Huddersfield property hotspot
04-08-2015
By Linda Whitwam , Rob Grant , Rob Grant
Huddersfield is the nation’s second biggest climber in terms of demand for houses
Estate agent boards
Huddersfield has become one of the UK’s top property hotspots – but prices here are still only at 2007 levels.
Figures from online estate agents eMoov name Huddersfield as the nation’s second biggest climber in demand for houses over the last three months.
Yet Huddersfield estate agent Paul Keighley says prices in the town are still only at the pre-crash levels of seven years ago.
And he believes a change in government could create great uncertainty in the housing market.
eMoov has seen a 56% rise in demand for property in the town since December, beaten only by Sefton, north of Liverpool, with a staggering 80% jump.
The Hotspot Index monitors the change in supply and demand for the most populated areas in the UK by comparing the total number of properties sold with those on sale.
1. Northgate, Honley: £465,000
Mr Keighley, of Bramleys, agrees that there is an upward movement in Huddersfield’s housing market, but feels the eMoov figures are exaggerated as they are based on a small number of homes.
In the recent budget announcement, Chancellor George Osborne highlighted that the “northern powerhouse” had begun to outgrow the south.
This tale of two halves is highlighted within the Index. Although the south dominates the top 10 hottest locations overall, the north accounts for nine of the 10 fastest climbers over the last three months – although the north east lags behind.
eMoov said: “Although outer London and the surrounding commuter areas have continued to enjoy a strong demand for property, it is in fact the north west that has seen the most marked improvement. The top 10 hotspots that have enjoyed the biggest turn around in demand since December are, for the most part, located in the north west.”
Mr Keighley, partner in charge of residential sales at Huddersfield’s biggest estate agent, said that Bramley’s had seen a 10% increase in house sales for the first quarter of 2015, compared with the same period in 2014.
He said that there had been a very slight increase in prices over the last year, but that they were still only at 2007 pre-crash levels in Huddersfield.
He says it is the “realistically-priced” properties which are selling across the board.
“Without a doubt there are more people looking for property in Huddersfield,” he said. “This is largely due to a more stable economy and the fact that it is a little easier for prospective buyers to get a mortgage.”
First-time buyers are being tempted back into the market with the government’s Help to Buy, Equity Loan, Mortgage Guarantee and New Buy schemes. And most first-time buyers in Huddersfield are young people looking for a new build.
Mr Keighley welcomed new housing developments around the town:
“The more the better,” he said. “There is demand for good quality new houses in Huddersfield and they will help to free up the housing market.”
He added: “We might have expected the good demand to remain, but that depends on the outcome of the election. A change of government will bring a huge amount of uncertainty into the market.”
Click the gallery below to see the 10 least expensive streets in Kirklees and Calderdale
1. Byron Street, Halifax: £37,333
Property Hostpots 2015
Highest climbers since December 2014
1. Sefton +80%
2. Huddersfield +56%
3. Trafford +24%
4. Bradford +23%
5. Stoke-on-Trent +21%
6. Cornwall +21%
7. Bolton +21%
8. Wakefield +20%
9. Fife +20%
10. Warrington +19%
Overall top 10 hottest property spots
1. Sutton
2. Cambridge
3. Watford
4. Bristol
5. Reading
6. Bexley
7. Guildford
8. Aylesbury
9. Havering
10. Hillingdon
Overall top 10 coldest spots
1. Nine Elms
2. North Tyneside
3. Sunderland
4. County Durham
5. Westminster City of
6. Aberdeenshire
7. Rochdale
8. Highland
9. Stockton-on-Tees
10. Northumberland
