It’s no secret to anyone who reads the papers that this year the country market is a wild hive of activity. The demand for £1.5-3.5 million family houses in the more sought-after counties has simply exploded and some agents have been quoted as saying that they have 20 buyers for every house they launch, with more ringing up every day; in certain areas there is competitive bidding for the better houses, leading to sales at 20-30% in excess of the guide prices.
Needless to say, some parts of the country are hotter than others and at the moment the Cotswolds is the “belle du jour”, with some old hands in the property business saying that it is more bonkers today than in the late 1980’s.