10 most expensive Surrey property sales in March as Covid-19 hits housing market
05-04-2020
By Kirstie McCrum
The most expensive homes sold in Surrey in March went for an impressive £1.8million each.
The detached homes in Guildford - one in Austen Road and one in Epsom Road - were two of a few properties which completed as the coronavirus pandemic took effect on daily life - and the property market.
In fact, there were just 111 property sales registered for March in Surrey as the coronavirus pandemic hit the housing market.
ADVERTISING
Promote health. Save lives. Serve the vulnerable. Visit who.int
The figure signified a 67% fall compared to 332 sales registered at the same point for February, with Covid-19 apparently beginning to show its impact.
According to the Land Registry, across the UK 5,176 home sales have been registered from March - that’s barely a third of the number, 16,042, registered for February at the same point last month.
RELATED ARTICLES
Houses being built
Construction work to resume in many places as building firms get back to work
Surrey B&Q stores reopen but here are the strict new rules you must follow
The drop is likely to be a combination of the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on both house sales and on the registration of sales.
The Government issued guidance on March 26 advising people to delay house moves if at all possible during the lockdown period, meaning that some sales that were due to complete in March will not have gone ahead.
The Land Registry has also warned its services are likely to be disrupted due to the pandemic, particularly the process of registering a new sale, which likely means a longer delay between the house sale completing and the record being updated at the Land Registry.
No sales after March 23 have so far been registered in England and Wales, and just one on that day, probably a combination of a drop in house moves after lockdown and registrations taking longer.
Based on the March data so far, across England and Wales, there were 100 £1m or more sales, including 21 at £2m or more.
The most expensive property sold was in Kensington and Chelsea for £8m, while the cheapest property sold was in Burnley, Lancashire, for £19,000.
The Land Registry lists the price paid for every property bought at market value.
The data also includes sales under a power of sale/repossessions, buy-to-lets (where they can be identified by a mortgage) and transfers to non-private individuals.
It may take several weeks for sales to be registered after completion so some sales from later in February may not be listed yet.
138212091369
As the data relies on buyers, or their solicitors, registering the sale and the price paid with the Land Registry, mistakes in listings may happen and they are usually corrected at a later date.
Issues can include figures with too many digits or shared ownership prices paid for a part share listed as the whole price.
Most expensive Surrey homes sold in March
- 13 Austen Road, Guildford, GU1 3NW, which is a detached house, sold for £1,800,000 on March 2
- 107 Epsom Road, Guildford, GU1 2DQ, which is a semi-detached house, sold for £1,800,000 on March 6
- 72 Ashley Road, Walton, KT12 1HR, which is a detached house, sold for £1,750,000 on March 6
- 6 Manor Gardens, Lower Bourne, Farnham, GU10 3QB, which is a detached house, sold for £1,350,000 on March 6
- The Clearing, Holdfast Lane, Haslemere, GU27 2EU, which is a detached house, sold for £1,295,000 on March 9
- 23 Kettlewell Close, Woking, GU21 4HY, which is a detached house, sold for £1,250,000 on March 12
- 4 Eastgate Gardens, Guildford, GU1 4AZ, which is a detached house, sold for £1,190,000 on March 6
- 2 Woodcote Close, Epsom, KT18 7QJ, which is a detached house, sold for £1,100,000 on March 5
- The Grange, 7A, Kingfield Close, GU22 9BE, which is a detached house, sold for £1,080,000 on March 9
- High Park, Forest Road, East Horsley, KT24 5BA, which is a detached house, sold for £1,050,000 on March 2