Viewings at Pagan Osborne properties in Edinburgh and Fife have shot up in recent weeks. One property, an Edinburgh bungalow in need of modernisation, had 48 viewings in one day.

 

A high proportion of properties coming onto the market recently have sold within three weeks and Sunday viewings have generally tripled from a handful in the early months of the year to around 12.

 

In the university town of St Andrews, many properties are also selling within three weeks and there has been an upturn in viewing activity in the town and throughout the East Neuk.

 

Matthew Gray, property services director at the firm, said:

 

“There are a substantial number of people who have wanted to move in the past 18 months to two years but have lost confidence as the market tumbled.

 

“Despite the effects of the recession still being felt and a general wariness remaining; people have now grown impatient.  The reasons they wanted to move in the first place - an expanding family or first-time buyers desperate to get on the ladder - have only become more pertinent and they are now dipping their toes into the water in the hope of making the plunge sooner rather than later.”

 

There has traditionally been an upturn in the market in Spring, with the ‘blue-sky’ effect coming into play. Matthew added: “With the terrible weather we have had up until very recently, people will be, more than ever, influenced by the blue-sky effect. We have seen a flood of properties come onto the market, to accompany the peak in interest.

 

“It is too early to say the property market has recovered. However, it does seem we’re gearing up to be on the road to recovery before long.”