Fisheries department to remain buoyant in 2013

“There is still a reasonably good demand for both commercial and lifestyle fisheries throughout the country, the sale of Valley Farm Fishery in Suffolk and Four Ponds Fishery in Devon being good examples,” says Martin. “However, values have continued to fall, notably on the larger commercial fisheries where bank funding can be particularly difficult to obtain.
“Looking to the coming year, we predict there will be a steady level of new instructions of all types of fisheries and leisure water related properties in 2013. In the longer term, taking into account the current economic climate, we do not anticipate any significant price rises and the state of the residential market will, to a large extent, have a significant bearing on values and the saleability of fisheries with dwellings.
“There is evidence that bank lending is on the increase, but bank lending criteria have changed significantly over the last five years making it harder for prospective purchasers to obtain funding. On a positive note, the database of applicants continues to grow with a record number of cash purchasers registered.
“We are demonstrating our confidence in the future by a major rebuild of the fisheries4sale website to a very high technical specification, to maximise its effectiveness for vendors. On our other website advertising waterside properties in France, frenchwatersideproperties4sale.co.uk,we are joining forces with a major French agency group which will extend our area to cover practically the whole of France. We anticipate we will have at least 100 properties on this website at any one time, which will make us a major force in the French market.”
Martin Freeman, Partner (Rural and Fisheries team)
January 2013