Local market prices regain lost ground

Thursday 6th August 2009, 11:30AM BST.

THE housing market is showing signs of recovery. 0269706

Policy Council figures released yesterday indicate that prices have returned to those of a year ago.

The average local market home price in the quarter to the end of June was £346,275, just 0.4% up on 12 months before, but 19.7% up on the end of March this year when it stood at £289,250.

Cooper Brouard estate agents director Trevor Cooper said that while there was a danger of reading too much into the figures, there had been an increasing confidence in the housing market, particularly since Easter.

‘We were waiting to see if this was a seasonal adjustment because springtime is always a typically busy time, but it does seem to have continued and we are seeing a lot more activity than we were six and nine months ago,’ said Mr Cooper.