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UK house sales to increase this year

More people may be on the lookout for houses for sale in Oxford and other towns and cities around the UK over coming months.

According to research conducted by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), house sales look set to increase during this financial quarter.

Its latest housing market survey revealed that in December, 24 per cent more surveyors across the country predicted that transactions would rise rather than fall during the first three months of 2013. Meanwhile, in December a net balance of 12 per cent more surveyors reported an increase in new buyer enquiries.

In further positive news for property sellers, prices held steady during December. According to RICS, this was the first time since June 2010 that the national price balance was not negative.

The organisation also predicted that prices will rise by around two per cent in 2013. About this, RICS remarked: “It seems that the market in some areas of the country may have started to bottom out.”

Meanwhile, RICS’ global residential director Peter Bolton King remarked: “As we start the new year, confidence in the housing market does appear to be improving – helped in part by the impact of the Funding for Lending Scheme. Indeed, our members are predicting that transaction levels will continue increasing in many parts of the country and it may be that we are now over the very worst.

“That said, more still needs to be done to ensure potential buyers can access the market at every level. Alongside this, there is still a clear need for more homes to be built.”

In order to achieve the best possible results from their house sales, individuals need to take market conditions into account. Also, it is crucial that they select the best possible Oxford estate agents.