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There has been a significant boost in the sale of homes in price ranges which were previously stamp duty sensitive' according to the National Association of Estate Agents.

It claims in its latest market report that member agents recorded their highest level of registered home buyers per branch in December for 10 years, with a fifth of agents seeing more sales in properties in the £251,000 to £925,000 band, and 10 per cent of agents reporting more sales of properties up to £250,000.

NAEA members reported the number of house buyers registered in December was on average 360 per branch, the highest level for this time of the year recorded in the last 10 years. The seasonally high figures suggest the changes made to stamp duty announced in December helped to encourage prospective buyers in a typically quieter month for the housing market.

Another promising sign was the slight increase in percentage of sales made by first time buyers in December.

NAEA member agents reported the percentage of sales made by FTBs increased by two percentage points, from 24 per cent of total sales in November 2014 to 26 per cent in December.

Out of those sales made by FTBs in the month, almost half were aged 18 to 30, suggesting a higher proportion of younger FTBs had been encouraged onto the market than the previous month, when just 38 per cent of sales were made by first time buyers aged 18 to 30.

However, while there was uplift in the percentage of sales made to FTBs and a seasonally high number of eager house hunters on books, the number of houses available for sale on NAEA member agents' books in December did not follow suit.

The number of houses available per NAEA branch was seasonally low at just 45 properties per branch, compared to 50 in November 2014 and 47 the year before in December 2013. The lack of supply, and ultimately lack of choice for prospective buyers, saw NAEA members' record on average just five sales per branch in December compared to eight the previous month.

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