Charters Acquire Magazine Issue 26 26 | Page 76

PAGES 76 - 100 south west The property market generally remains strong, although prices are not rising as quickly as they were earlier in the year. The Country House Market has been the weakest sector, but there are positive signs that this is now improving and we fully expect this trend to continue into next year. Martin Hemmett Country House and Farm Agency - 01373 455060 Castle Cary - 01963 350327 Frome - 01373 455060 Glastonbury - 01458 831077 Rural Office Frome- 01373 831010 Rural Office Glastonbury - 01458 834288 Shepton Mallet - 01749 372200 Street - 01458 840416 Warminster - 01985 215579 Wells - 01749 676524 Stags, with its 20 West Country Agency offices, is an excellent barometer to activity over the whole region. The start of the year was steady, with the late spring restricting the number of properties coming to the market. When spring arrived the looming election meant the market remained subdued. Only since May, has activity picked up and exceeded last year. The wheel is now spinning faster with viewings, offers and sales up on last year, together with an increase in Internet activity. There remains a reduction in the number of buyers happy to take on debt with more buyers trading down, rather than up. Activity is stronger for correctly priced and well presented property and the Stags website, with its various upgrades is producing excellent results with 172,000 visitors in August being 25% ahead of last year. Ben Stephens Barnstaple - 01271 322833 Bideford - 01237 425030 Bridport - 01308 428000 Dartmouth - 01803 835336 Dulverton - 01398 323174 Exeter - 01392 255202 Honiton - 01404 45885 Kingsbridge - 01548 853131 Launceston - 01566 774999 Okehampton - 01837 659420 Plymouth - 01752 223933 South Molton - 01769 572263 Taunton - 01823 256625 Tiverton - 01884 235705 Torquay - 01803 200160 Totnes - 01803 865454 Truro - 01872 264488 Wadebridge - 01208 222333 Wellington - 01823 662822 Yeovil - 01935 475000 Relief for the housing market post the General Election with the easing of political uncertainty and the feared threat of mansion tax did not bring about the anticipated surge of sales in the upper sector of the market (excess £1 million), the volility of the global economics being a prime factor. Albeit Mark Carney, Bank of England, and Stanley Fischer, US Fed Reserve, have suggested that it is their domestic economy than global which will be the pivotal determinant for monetary policy. Thus we can expect the long anticipated rise in interest rate in the not too distant future. In the meantime, with the historically low interest rate, we have experienced an unseasonably active summer sub £1 million with demand now outstripping supply. Sensibly priced property has been selling well. With the continuing relative shortage of stock balanced against demand and current low (interest) rate expected to hold through into next year we expect a lively autumn. Richard Taylor Axminster - 01297 33122 Beaminster - 01308 863100 Blandford - 01258 452670 Bridport - 01308 422092 77-100 South West.indd 1 Dorchester - 01305 261008 Poundbury - 01305 251154 Salisbury - 01722 336944 Sherborne - 01935 814488 Sturminster Newton - 01258 473766 Wimborne - 01202 843190 Yeovil - 01935 423526 30/09/ 2015 18:11