Visits to Rightmove surpassed 150 million for the first time in January, making it the busiest month ever recorded as home-hunters looked to take advantage of a more certain political outlook.
We are delighted to report our own solid results alongside Rightmove’s announcement with January being our busiest month of sales and highest recorded online statistics with a massive 148% increase in website visitors (based on the same period in 2019.) Whilst we have remained largely unaffected by the highs and lows that our southern counterparts record, January has certainly been a stellar month with 18 reservations taken across our five sites, leaving only one property to sell on two of our developments.
Lisa Telford, Head of Sales for Genesis Homes commented “I’ve worked in house sales, and latterly new build, for over 30 years and I’ve noticed a big increase in enquiries and sales in January, and the interest is continuing into February. We have a buyer at our Cumwhinton development who had four viewings and a full asking price offer, just 24 hours after putting her house on the market and confirming the positivity that the housing market is experiencing.”
We currently have five live sites of which St. Cuthbert’s, Wigton and Sanders Brow, Armathwaite are all but sold with one property remaining at each. St. Bridget’s, Brigham has only a handful of properties left to sell. Quentin Park, Cumwhinton is over 50% sold and The Orchards, Burgh by Sands is a quarter sold just three months after its launch.
Rightmove’s property expert Miles Shipside said: “Home-movers have sprung into action in 2020, with a large number of agents telling us that sales and valuations have picked up significantly in their local areas. There’s still an imbalance, with demand growing at a faster rate than new supply and no clear sign yet of any uplift in new listings compared to this time last year.”
Nicky Gordon MD for Genesis Homes added “It’s been a whirlwind few weeks since we returned after the festive break. I’d echo Rightmove’s sentiments as there’s been a lot of movement in the housing market during January and February. This fast-moving market highlights the effect that the Brexit ‘deal/no-deal’ was having on potential movers. Interest rates are at an all-time low which helps buyers, and as this has a knock-on effect for anyone with savings, property remains a good investment. The Government’s Help to Buy scheme has 14 months left to run before it will only be available to first time buyers; many reasons why it’s a good time to move. If the start of the year is anything to go by, we’re looking forward to a very active spring.”
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Notes to editors:
- For further information, interviews, and images please contact Catherine Watson, e: [email protected] or 01768 800878
- A high-resolution image of Lisa Telford is attached.