By bizn_fun 
In general, mortgage brokers have suggested there is some pent-up demand among potential buyers who were waiting for the Budget and the festive period to be over before making firm plans to move.
However, such a judgement is difficult to make with any certainty. Industry predictions made before Christmas suggested sales could fall over the year as a whole compared with 2025.
Aaron Strutt, from broker Trinity Financial, said 1.8 million borrowers were coming to the end of their fixed rates and competition between the lenders to issue more mortgages was likely to be even stronger this year.
“We can expect to see some more criteria easing and hopefully even cheaper fixed rates,” he said.
Housing commentators have pointed to the relative stability of prices in recent times.
Buying agent Henry Pryor said the UK housing market had moved on from the “red-hot” period for sellers in the aftermath of Covid.
“There are distinct differences as always as you move to higher prices and from parish to parish but in general the UK housing market remains healthy and largely predictable,” he said.
“Interest rates seem to be coming down, [housing] supply remains constrained but people have choice and are more cautious. The biggest problem remains price – sellers think that it’s 2022 while buyers think it’s 2014.”