Regarding the property market, Mr. Osborne did not have a lot to say.  It looks as if the loopholes that have been used by wealthier buyers to avoid Stamp Duty are to be reviewed.

However the best thing that The Budget has delivered, is the fact that it has been delivered.  Since the Election, there have been thousands of buyers and sellers of property who have been sitting on their hands and saying, ‘I am going to wait to see what the Budget will bring.’  I am not sure quite what people were expecting, but it was uncertain times and there could have been major specific proposals aimed at the housing market, particularly at the top end.

But that hasn’t happened.

There are really no more excuses, and we hope to see a housing market that will grow in confidence and transaction levels, if not in price appreciation, as properties are released onto the market and the 1.5 million who would have been expected to move over the last 2 years become more active.

We expect prices to be stable.  ‘Caveat vendor’ is our motto – seller beware – and we will be negotiating hard for our clients.

There is still a shortage of houses for sale in all categories and in particular in the £500,000 to £750,000 range. The inevitable result is that prices, particularly in that range, have risen from their lows of a few months ago. One or two of them have reached startling prices as a result of stiff competition but the mainstream remain very affordable when compared with prices two years ago.

This autumn will be a very good time to buy as it is difficult to see prices coming down again until the supply increases and there is no sign of that at the moment