REPORT BY JOHN CORSER.
Record numbers of homes are being sold across the West Midlands and house prices are on the rise, estate agents revealed today. The signs show strong recovery in the housing market which has been in turmoil since late 2007.
Wolverhampton estate agent Berriman Eaton enjoyed it’s best ever month for agreed sales in May, also house-builder Persimmon which has it’s West Midlands base in Wolverhampton saw a seven per cent increase in legal completions in the first six months of the year compared to 2012. Persimmon said visitor numbers to it’s sites, including Great Barr, Rugeley, Smethwick, Telford, Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton rose by 13 per cent on the previous year. It said the Governments ‘Help to Buy’ 20 per cent shared equity scheme, had generated a positive response from prospective home buyers in the spring.
Meanwhile figures from the land registry of England and Wales showed that the average price of homes being sold in the West Midlands rose 2.9 per cent to £172,455 From January to March.
Berriman Eaton which has it’s head office in High Street,Tettenhall and offices in Wombourne and Bridgnorth handled sales of homes ranging in price from £115,000 to £1.85 million in May.
Partner Nick Berriman said that across the three offices more than 50 homes were sold with a total capital value of just under £17.5m.
“We have seen a very strong improvement in the housing market from March onwards. May was the best trading we have ever seen”, he said “ it was more than 25 per cent better than May 2012.” The interest from buyers was across the areas and for all sizes of property. Viewing figures and offers were up across the board”. Most of the homes sold by Berriman Eaton in May were in the £400,000 to £600,000 sector of the market.
EXPRESS AND STAR
SATURDAY JULY 6TH 2013 PAGE 11