Not since the beginning days of the financial crisis have asking prices for houses been at this high level, according to Rightmove.  Prices for houses increased almost 3% between the first two months of the New Year to more than 235,700 pounds.  Rightmove reported in the areas of Wales and Northwest England prices spiked the most at about 5%.  This news is further encouragement for the housing market as the sector is highly needed to recover for the rest of the economy to follow suit.  Rightmove also found January as the busiest month for activity on record.  

Government schemes to aid home buyers are to blame for much of the increase in activity according to many within and close to housing.  First time buyers also picked up the pace quite a bit and in 2012 set a new five year standard for lending.

Rightmove director, Miles Shipside commented on the latest data out of the housing market, saying: “There has been a sprightly start to 2013, and while market activity remains patchy across locations and property type, some agents are reporting their busiest new year since the onset of the credit crunch.”

Shipside continued discussing the activity which is taking place on the Rightmove website, saying: “Pages viewed on the Rightmove website hit a record high in January, up by over 20 per cent year-on-year.”

He added: “While the journey between expressing interest and closing the deal has many more twists and turns than before the credit crunch, it is a sign of increased confidence and helps build a momentum that has been sadly lacking in many local markets over the last five years.”