Visitors to new home building sites started slowing in June, down 11.6% on May, although the numbers are 18% higher than June last year, according to house builder, Linden.

UK new home visitor numbers had remained remarkably steady throughout the first few months of the year at around 120,000 per month up until the beginning of June. However, the latest figures based on in-house research from Linden Homes indicate the first notable fall of 2005, signifying the start of the traditional summer slowdown when family holidays and school breaks take priority over house hunting.

The traffic of visitors to UK housing developments remains consistently higher than last year, with a cumulative half-year total of 714,611 compared with 498,450 in 2004. This suggests that new homes are seen as an increasingly attractive option for homebuyers.

However, Linden research shows that while UK buyers are still scouring the new build market in droves, they are not rushing to commit to purchases. A 26.6% decrease in the number of reservations has taken place between May and June, falling from 5,637 to 4,137, a likely result of speculation that house prices may continue to fall, or that interest rates will fall and mortgages become cheaper.

Philip Davies, Chief Executive of Linden Homes comments: "A general slowdown in the market is expected at this time of year, and June’s results suggest that buyers are still looking in high numbers but not signing on the dotted line."

"Caution is prevailing, with buyers reacting to the stagnating market and choosing to hold on tight to their money until they are certain further price falls aren’t looming on the horizon. The possibility of a decrease in interest rates in the next few months will serve to increase customer confidence and encourage them to play a waiting game."

"This general reluctance of buyers to bite the bullet also suggests that they are holding out for discounts and deals from housebuilders who might be feeling the pinch. However summer slowdowns are to be expected, and with the numbers of visitors to sites still encouraging, developers are unlikely to offer further discounts at this stage."