Numerous house hunters have planned their year over the festive period, but what can they expect heading into the New Year?
There are signs that the housing market will be more normalised than in the past eighteen months. The Chancellor announced the stamp duty holiday in July 2020, after being phased out over the scheme's latter few months to September 2022. As buyers wished to hurry their plans to avoid paying stamp duty, and understandably so, the market had an artificial boom. Conversely, with that said, we are still expecting a busy 2022 in the housing industry.
Why? Because there are still very high levels of buyer demand. The pandemic has made flexible working and working from home more frequent for many people, which has changed their priorities from locational to lifestyle. House hunters are now prioritising more space, for example, office space within their property. And gardens to exercise when they are off Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
As 2021 was described a 'seller's market', it is predicted that 2022 will be the same. House prices have soared, and despite the slight fall in prices over the last month, Rightmove predicts asking prices to rise by another 5% this year. The market in Surrey has remained strong throughout the whole pandemic. Byfleet, West Byfleet, Addlestone, Pyrford, New Haw and Weybridge have all been touted by many newspapers and magazines as places to live, which is commutable to London. Trains, operated by South Western Railway, are regular and convenient to all these towns and villages. Surrey's homeowners' asking prices have increased alongside Surrey seeking home buyers' demand. Many professionals and financial service workforce have moved to Surrey to be close to London while gaining more space.
Nevertheless, getting a good estate agent is essential if you want to sell your home. Here is where we can help. We have a team of local professionals who are thoroughly knowledgeable about the local market. So, please get in touch if you wish to do so or are considering it.
So, how to get started in selling this January?
Firstly, choose the right estate agent. Dealing with an estate agent who provides good service and is responsive will make your life much easier! The price should be agreed upon between the estate agent and the vendor. While demand is high, buyers still have budgets. With January being one of the busier home-selling months (from the traditional Boxing Day bounce), there are plenty of other houses prospective buyers can bid. Your property will get the most online traction within two weeks of it being uploaded, so the balance between judging the market's buyer demand against the increased supply is critical to sellers.
Get in touch!
If you would like a free, no-obligation quotation, don't hesitate to contact 01932 351 986. Alternatively, you can email us: info@greenandparry.com
