Page 16 - ESPC Magazine Oct 2020
P. 16

THE PROPERTY MARKET



        HOUSE PRICE REPORT SEPTEMBER 2020

         In our first House Price Report since March, we look at various useful statistics to paint a picture
               of the Edinburgh, Lothians, Fife and Borders property market post-lockdown.


                                              From 1st July to 30th September 2020,
                   KEY POINTS                 the average selling price in Edinburgh, the
                                              Lothians, Fife and the Borders was £266,149,
                                              up 5.2% compared to the same period last
                                              year. This is also an increase compared to
                                              the first quarter of the year, during which the
                £266,149                      average selling price was £240,689.

                    average
                   selling price              In Edinburgh, the average selling price
                                              rose by 3% year-on-year to £283,453.
                                              Properties in the Borders and East Lothian
                                              experienced the greatest year-on-year
        From July to September 2020, the average
         property selling price in Edinburgh, the   increases in average selling price, up
      Lothians, Fife and the Borders was £266,149, up   16.2% and 15.4% respectively. Properties in
       5.2% compared to the same period last year.   Midlothian saw an increase of 7.9%, while   On average, properties in Edinburgh, the    ESPC agents have reported being
                                              properties in West Fife & Kinross saw an     Lothians, Fife and the Borders achieved   exceptionally busy with enquiries from
                                              increase of 8.8%.                            103.6% of Home Report valuation compared   buyers and sellers.
                                                                                           to 103.2%. 83.6% of properties in these areas
                  48.2%                       The past three months has seen a             were sold for at least Home Report valuation   “Properties are selling well, with the average
                                              significant spike in the number of homes     compared to 77.7% last year.          selling price up compared to last year and the
                   increase in
                 homes coming                 coming to market, up 48.2% year-on-year.                                           first quarter of 2020. The increases in average
                   to market                  In Edinburgh, there has been a 55.9%         The median selling time of properties in    selling price are particularly notable in the
                                              increase. This is to be expected due to      Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the    Scottish Borders and East Lothian.
                                              lockdown restrictions preventing homes       Borders was 21 days, the same as last year.
                                              coming to market during the spring months,   In Edinburgh, it was 19 days, also the same    “October brings the end of the furlough
        The number of homes coming to market in   which would normally be a busy time of year   as last year. Properties in West Fife & Kinross   scheme and the First Home Fund is also
         these areas during the last three months    for the property market.              saw the greatest reduction in selling time, at    closing to applications for this year, although
                  was up 48.2%.
                                                                                           21 days compared to 27 days last year.   it will be reopened next year. The First Home
                                              However, in the past three months there                                            Fund has been useful for many first time
                                              has been a 32.3% drop in sales volume.       The top selling property in terms of volume   buyers who might have struggled to save
                      21                      This appears to be because of the sales and   was three bedroom houses in Dunfermline,   enough for the higher deposits currently
                                                                                           followed by two bedroom flats in Leith and
                                                                                                                                 required by lenders. This could therefore
                                              mortgage process taking longer than usual,
                days for property             due to the high volumes of activity after    one bedroom flats in Leith. Dunfermline and   impact the demand levels for property,
                   to be placed               lockdown. Over the past three months,        Leith were also the areas with the greatest   resulting in a drop in activity.
                   under offer                there has been a year-on-year uplift in the   volume of new homes coming to market.
                                              number of homes placed under offer.                                                “However, based on the high levels of activity
                                                                                           Paul Hilton, CEO of ESPC, said: “It’s been    we have seen in recent months and what’s
           The median number of days it took    Out of the homes brought to market, 88.1%   three months since restrictions were relaxed   happened in the past, the Edinburgh and
         for properties in these areas to be placed    were marketed as “offers over” compared    on the Scottish property market, and it’s fair    wider Scottish property market appears in a
         under offer was 21, the same as last year.   to just 80.7% last year, which indicates    to say activity has surged during that time.   relatively stable position to tackle the
                                              confidence in current market conditions      There has been a significant uplift in the    economic uncertainties of the next quarter.”
                                              from agents and sellers.                     number of homes coming to market while

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