National Homebuyers: 'Fast property sale hopes dented as empty homes plague England'

Homeowners are struggling to make a quick property sale in many areas of England.

[UKPRwire, Sat Dec 08 2007] Research from Halifax and the Department for Communities and Local Government shows that 15 local authorities in the country have more than three per cent of their private housing empty.

It is bad news for anyone seeking a fast property sale and the research also shows that properties in these areas are 17 per cent lower than the regional average.

The areas which are worst affected by empty properties are Pendle, where 6.2 per cent of the private housing stack is vacant, followed by Manchester (5.7 per cent) and Liverpool (five per cent).

However, figures for the whole of England show that the number of empty homes fell by six per cent between April 2003 and April 2006, although Martin Ellis from Halifax admits that it remains a big problem nationally.

"It is encouraging that the number of empty homes in England has fallen by nearly 20,000 over the past three years, but it is also notable that the problem has become worse in many areas with the highest number of empty homes," said the bank's chief economist.

Fast cash for homes property expert Julian King adds, "The list of reasons why it is increasingly difficult to achieve a quick sale once again escalates.

"Homeowners looking to sell property quick should consider options away from the traditional 'open market' route".

Mr King is a director of National Homebuyers, the UK's largest quick property sale firm and the UK leaders in Sale and Rent Back agreements. The company guarantees a fast property purchase for homeowners who need to sell quick.

People looking for a fast property sale were hit with bad news last week when Nationwide revealed that property prices fell by 0.8 per cent in November.