HouseSimple.com has found that the total number of new property listings across the UK fell 13.1% in August compared to July.
According to the online estate agents’ latest Property Supply Index, new property supply in London was down 22.3% last month.
While taking into account the fact that August is historically a quiet month for sellers, the total number of new properties listed for sale last month was down 5.9% on the corresponding month in 2016.
HouseSimple.com analysed new properties marketed in more than 100 major UK towns and cities to compile the latest Property Supply Index. Two thirds of towns and cities saw a drop in new properties being marketed in August vs July, with Coventry (33.0%) and Winchester (31.1%) experiencing the largest falls in new listings last month.
The following table shows the 10 UK towns and cities that saw the biggest drops in new property listings in August 2017 vs July 2017:
Town/City | Region | % fall in new listings in August vs. July |
Coventry | West Midlands | -33.0% |
Winchester | South | -31.1% |
Salford | North West | -28.5% |
Oxford | South East | -25.6% |
Durham | North East | -25.0% |
Hemel Hempstead | East | -24.7% |
London | South East | -22.3% |
Basingstoke | South | -22.2% |
York | North Yorkshire | -22.1% |
Chelmsford | East | -21.7% |
The following table shows the 10 UK towns and cities that saw the biggest rises in new property listings in August 2017 vs July 2017:
Town/City | Region | % rise in new listings in July vs. June |
Darlington | North East | 29.9% |
Falmouth | South West | 28.6% |
Warwick | West Midlands | 28.0% |
Truro | South | 24.4% |
Exmouth | South | 17.2% |
King’s Lynn | East | 17.2% |
Bootle | North West | 16.8% |
Weston Super-Mare | South West | 16.6% |
Hartlepool | North East | 12.3% |
Loughborough | Midlands | 12.2% |
New property supply in the capital fell 22.3% in August with 30 out of 32 London boroughs seeing a drop off in new listings last month. Richmond saw the biggest fall, (down 42.2%) of any borough for the second consecutive month. Only Bexley (17.4%) and Sutton (8.4%) saw an increase in property supply in August vs. July.
The following table shows the five London boroughs that experienced the biggest falls in new property listings in August 2017 vs July 2017:
London Borough | % fall in new listings in August vs July |
Richmond upon Thames | – 42.2% |
Kingston upon Thames | -38.4% |
Hounslow | -38.1% |
Hammersmith & Fulham | -32.2% |
Enfield | -31.9% |
Alex Gosling, CEO of HouseSimple.com, said: “August tends to be a quiet month for property transactions and new sales instructions. Not surprisingly, supply fell substantially as the country went on its summer break.
“Few people will be concerned by the drop off in new listings between July and August. More of a concern is the 5.9% drop off when comparing last month with the corresponding month in 2016. Supply continues to be a major issue.
“We never saw the post general election boost in supply as sellers were worried about a lack of clarity around Brexit. Unfortunately, the government has barely made a scratch on the surface when it comes to negotiations with the EU. But the initial panic has subsided, the general election is a distant memory and property prices have stabilised.
“The property market needs a strong September after a subdued period since the general election. Hopefully a line will have been drawn under the first half of the year, concerns about economic conditions will have dissipated, and buyers and sellers will come back from their summer break with renewed confidence to move forward.”
