Halifax house price poll raises a few eyebrows (From This is Hampshire)

Halifax house price poll raises a few eyebrows

9:10am Thursday 3rd January 2013 in News By Chris Gregory

The view from Skyline Plaza in Basingstoke

DO YOU believe Basingstoke house prices went up nearly 15 per cent in the last 12 months?

The announcement by mortgage lender Halifax has been greeted with scepticism by estate agents in the town.

Halifax claimed that, based on its own lending figures, average house prices in the town rose a whopping 14.7 per cent, from £172,782 in November 2011 to £220,320 in November 2012.

The reason given, was that Basingstoke is a commuter town that Londoners want to move to.

But Kevin Penfold, director of Barons Estate Agents, based in Winton Square, said: “It’s absolute rubbish.

“At best we have had a three to five per cent increase. The market has been fairly level in 2012. Where they have got this 14 per cent increase from is anyone’s guess.”

Matthew Smith, assistant manager at Redwoods Estate and Lettings Agents, which has an office in New Street, said the increase was more like six or seven per cent.

He added: “I was quite surprised that they have got 15 per cent, but it would depend on the style of property you are looking at. There has been an increase because there has not been a lot of supply in the market in the last 12 months.”

Eight out of the top 10 towns and cities with the greatest house price rises are from the South East and Greater London.

The top town was Southend-on-Sea with a 14.8 per cent increase, followed by Basingstoke, Rochester, St Albans and Dartford.

Martin Ellis, housing economist at Halifax, said that nationally, there had been little increase in either house prices or sales.

He added: “This picture, however, conceals considerable local differences.

“A number of towns and cities have recorded significant changes in house prices over the past 12 months. Several towns within easy commuting distance of the capital feature in the list of top performers.”