NEVER mind the daffodils of an early Spring, just take a look at what is blooming in Fulford High Street.

Fulford Place, a new development of 80 two-bedroom apartments still being built, is festooned on its border with bright For Sale and To Let flagboards.

One estate agent not represented there said: "We're taking a private book that it will reach 20 over the next month."

At the last look there were 13, not counting the Hunters estate agents boards flanking them - already, it is believed, a record for York.

Kevin Hollinrake, of Hunters of York, said the apartments, ranging in price from £160,000 and £290,000 were being built speculatively when on behalf of Bryant Homes, he had sold them off the drawing board to a Midlands man fronting a syndicate.

"He sold the apartments to individual syndicate members and now they are seeking to sell them on or rent them out to profit from their investment with the help of different estate agencies."

Normally such a cluster of flagboards would create the wrong impression about demand, "but this is an unusual situation," said Mr Hollinrake. "Normally developers would never sell more than a dozen at a time with every new phase of homes completed, but these were pre-sold and the individual owners are doing their own thing even before completion."

Updated: 09:33 Tuesday, March 23, 2004