House prices poised to jump again? New property listings plummet in July
It's hardly been a buyer's market for several years now – but it looks like things are about to get worse for those in the market for a new home, after the number of properties being put up for sale fell 13 per cent between June and July, according to new figures.
The study, by online agent HouseSimple, showed the number of homes going on sale increased in just one in six towns and cities.
The situation was worst in Scotland, with the number of properties listed in July falling 30 per cent in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, the figures showed. But Milton Keynes and Sunderland followed close behind, with declines of 28 per cent.
In London the situation also deteriorated, with the number of homes available falling 31 per cent in Bexley, 28 per cent in Sutton and 25 per cent in Kensington and Chelsea.
To be fair, the number of homes going on sale tends to dip during the summer months – but the HouseSimple said housing stock "has been at low levels [since] well before the summer".
"The expected stampede of sellers after the General Election in May never materialised as homeowners have been reluctant to market," it added.
| Area | Percentage fall |
| Glasgow | 30% |
| Edinburgh | 30% |
| Milton Keynes | 28% |
| Sunderland | 28% |
| Swindon | 25% |
| Exeter | 25% |
| Hartlepool | 25% |
| Lincoln | 23% |
| Oxford | 22% |
| Maidstone | 22% |
| York | 21% |
| Bristol | 21% |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 21% |
| Plymouth | 19% |
| Wakefield | 19% |
| Wolverhampton | 17% |
| Portsmouth | 17% |
| Bath | 17% |
| Worcester | 16% |
| Coventry | 16% |