AG百家乐在线官网

House sales were up 16% in May compared with April, but they were still at only half the level seen a year earlier.

The figures from HM Revenue and Customs show that an estimated 48,450 residential property transactions took place across the UK during May.

This was 49.6% lower than the number seen in May 2019, when there were 96,050 sales recorded.

England's property market was closed for weeks as a result of the lockdown, which was imposed to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The market in England reopened gradually from 13 May, so the figures are mainly due to sales that were on hold during the lockdown.

HMRC said the figures should be taken with caution, as they were "provisional" and - due to the lockdown - based on incomplete data.

Transaction numbers in the second quarter of this year have fallen to levels similar to those seen in late 2008 and in early 2009, following the financial crisis.

Andrew Southern, chairman of property developer Southern Grove, said: "The level of transactions still looks decidedly muted but a 16% monthly increase is actually relatively good.

"The vast majority of these transactions will represent sales put on hold by the coronavirus shutdown so, at this point, HMRC's figures are not an indicator of how buyers and sellers are flooding back to the market."

Coronavirus: How many excess deaths has the COVID-19 pandemic caused in your area?

:: Listen to the Daily podcast on , , ,

Mr Southern continued: "House builders should be confident that this is, in fact, happening, with data from property portals suggesting high levels of listings, strong asking prices and agreed sales that are coming remarkably close to those valuations.

"The HMRC figures to watch will come much later in the autumn when they will reflect the post-lockdown activity of May and June."

Jeremy Leaf, a north London estate agent and a former residential chairman of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors added: "Looking forward, listings are increasing which is encouraging and likely to bring more balance.

"But on the other hand, we have concerns that most of the demand is for smaller family houses rather than smaller flats, as aspiring first-time buyers remain concerned over future employment prospects post-furlough."