Homework surge adds value to larger homes

THE average price tag on larger homes with three or four bedrooms hit a record high in September as buyers look to trade up in the search for more space.

Across Britain, typical “second stepper” homes reached a record average asking price of £291,618, Rightmove said.

These types of properties, which could be houses or flats, are sought after by buyers moving out of their first home and taking their second step on the property ladder. Four bedroom detached houses are excluded.

Rightmove said the price record has been fuelled by buyers needing extra space for their families or room to work from home.

It said that across all property types, prices have remained steady since hitting a record high in July.

The average asking price for a property in September was £319,996 – just £269 below the record set in July.

Average asking prices generally are up by 0.2% month-on-month and up by 5% annually – the highest annual growth rate since September 2016.

Regions outside the South of England have seen the strongest price jumps, Rightmove said.

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s director of property data, said: “Increased competition for second stepper homes has pushed prices to a record this month for those looking to take the next step up the ladder.

“Needing more space has always been the most popular reason for moving house, but now there’s a new urgency for extra space to be able to work from home, which means that there are different sets of buyers competing for the same type of property.

“At the start of the year a fourth bedroom was very much a luxury for buyers trading up, but it’s now emerging as a must-have for those who are able to take that step.

“With overall asking prices just a few hundred pounds shy of July’s record, and buyer demand at an alltime high, those currently looking for their next home are likely to find that only offers close to the asking price will be considered, especially for larger homes.”

Rightmove said that nationally, sales agreed for the whole year to date are down by 5% on the same period last year. Two regions - the East of England (up by 4%) and the

South East (up 1%) - have already overtaken the number of sales agreed for the same period last year, helped by higher average prices causing the current stamp duty holiday to have more of an impact for buyers and sellers, Rightmove said.

Scotland and Wales are in double digit house sales declines as they are still playing catch up from reopening their housing markets later than England, and are now down by 21% and 16% respectively, according to the website.