The HomeOwners Alliance says public worries about estate agents' and conveyancers' fees have eased over the past year.
Out of a sample of 2,214 in the HOA's 2015 survey, some 57 per cent say that estate agents' charges are a somewhat serious' or very serious' concern to them - but that is down from 64 per cent a year ago.
Concern about solicitors' fees has fallen from 61 per cent a year ago to 53 per cent this year.
And concern about the general house-moving process has fallen from 58 per cent to 51 per cent.
The figures are just some of those released by the HOA showing that public confidence in the housing market is bouncing back. Its survey, conducted with myhomemove and BLP Insurance, says people's concerns about housing have receded across the board' over the last year.
Most dramatically, the numbers saying that negative equity is a problem has slumped in the last 12 months by more than 10 per cent while concerns about stamp duty rates - dramatically restructured in December - have seen a near identical drop.
Key findings from the survey, conducted by YouGov, include:
- Ability for aspiring first-time buyers to get onto the property ladder (83% saying it is a serious problem) and saving for a deposit (83%) top the list of housing concerns nationally, followed by house prices (76%) and the ability to get a mortgage (72%).
- The proportion of adults who say negative equity is a serious problem has dropped down to 49% from 64% last year; after a steady increase in house prices.
- Concern over stamp duty rates has also fallen sharply (64% in 2014 to 51% in 2015), with one in three saying that the recent changes to stamp duty have made it more affordable for them to buy their first home or move up the property ladder.
- Housing anxiety has subsided, with UK adults saying they are less concerned than last year across the board, including property/solicitor fees, and the quality of housing.
- Regionally, concern about high house prices continues to be greater in London than in other regions. (60% of Londoners say house prices are a very serious problem compared with 40% in the UK generally). The proportion saying house prices are a very serious problem in London has risen 5% in the past year.
- The leasehold and freehold system is causing widespread concern across the UK, with 42% of adults saying it is a serious problem. In London, East Midlands and East of England, around half of people say it is a serious problem.
- Aspiration to own your own home has edged up slightly, with 69% wanting to own, compared to 68% last year and 65% in January 2013.
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Comments
Some promising figures but some not so promising figures, too. Particularly regarding high house prices in London, the difficulty first-time buyers are having in getting onto the property ladder (a problem that isn't going to go away anytime soon), and the leasehold and freehold system.
Some positive steps, especially in regards to stamp duty and negative equity, but the picture's not completely rosy just yet.