House sales in Harrogate virtually halved in the first six months of the year but estate agents say a “manic” July and August means 2020 will end strongly.
The Stray Ferret analysed Land Registry data, which shows when and where houses with a Harrogate postcode were sold.
From 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2020, 442 homes were purchased, compared with 872 in the same period in 2019. This represents a decline of 49%.
Estate agents were forced to close from 23 March until 13 May and the figures show how lockdown hit the previously buoyant sector hard.
However, Alex Atkinson, sales manager at Linley & Simpson estate agent in Harrogate told the Stray Ferret that despite the sluggish figures for January to June, it had experienced a “manic” July and August, with several homes sold for above the asking price.
He said this has been driven, in part, by the stamp duty holiday that was announced in July.
Mr Atkinson said:
“The market has been brilliant. I cannot remember the last time we agreed five sales above the asking price in one week.”
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UK house prices are at a historic all-time high but Mr Atkinson said it’s unlikely the housing boom will last into 2021 as the long-term economic impact of coronavirus deepens.
He said:
“The furlough scheme is still yet to end and there will probably be an economic downturn with redundancies, then the stamp duty holiday will end after Christmas. It won’t last forever but my hope is it will quieten down for a little while before picking back up next year.”
Mr Atkinson said about 30% of people currently buying a home in the Harrogate district are from out of the area. He said people from cities like Leeds were being tempted by the large gardens that houses in the district can offer, especially after being cooped up indoors during lockdown.
He added:
Yorkshire estate agent fund helps district community groups“Since lockdown we’ve seen a massive shift in our village and rural properties. Anything with land or outdoor space is selling like hotcakes at the moment.”
A Yorkshire-wide community fund set up by an estate agent has helped local organisations buy equipment that their budgets don’t cover.
Linley and Simpson has made £30,000 available to local schools, sports clubs and community clubs.
The 6th Ripon Cathedral Scout group were given £250 through the scheme, it helped them to buy equipment for their water activities.
Group Scout leader, Ian Bardon said:
“We used the funds to buy a stand-up paddle board as our scouts love water activities. It’ll be very beneficial as we can use it on future camps, it’s a bonus to us from the pandemic as funds are tight. Depending on when we can return we’ll be using it as soon as possible and the young people love it, it’ll definitely get some good use.”
The nursery at Bishop Monkton Primary School will use the funds to develop their outside area with more facilities for the children.
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Bishop Monkton Primary School also applied for the fund and received £500 to put towards outdoor equipment. Headteacher Sally Cowling said:
“We applied for extra funding as school budgets are extremely tight. Budgets have to be managed carefully and can usually cover the essentials but do not stretch to ‘the extras’. As our nursery has expanded some of the school field has now been allocated for their use. Nursery staff are keen to develop this area by putting a climbing frame, swings and slide on it and making it safe for the younger children.”
Will Linley, Chief Executive of Linley & Simpson added:
“We pride ourselves on playing an integral part in our local communities and this initiative is all about helping a range of good causes where support such as this can make a big difference. We are encouraging local businesses and community groups to continue applying for the grant so that we can help them to get back on track.”