Regional report

ST MAWES, CORNWALL

 

H TIDDY
Mark Willson, Director

H Tiddy Independent Estate Agents are based in the exclusive Cornish coastal village of St Mawes. We have been established for over 100 years and we are recognised specialists in a niche market. For over 16 years, we have been proud members of The Guild of Property Professionals with exclusivity to cover The Roseland Peninsula, near Truro, in South Cornwall.

For the first eight months of this year, we successfully sold nearly £21 Million worth of properties in our beautiful coastal Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This result is particularly pleasing for us as this exceeds our sales figures in the more buoyant market during the same period last year. From 1st January to 1st September 2022, we sold and completed on just under £19 Million worth of properties with an average house price of £899,784 at £692/sq.ft (7448/sq.m). This equates to an unprecedented 10.71% increase in localised annual average house price growth. So far this year we have sold a broad and varied range of properties in all price categories from a detached cliff top hobbies hut, which fetched considerably more than its £50,000 marketing price after a competitive bidding situation with interest shown and offers from multiple buyers.

Pleasant surprise

Our sales figures so far in 2023 are a pleasant surprise given the state of the economy and increasing interest rates. The Nationwide announced in August and The Halifax in July that Annual House Prices in the UK had declined by 5.3% and 2.4% respectively. Both predict ongoing monthly house price decreases whilst the gap between average wages and mortgage rates plus lending criteria remain relatively broad. Even though we are not complacent enough to believe that our area in Cornwall can be isolated from national housing market conditions, we are delighted that our hard work, local knowledge, and experience has reaped rewards where, we hope, the sun will continue to shine, both metaphorically and literally on The Roseland Peninsula.

Featured property: Crossways, St Mawes, Cornwall – Guide Price £2,975,000. 

ILKLEY, WEST YORKSHIRE

 

HARRISON ROBINSON ESTATE AGENTS
Greg Harrison

As voted by the Sunday Times the Yorkshire Spa town Ilkley, took home the prize of best place to live in 2022. Standing firm at the top of the list, with one reviewer writing: “Ilkley continues to dazzle with its enviable shops, schools, stunning scenery, and transport links.

Following the pandemic, many people made the choice to move from cities to the more rural existence that Ilkley and the Wharfe Valley have to offer. Strong train and air links to the Capital are on hand for those who wish to split their time working from home and the office providing access to the best of both worlds.

We are pleased to confirm that strong sales continue, despite changes in the mortgage market, many clients identify property in the Wharfe Valley as a long-term investment and hope they will receive the benefit and enjoyment out of a new home now, with interest rates adjusting in the medium to longer term. Growth in sales is aided by families helping each other join the property ladder with private finances, those looking to move because of a growing family and clients downsizing to release capitol for family property purchases.

Sales are also bolstered by the time-honoured tradition of developing a strong pipeline, customer referrals, trust and great service which is the bedrock of Harrison Robinson’s success in the local marketplace.

Working from homers

We have many clients looking for a home with a spacious dedicated workspace, a garden office, or the opportunity to build one, therefore it certainly looks like working from home is here to stay.

We were honoured to receive an invite to join The Guild of Property Professionals recently. This has certainly helped our reputation and the help and services offered can only be a positive addition.

We at Harrison Robinson bespoke our service to suit each client, to create a stress-free environment from start to finish, whether downsizing or looking for that dream family home, we give our clients the time and space to come to the right decision on a property. Evidence suggests that often people spend less time choosing the right home than they do buying a car. Our team support our clients throughout and much handholding is available to find the right one.

Featured property: The Gables, Hag Farm Road – £3,750,000

NORTHERN IRELAND

 

HUNTER CAMPBELL ESTATE AGENTS
Nick White, Partner/Director

Although the past few months have been challenging there are certainly reasons to be cautiously optimistic as far as the housing market in East Antrim is concerned. Of course, recent month on month rises in interest rates has had a sobering effect on purchasers but this is on the back of an unexpectedly buoyant two years during Covid, so a bit of softening in the market was not unexpected and truthfully, neither were the interest rate rises.

Now with time to adjust, purchasers are coming to terms with the changes in mortgage rates but more importantly are beginning to see them level off and even a bit of competition for fixed-rate deals amongst lenders – and this coupled with a shortage of stock levels has managed to keep prices relatively static and augurs well for the future.

Demand from villages

All three branches situated in Ballyclare, Carrickfergus and Larne, report the same – we are seeing an increase in demand for properties in the outlying provincial towns and villages. This is in no small measure due to the trend of working from home and this trend is not confined solely to residents of Northern Ireland, as we have seen many purchasers either moving to, or back to, the province where a wide choice of homes in the country on a generous site yet coupled with convenience to all amenities is readily accessible. As to the rental market, on the lettings side of the business there continues to be a shortage of good quality homes and rental values have been rising. With the changes to tax relief available to landlords over recent years coupled with the increase in mortgage interest rates, many landlords have decided to sell up, placing an even greater strain on the private rental market. If, however you are a landlord looking to increase your portfolio, I honestly believe there is no better time. There is still good demand.

Featured property: Blackhead Path, Whitehead, Carrickfergus – offers around £495,000