House hunters should not wait

Traditionally, the period around an election creates a pause in interest in investments or forward planning – as people want to know what kind of government they're going to deal with. This has not been the case on this occasion.

Peter Bolton King, chief executive of NAEA International, said: “Those buyers looking for a less risky investment were holding out for the pound to strengthen and the market to stabilise before taking the leap.

“But waiting until the Government gets its feet under the table will not necessarily guarantee a better price on a property, or an improved exchange rate. The pound has steadily increased against the Euro for most of 2010.

“The market is in a better position than it was six months ago and we’ve been seeing significant price cuts due to the “bottoming out” of the market. As a result buyers are finding that their money goes a lot further than before.

“If you can buy now and get into a good negotiation immediately then you’re in a strong position to get a real bargain. Waiting is risky, as the market is improving and prices are likely to begin increasing in the third quarter of the year.”