ALTON has been named as one of the fastest selling areas in the South East with properties selling in just one week.
According to estate agents, Bradford & Bingley, Alton rates alongside Sidcup as the market hotspot, ahead of Cowplain, Rickmansworth and Tadley where homes stay on the market for just two weeks. The average selling time for the South East is 10 weeks.
In a report, released this week, it is revealed that sellers who have properties in the £250k to £300k bracket have a queue of up to 15 buyers chasing each one. And, because there are so few properties priced in the £50k to £100k bracket, when one does come on to the market there are typically 19 people eager to snap it up.
Properties in the South East are said to be selling at 96 per cent of their asking price which, according to the report, means that sellers are pricing their homes realistically and buyers are agreeing to pay these prices. However, sellers should be prepared to roll out the red carpet to greet viewers 11 times before a sale is agreed.
First-time buyers getting on to the property ladder in the South East will, it is believed, look enviously at their Scottish counterparts who will pay an average £44,290 compared with their £131,139.