Perhaps rather disappointingly according to official figures the country is still in a state of recession. A fact heavily backed up by the media a gloomy picture has been being painted for some time now of the economy stuck in a rut and struggling to get going. The retail industry in particular appears to have been hit hard and numerous big brands on the high street are no longer present. It’s not all doom and gloom though, March was a good month to be in property as house sales rose significantly. A burst in sales in something often experienced in Spring as things brighten up after Winter and this year seems to be no exception - a pleasant change after recent economic struggles.
There are a number of potential reasons suggested for the pleasant increase including the sunny weather/mini heat wave we enjoyed that spread across the country earlier on in the year. What better climate is there to go house hunting? Thoughts of Summer and sun may have accelerated house hunter’s activities and got them out searching for their new home.
Consumer confidence is another thing that seems to have crept up in March. When compared to prior figures this is now reported to be at the highest level for nine months. These survey figures do differ however from official figures recently released and should be treated with caution. A debate has been sparked at the large discrepancy between this apparently positive news and official data that reports the UK is back in recession. Also, although consumer confidence is at its highest level in nine months, it’s still down on previous years.
The general feeling of people towards the UK economy is becoming more positive. This is a result of other independent surveys that again contrast with the official data. Reports from local estate agents across the country appear to back this up showing high levels of enquiries and activity during the month of March. London unsurprisingly still beats the rest of the country when it comes to house prices however the North-West also enjoyed high levels of activity in March too.
In summary although we’re not out of the woods yet and there is official data out there to back this up, things may be starting to look a little brighter. If the surveys are to be believed then we are feeling more confident as a nation and although these levels are still low compared to prior years they are positive when compared to more recent months.