YOU have to be quick to buy a home in Dunfermline with properties being snapped up after just a week on the market.

That's the latest from Maloco Mowat Parker who said sellers are getting a good price and added that the thousands of new houses to be built in and around the city can only be a positive.

Keiran Newman, property director at the Bonnar Street firm, said: “In terms of the local market, January has started off well, particularly compared to where it ended in 2023.

"For properties that came up for sale in January, we are currently seeing an average of only one week on the market with most achieving over home report value.

"That's in stark contrast to the four week average sale times we saw towards the end of last year."

Dunfermline Press: Keiran Newman, property director at Maloco Mowat Parker. Keiran Newman, property director at Maloco Mowat Parker. (Image: Maloco Mowat Parker.)

He continued: "Our average selling price for January was 101.9 per cent of home report value.

"It's clear to see some areas of the market have picked up from the end of last year when the average price was 100.7 per cent.

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"Whilst all areas of the market have performed well, it’s particularly among the first time buyer level, two-to-three bedroom homes, flats and houses, where we have seen the most enquiries from buyers.

"Renewed economic optimism, stable interest rates and somewhat lower fixed rate deals compared to last year seems to be the driving force. "While it’s still early into the year it will be interesting to see if this trend continues into the spring.”

Head of conveyancing, Laura Mowat, told the Press: "The market has been steady, I wouldn't say it's recovering as we never really had a dip here.

"During Covid everything went up in price but it's really stabilised and we've not had the dip we expected.

"Dunfermline is a very popular area to buy a home, especially for people coming from Edinburgh as it's much more affordable here.

"It's a place people like to be, particularly in the eastern expansion and in Duloch and with the train links to Edinburgh.

"I don't think we've had that quiet spell and if mortgage rates go down I think we're going to get even busier."

The landscape of Dunfermline is going to change markedly over the next 10-20 years with more than 2,000 houses planned at Broomhall, 1,400 on the way between Halbeath and Kingseat and another 1,000 being built at Wellwood.

Laura said: "Yes, it's getting bigger which is great for the city and good for us as a business too.

"We all want that High Street to be busier and with more houses and more people coming into the city, hopefully we'll see more shops, cafes and restaurants.

"I really like Burntisland High Street, it has family-run butchers and bakers and it would be great to attract that type of traditional business too.

"We definitely need more schools here too."