Estate agency group Strutt & Parker is predicting a strong 2026 after recording a surge in activity after the Autumn Budget was delivered on November 26.
In the seven days after the announcement, the total value of exchanges was more than 180% higher than the same week last year.
In December the total value of properties under offer was 45% higher than during the same period last year, more than double 2023’s figures.
Oliver Custance Baker, head of the national country house department at Strutt & Parker, said: “After a particularly prolonged run-up to the Autumn Budget, buyers and sellers finally have clarity.
“This has certainly allowed people to move forward with plans that had previously been on hold, and what we’re seeing now is confidence really returning across the market.”
While the Autumn Budget no doubt contributed to the housing market’s standstill, activity gradually gathered steam during autumn.
Home buying activity rose in September after the summer period, further gathering steam in October and November.
Across those two months, the combined value of agreed sales was 25% higher than the same period last year, reflecting a cohort of motivated buyers and sellers who were keen to conclude transactions ahead of the Budget.
In Yorkshire alone, September and October delivered £25m worth of exchanges.