By Isobel Anderson Morris

Britain’s property market has spent much of the past year waiting for confidence to return.

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Higher mortgage costs and uncertainty over the economy and tax have made buyers more cautious, even where the desire to move has remained. That matters because housing markets depend on confidence almost as much as affordability, with people needing to believe that now is a reasonable time to make one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives.

Against that backdrop, the reported 5% rise in buyer demand since Andy Burnham entered Downing Street is significant. It is far too early to call it a sustained recovery, but it suggests some of the hesitation that had been holding buyers back may be beginning to lift.

For the property industry, however, getting people through the door of an estate agent is only half the challenge, because if this renewed confidence is going to translate into completed transactions rather than another burst of pent-up demand, attention now needs to turn to what happens after a buyer decides to move.

Why the real test starts after the offer is accepted

Although having an offer accepted feels like a major milestone, for many buyers it is also the point at which some of the most complicated and........

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