PROPERTY experts say now is a good time to sell after figures revealed buyers are paying well over the asking price for a home in Barrhead, writes David Carnduff.

Analysis of post-Christmas sales reveals that, from January to March, people in the Barrhead area were paying an average of 8.5 per cent more for homes.

The figures from Glasgow Solicitors Property Centre (GSPC) also show that the average selling price in East Renfrewshire over the last six months is £176,613, compared with £186,709 for the same period the year before – down 5.4 per cent.

However, houses sold more quickly – on average within 20 days.

Austin Lafferty, director of GSPC, said there is continued confidence in the property market in west central Scotland, despite the uncertainty around Brexit and a possible referendum on Scottish independence.

He added: “Property prices are increasing in some popular areas which can be attributed to a shortage of housing stock.

“This could be a good time for those planning to sell their property, particularly with more properties achieving over the asking price and selling faster.”

The figures for neighbouring Renfrewshire show the average price for a three-bedroom house between January and March jumped to £165, 497 – up by nearly 12 per cent.

Average selling prices across west central Scotland have remained steady over the past six months, with a modest rise of 0.6 per cent when compared with the same period the year before.

The first three months of 2017 showed a 6.7 per cent increase in average selling prices, indicating the market has picked up after the new year.

For the past six months, the property types and areas showing the greatest increases in average selling prices were two-bedroom flats in Glasgow’s East End (up 27.7 per cent), three-bedroom houses in South Lanarkshire (up 21.1 per cent) and three-bedroom houses in North Lanarkshire (up 22 per cent).

According to GSPC, three-bedroom houses in areas outside Glasgow also proved popular with buyers.