One of the nation’s main property brokers claims some solicitors are charging exorbitant fees on transactions as they close to the newest stamp obligation vacation deadline.
Jeremy Leaf, north London property agent and a former RICS residential chairman, says: “Certain solicitors are charging exorbitant fees to tackle work, whereas others are working evenings and weekends to ensure they recover from the road in time.”
His feedback are available in response to the newest housing market knowledge from HMRC, which exhibits transactions soared in April by a exceptional 197.8 per cent 12 months on 12 months – nevertheless, that’s in contrast with the housing market closure of April 2020.
This new knowledge from HMRC exhibits that non-seasonally adjusted estimates for UK residential transactions throughout the month hit 111,260 – the best April determine since 2007 when transactions have been 126,450.
Seasonally adjusted, the determine was 117,860, a 179.5 per cent rise in opposition to April 2020 however 35.7 per cent decrease than March this 12 months.
“Although these figures mirror many gross sales agreed a number of months in the past, they present a discount in exercise as many consumers didn’t anticipate to nonetheless reap the benefits of the stamp obligation vacation” says Leaf.
“However, exercise has picked up strongly for the reason that deadline was prolonged, permitting many to proceed the place they left off, in addition to encourage new entrants to the market.
“Transactions are all the time a greater measure of housing market energy than costs which have a tendency to fluctuate. On the bottom, provide remains to be an issue despite the fact that listings have improved as rollout of the second jab specifically is encouraging sellers to make their properties accessible.”
Another main agent – Nick Leeming, chairman of Jackson Stops – additionally feels there was a choose up for the reason that interval coated by the HMRC knowledge.
He says: “On the bottom, we’re not seeing exercise decelerate in any respect and our brokers are as busy as ever. The variety of new candidates that registered with our branches in April was on par with the quantity that signed up when the market reopened final June, and we now have 22 consumers chasing each instruction throughout our community of branches.
“Sales throughout our branches in London’s new 90-minute commuter belt have been the busiest in April – with Chichester, Ipswich and Northampton main the best way.”
