Rise in number of homebuyers

There are positive signs, however. In February, the number of buyers increased for the third month in a row, while January saw the first month-on-month increase in house prices for almost a year, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. RICS said that the majority of new buyers are existing homeowners who are upgrading to larger properties, and there is little interest in new build properties. It is not convinced this represents a permanent change in the market.