Taylor Scott International News
Average house prices in Scotland increased by 1% or £1,600 in January, surpassing the May 2008 peak, according to the latest index data. Year on year prices are up 4.5%, taking the average home price to £166,771, a new record, but sales were down 44% compared to December, double the typical seasonal downturn. It means that the average home in Scotland is now worth £1,238 more than at the peak of the housing boom in May 2008, following the most significant monthly upswing for seven months, says the report from Your Move. Dundee saw the biggest prices jump with property prices increasing 6.7% or £8,161, while Fife and West Lothian set new peak house prices with growth of 9.5% and 10.9% respectively. North Ayrshire has experienced the biggest rise in house prices on the mainland over the last year, up 11.6% with the typical price of a detached home growing from £180,000 to £210,000 in the past 12 months. However, average prices have fallen in seven local authorities of Scotland during the past year. West Dunbartonshire has seen the steepest drop in values in the last 12 months, with prices falling 7.2% on average, and flats in the area are now worth £20,000 less than a year ago. In addition, completed house sales in January 2015 were down 44% on December levels, double the usual seasonal downturn, and a 14% fall on a year ago, as home sales drop to the lowest level for 23 months. ‘This shouldn’t be viewed as a bad omen though, as the start of the year is always the slowest time for house purchases in Scotland, and it will only get busier, as the sustained flow of front-end demand flooding into the market starts to translate into end results,’ said Christine Campbell, regional managing director of Your Move. The Scottish housing market is benefitting from the economy moving in the right direction, and employment on the up, while mortgage rates are at rock bottom, according to Campbell. She pointed out that next month’s Land and Buildings Transaction Tax will offer some extra relief to those clambering onto the bottom rungs of the ladder, lowering the stamp duty paid on purchases even further. ‘Greater policy clarity that will emerge after the general election will unleash a new wave of confidence that will outweigh any hesitancy in the market at the moment,’ she added. Taylor Scott International
Taylor Scott International, Taylor Scott
