I see that The Times reports that City buyers are as keen as ever to be “lords of the manor”. The market for country houses is reported to be so healthy that estate agents do not expect the Treasury's clampdown on bonuses to dent sales.
The article reports that Knight Frank said that the average price of “prime rural property” ( large cottages to manor houses) with a typical price of c £2.5 million, rose for the first time in two years during the last three months of 2009. Savills said that “higher than expected” sales in the UK prime residential market had contributed to an annual performance “significantly ahead” of expectations. Apparently, five and six-bedroom farmhouses, with an average value of £1.1 million, have enjoyed the greatest price rise in the last three months of 2009, up by 2.6%.
If you are running a local or regional appeal, check out house price sites and estate agents sites to see what is happening locally. It can be a long haul, waiting for the property to sell, and for the information to filter through, but this is always a route worth considering.
All the best for 2010
Finbar Cullen
ResearchPlus
