NOVEMBER MARKED the busiest month of the year for house sales in Scotland, according to law firm and estate agency Lindsays.
Ending the year on a high, the company, which merged with one of Dundee’s oldest law firms Shield & Kyd in May this year, said it expects 2013 will bring even further improvement in property sales.
But, despite the high rate of sales at Lindsays at the back end of this year, which included the conclusion of 35 property deals during 21 working days of the month at the company’s head office in Edinburgh, TSPC manager Peter Ryder said Tayside house sales actually peaked back in May.
“November was certainly a good month for property sales and new listings compared to previous Novembers in 2011 and 2010,” said Mr Ryder.
“House sales during the month increased by 3% on the previous year and new property listings increased by 6.3%.
“But we actually saw even higher house sales throughout the Tayside region in the months of May, August and September.”
According to Mr Ryder, the number of concluded property deals in 2012 hit a high of 221 during the month of May, while September saw the second greatest number of house sales at 215.
The month of November sits fourth in the yearly rankings at the TSPC, pipped into third place by a strong August.
Mr Ryder said: “Housing figures have been predominantly OK during 2012 and the steady picture of sales statistics is encouraging for the year ahead.
“Confidence in the Tayside housing market has been on the incline since 2010 and 2011, with the number of new property listings on the rise. Again this looks good for 2013,” he said.
At Lindsays, incorporating Shield & Kyd, residential property managing director Maurice Allan said the average of more than one home being sold every day in November shows that well-priced property will still sell, despite the uncertain market.
He also believes the market is less seasonal than in previous years pointing to the busy November as proof of that.
He said: “Despite a background of economic uncertainty, the market has been remarkably resilient.
“Buyers are now finding funding a little easier to secure and are keen to move,” he said, adding very strong October and November sales are encouraging for the new year market.
As a result, he said, 2013 will see continued but slow improvement: “We can see from this year that there will continue to be fluctuations, but the trend will be towards gradual and slow improvement.
“There is no doubt that more buyers and investors are returning to the market, and that is a key sign that there is some confidence that we have seen the worst, that prices are unlikely to continue falling, and that now is the time to return to the market.”
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