Buyer demand for housing saw a significant increase at the start of September, with a 5% jump recorded during the first week of the month. This rise, reported by property portal Rightmove, indicates a stronger post-summer return to the market compared to the average 0.4% increase seen in the same period over the last five years.
The increase in demand was observed across all regions of Great Britain. London experienced the strongest weekly rise, with buyer demand increasing by 9%. The South West followed with an 8% increase, while the West Midlands and North East both recorded rises of approximately 7%.
Despite this early September improvement, overall buyer activity remains below last year's levels. At the end of August, buyer demand was 14% lower year-on-year, with the recent increase narrowing this gap to 9% during the opening week of September.
Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property commentator, noted that it is encouraging to see buyers returning to the market, but also stated that it is still early in the month and they will be monitoring the situation in the coming weeks.