Northampton Chronicle & Echo, 9^th March 1988

Town's big boom: Homes snapped up 'within 10 minutes'

RUSHDEN is enjoying a property market boom and it shows no signs of letting up.

Estate agents in the town are finding themselves rushed off their feet by the demand.

And the reason, they say, is because people from the south from such places as Bedford, Milton Keynes and Luton are finding it cheaper to live in East Northamptonshire.

Office manager at Wilson, Smith and Howkins, Mr. Murray Scott, said the last couple of months had been "phenomenal".

The majority of homes coming on to the market are being snapped up within a couple of days and "sometimes within 10 minutes".

The first-time buyer market is extremely active with semi-detached and terrace homes going like hot cakes.

"It's worthwhile people moving this way and commuting and mortgages are easier to come by these days," said Mr. Scott who reckons his firm's sales have gone up 15 per cent on last year.

And, with a lot of local development planned, especially in the flat market, Mr. Scott predicted:"It's going to get busier."

Negotiator Beverly Headland agreed, saying the vast majority of their properties were sold the day after coming on to the market.

"It has taken us aback a little even though it was expected we would have a lot of people from the more expensive areas," she said.

Buoyant

And Neil Roberts, manager of Taylors, said the market was "very buoyant" especially with first-time buyers.

"We are selling a good cross section of properties and the boom could be put down to the fact that Rushden did have a stigma at one time but that has now gone," he said.

Taylors are selling 50 per cent more homes than last year.