Spring boost for property

THERE were further signs of a spring revival in the housing market today as new figures showed asking prices rose by 2.6 per cent over the past month.

Property website Rightmove said the average price of a UK property rose to 235,512 between 7 March and 10 April, a marked improvement on the 0.1 per cent lift the month before.

The number of properties coming on to the market also rose, with buyers enjoying the most choice since last October.

The Government's stamp duty fillip for first-time buyers – introduced last month for all properties under 250,000 – provided a boost, with a 35 per cent rise in the number of property pages viewed over Easter.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors last week said March selling activity was at its highest since May 2007.