House prices rise in July
A new report identifies the bottom of the market as the end of 2008 and says most of the bargains are now gone


Average property asking prices rose by just 0.6% in July, according to the latest report from Rightmove. This is the fifth monthly rise on their records this year which the property website thinks indicates the prospect of a steady market for the second half of the year.
These figures also indicate that the best time to grab a property bargain was at the end of the year last year when prices were ‘in freefall’, the report states. ‘The window of opportunity to pick up the best buys in popular areas in this phase of the market is therefore closing.’
* More news on the property market and house prices
Miles Shipside, commercial director of Rightmove, said: ‘There is now clear evidence that there were some fire-sale prices last winter, when a few brave buyers correctly called the bottom of the market. In most parts of the country prices have consistently improved during spring. With growing confidence that we’ve passed the bottom, buyers are more active, although they may discover that many of the best buys have gone.’
For the rest of the year the report predicts the market will be bumping along the bottom for some time to come, but remains optimistic on mortgage approvals and prices for the rest of 2009.
* a href="http://www.countrylife.co.uk/property" title="country houses for sale">Country Houses for sale
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
-
‘‘In the silence, it is the most perfect blue I have ever seen. If my goggles weren’t already overflowing with water I might even weep’: Learning to freedive on the sparkling French Riviera with a five-time World Champion
Five-time freediving World Champion Arthur Guérin-Boëri calls the serene waters of Cap-Ferrat his office. Now, one storied hotel is offering guests a chance to take a deep breath and jump into the deep unknown with him.
-
The Hollywood garden designers who turned their hand to a magical corner of Somerset
Caisson House's fifteen abandoned locks were part of the draw for Amanda and Phil Honey, who have created this astonishing garden in the grounds of the former headquarters of the Somersetshire Coal Canal Company just outside Bath. Caroline Donald discovers more; photography by Jason Ingram.