THE average selling price of a home in Dunfermline jumped by more than £15,000 in a year.

The latest ESPC house price report shows the figure from April to June was £168,679, a 10 per cent rise rise from the same period last year when it was £153,508.

There was a jump in the West Fife and Kinross area too, up by 7.9 per cent from £155,868 to £168,238.

The ESPC said there had been an “encouraging upswing” in the number of properties coming on the market with an increase in the average selling price across east central Scotland.

The number of homes that were sold between April and June dropped but this was “more a reflection of the decrease of properties coming to market in recent years, rather than a decrease in buyer demand”. Time taken to sell a home increased, with the average sale increasing from 16 to 17 days, and the number of properties marketed as ‘offers over’ also rose.

ESPC business analyst Maria Botha-Lopez said: “A shortage of properties coming to market has been a key pressure point for the residential housing market in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife in recent years, so a positive upswing in the number of properties being reported by ESPC is an encouraging sign for buyers and those looking to take their next step on the property ladder.

“Sustainable increases in average selling prices that don’t tip the scales of affordability for qualified buyers are also a positive sign, as this inspires confidence in both lending institutions and potential buyers for the purchase of their next home.

“Additionally, the new tax relief for first-time buyers came into effect on June 30, whereby properties up to £175,000 will fall under the zero-rated LBTT (Land and Buildings Transaction Tax) threshold for this group who will pay no LBTT for their purchase under this amount.

“Just under 40 per cent of properties sold for under £175,000 in the last quarter across east central Scotland.”