on Wednesday and 1,883 properties listed for sale
- The housing market has burst since lockdown restrictions were lifted midweek
One of Britain’s biggest estate agents saw a record number of enquiries from prospective buyers last week as the housing market burst out of lockdown gloom.
Savills, which has more than 100 UK offices, said expressions of interest from those looking for a new home were up 30 per cent on last year when restrictions were lifted on Wednesday.
The positive news extended across the sector, with 906 homes sold on Wednesday and 1,883 listed for sale, according to property market site View My Chain.
The number of sales was double the figure during lockdown, although on an average day around 4,000 homes are sold in the UK, totalling just under 1.2 million last year. Property marketplace Rightmove reported 5.2 million visits to its site on Wednesday, up 4 per cent on the previous year, while London agencies saw sale instruction rises of as much as 255 per cent day-on-day.
Estate agents Savills said expressions of interest from those looking for a new home were up 30 per cent on last year when lockdown restrictions were lifted on Wednesday. Pictured: Pine Ridge Lake Windermere, one of the most viewed homes on Rightmove currently
Estate agents across the country also reported a surge in interest for more rural properties, with homes in Yorkshire, Hampshire and on the South Coast particularly popular.
Andrew Perratt, head of Savills’ country division, said: ‘Offices outside main cities are getting more interest than city offices. We are seeing greater volumes for country property. It appears that during the lockdown people are re-assessing how much they need to be in cities.’
About 373,000 property sales were stalled when the Government imposed the lockdown, according to Zoopla. But on Wednesday, the housing market re-opened with strict guidelines on social distancing measures.
Mark Hayward, chief executive of the National Association of Estate Agents, said the organisation sent out new guidance to its 10,000 members on Friday.
‘It’s a new way of working’, he said. ‘Owner, agent and consumer will have to adopt social distancing and if necessary wear masks and gloves. Viewers will not be encouraged to spend a huge amount of time at the property, 15 to 20 minutes.
‘Only people from a single household can view a property, there are no multiple viewings and you can’t bring friends or family from outside your home. The number of people will be kept to a minimum, we’d recommend two.’
Mr Hayward added: ‘Children will be discouraged because the viewer will be instructed to touch nothing. Door handles will be sterilised, as will any surfaces, and will have to be re-sterilised between each viewing.
‘An interested party can’t get out their car until a previous viewer has left, they will have to wear gloves and a mask. Ideally, sellers need to be out of the property, whether in the garden, or sitting in their car or an outside garage.’
Andrew Groocock, partner at estate agency Knight Frank, said: ‘All of our offices will have staff working in them from Monday but the doors will remain locked.
‘Our negotiators will be wearing masks and taking masks and gloves for viewers – and there will be no physical brochures.’