Brian Holt sees green shoots of recovery in the housing market

With sales for the last six months of 2012 up 28 per cent in Leamington and 15 per cent in Earlsdon, the company believes the area is mirroring an encouraging national trend.

Rightmove’s January report shows that across the country property coming to market up is 22 per cent year-on-year.

January also saw a dramatic 75 per cent increase in valuations by the Leamington office, while valuations in Kenilworth between August 2012 and January 2013 were an impressive 40 per cent up on the same period last year.

Brian Holt’s Leamington manager, Jane Canning said: “It is particularly encouraging that nearly three quarters of sellers are ‘discretionary movers’ rather than people forced in to selling because of debt or other circumstances. I would also credit the government’s Funding for Lending scheme which has led to many lenders seriously cutting their mortgage rates.”

Other national statistics have also been encouraging, with HMRC announcing that sales in the last three months of 2012 were four per cent higher than during the previous quarter and 55,000 mortgage approvals for house purchase in December - the highest number in almost a year.

Meanwhile, the RICS housing market survey for December 2012 headlined with the calming news that buyer interest is increasing and confidence in sales and prices are improving.

Jane added: “While I’ve been in business long enough not to get carried away with these figures I believe confidence is returning to the market.”