23
Dec
Home sales to increase throughout 2012

Property prices may sit more or less level over the next year, but
the amount of homes sold over the year will increase as people look
to get themselves onto the property ladder.
The number of completed sales will sit at around 880,000, a marked
increase on this year, and back to the levels recorded last year.
However, this is still considerably lower than 1.67 million at the
market peak in 2006, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered
Surveyors (Rics).
Rics chief economist, Simon Rubinsohn, said: "The general economic
climate is likely to be the biggest influence on the residential
property market next year. Prices could edge a little lower as
unemployment continues to rise."
Unemployment is predicted to be one of the factors which drives the
downside of the market most for those looking for
property for sale in Southampton, and last week the Office for
National Statistics said that unemployment was at its highest level
for 17 years.