THE number of people buying and selling homes in Hampshire is dramatically on the rise.

That's the view of a county-based law firm which says it is seeing record numbers of people requiring legal help – including a sharp increase in first time buyers.

Warner Goodman LLP say there has been almost a 50 per cent rise in the number of clients coming through their doors requiring conveyancing services in the past two years.

The increase is bucking the trend of the national picture, where despite figures also being on the increase, they are on average at 15 per cent.

It's an encouraging sign that shows confidence is finally being restored in the housing market in the south as the UK continues to battle free from one of the worst recessions in history and copes with severe austerity measures that have crippled many businesses and seen wide reaching job losses.

And it comes after Southampton was recognised as having one of the top buy to let and second home markets in the country – with the city popular because of its easy commuter route to London and having two universities attracting tens of thousands of students.

Speaking about the boost in enquiries, Sarah Brooks, residential conveyancing partner at Warner Goodman LLP, said: “A recent survey conducted by SearchFlow showed that conveyancers in the UK have seen their workload increase by 15 per cent, while we have bucked the trend and seen a staggering 47 per cent increase in the last two years.

“This is extremely encouraging as it shows that confidence in the housing market is returning with more people buying or selling their homes, including a rise in first time buyers.

“It’s also hugely rewarding for us as a firm as we have made a variety of changes within the last year such as an online payment facility. This, in conjunction with our online tracking for clients and agents, means we can offer a high level of service, flexibility and transparency for each transaction.

“It’s a great achievement for us that these changes have had the impact that we were hoping for.”

Ms Brooks added: “While there is still some uncertainty and concern about the future of the property market, we are confident that certainly in Hampshire we will continue to see the market and the local economy improve.”