Traditionally, as soon as the daffodils peep through and the days start to draw out, that is the peak time to put your house on the market. As well as looking more attractive on a bright sunny day with life returning to gardens, and the Easter break giving homeowners the chance to do some DIY touch ups, it means movers can be in their new abode by summer. For those with children, is also enables them to be settled in their new home before the start of the academic year in September.
The second most popular time is usually autumn. With summer holidays over and children back at school, September and October gives homeowners a chance to be sold and moved into their new home by Christmas.
However, that is a rough rule of thumb and one that has all but gone out of the window since the last 12 months has ripped up the rule book in pretty much all areas of life.
Moving home has been, and always will be, predominately dictated by a person’s objectives. Not only has activity in the housing market over the last year been largely influenced by various lockdowns and the Stamp Duty holiday, but also by peoples’ changing objectives. I believe this is something which will influence the property market for some time to come, making it really difficult to predict the usual peaks and troughs of the market.
For example, some people no longer feel they need to be near a city as their employer will allow them to continue working from home. These people might be more inclined to move to the countryside. Others are having to relocate for work because their existing employment sector has been ravished by the pandemic. Being lockdown has encouraged some to realise they would like to live closer to family, whilst others living in flats have an increased desire for outdoor space or a dedicated area to work. The last year has given everyone more time to reflect on their current circumstances. We know of more retirees wishing to downsize because they have realised their current home is unmanageable. Some people will have decided to expand their family while others may sadly have decided to separate. All of these changing life choices impact the property market.
Overall, activity in the property market has remained buoyant during the first quarter of this year, with the exception of some regional variants, as demand continues to outstrip supply. But reading the market and predicting what is going to happen next is nearly impossible. You can read one report which will say we are heading for a house price crash, only to read the next day that experts believe that house prices will steadily increase over the next 12 to 18 months.
So, if you want to know the best time to sell, the honest answer at the moment is there isn’t one and my best advice is to make sure you are moving for the right reasons. These are likely to be driven by necessity and lifestyle rather than investment.
If you are in a position where you need to move for whatever reason and have had your property on the market for some time without receiving many viewings or offers, you might wish to consider reasons why you are struggling to sell. In the current sellers’ market, if you have the right ingredients it shouldn’t be too challenging. Look out for our blog later this week on ‘why isn’t my property selling’. You may also want to keep in mind that the average time for an agreed sale to complete has currently extended from 90 days to 110-115 days according to Zoopla, with some taking even longer. So if you are in a rush and haven’t sold yet, you may need to factor this in.
WeBuyProperty is here to provide a no obligation quote to purchase your property for cash and transact within a matter of days leaving you free to move to wherever and whenever you wish. If you are struggling to sell and would like to discuss your options with us, please do get in contact by calling 0207 449 9797 or email info@webuyproperty.com.