The Market

Reporting back from the salubrious Surrey & Berkshire suburbs, Julian Amos reflects on last year's game of two halves and why this year's buyers need to take advice from those in the know...

Prime central London prices turned in a strong finish to the year, with a 0.8% rise in December halting a ten-month slowing in the rate of annual growth, which had dropped to 6.9% in November.

Egerton Crescent in South Kensington has been given the title of "Nation's Most Expensive Address" by Lloyds Bank for the second year running, with an average sale price of £7,369,000.

The latest (November) Land Registry Index  is out and there sure are some interesting stats on 2013's sales volumes.

The average price of a prime country house in the UK climbed by 1.4% in the final quarter of 2013, according to Knight Frank, taking the annual rise to 3.1%.

After wrestling the title of Britain's most expensive seaside resort from Sandbanks last year, Salcombe in South Devon could soon be adding another feather to its guano-covered cap.

The majority of prime resi's pundits are looking forward to this year - 2014 - with a sense of hope and vigour.

2013 was "astonishing", says Douglas & Gordon's Chairman Michael Hodgson: sales values overshot forecasts by quite the margin, rising by 17% over the year, with transactions hitting their highest tally…

Savills' Prime London Index posted a +2.9% rise in Q4, taking annual price growth to 11.

A bevy of big league resi developers have signed up to a new "voluntary commitment" that could affect the way new schemes are marketed from next year.

After capital value growth of +3% in 2013's final quarter, taking the annual rise to +12.6%, the average property in prime central London is now worth £1.