The schools have been back for weeks, Strictly has returned to our TV screens on Saturdays, and the nights are drawing in. So autumn is definitely here. And whether you love the crisp air and rich colours, or shudder at the darker evenings, it’s a better time of year than you may have realised for putting your home on the market.
Here’s why:
- The timing is spot-on
People are inevitably focused on holidays over the summer, or perhaps spending time with the kids. But once the long break is over, and the usual routine resumes, it’s not uncommon for people to take a look around at where they live, especially if they find themselves at home more than they did during the long summer evenings, and start to think about moving. After all, it’s often a time for personal and professional goals – and among them could be a house move.
The next logical step is to consider timescales. And if buyers set the wheels in motion now, they can be nicely installed in their new home just in time for Christmas, and that can be a powerful motivator.
- Better availability of the people you need
You’re no doubt already aware that spring and summer are typically the property sector’s busiest times of year. So all the professional services you need, from removal firms to conveyancers, are frequently heavily booked up during these seasons. So you’re likely to get your first choice of provider on the date you want them in the autumn.
Some removals businesses may even bring down their prices from September onwards in order to attract customers.
- More serious viewers
More often than not, somehow autumn sees more determined prospective purchasers making contact. They’re less likely to be time-wasters who don’t have the slightest intention of buying your property. After all, it’s a serious time of year with holidays just a memory – and not that many of us would venture out to view a home on a dark October evening just to nose around or for the fun of it.
- Your home stands out
With traditionally fewer properties up for sale at this time of year, compared to the usual spring or summer influx of homes, yours is more likely to stand out.
- The weather’s still reasonable
We may have had more than our share of chill and drizzle this autumn, but typically the weather is still mild enough to be pleasant at this time of year, and there are enough hours of daylight for viewings. What’s more, the autumnal colours can set off the outside of a property to perfection, while there’s a lot you can do to create a cosy atmosphere inside, from seasonal scents to log fires and more.
Reasons to be cheerful
There are more reasons than you may have thought to believe that autumn 2024 specifically is a good time to sell your home.
For one major online property portal, its latest figures for September show average price of a property coming on to the UK market for a sale has gone up by 0.8%, with an annual increase of 1.2%. This represented a bigger uptick than would normally be expected at this time of year, and sets the average UK asking price at £370,759.
Meanwhile, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) found purchaser numbers were up at their highest rate for three years. For its part, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in its most recent data (from July) reported a 2.2% annual rise in house prices.
And with interest rates on a downward trend (the Bank of England held the base rate this month but further cuts are expected before the end of the year), activity across the UK’s housing market is only set to become brisker as the months wear on.
Oakfield says
At Oakfield Estate Agents, we love this time of year, and firmly believe that autumn is a great season in which to sell your home. In 2024, in particular, we agree with some of the forecasts that the market is going to be strong right now. So if you’re considering moving, or just contemplating your options and wondering what your home may be worth, don’t hang around. After all, few people are going to want to move over Christmas, but if you put your market on the property now, or start viewing properties yourself, with the right agent looking after you, you can have moved by the festive season.
Get in touch with us for a valuation and to check the likely current price of your property or get an instant online valuation here.
At Oakfield Estate Agents, we’re always upfront and realistic when it comes to asking prices, and manage sellers’ expectations well. And we’re expecting to busy for the next few months and in to next year, as, in fact, we have been since the start of 2024. Working across East Sussex, we have a presence in Eastbourne, Hastings, Bexhill-on-Sea, Lewes, Uckfield and Heathfield. And we’ve been working in the area since the mid-1990s, so love our part of the world and know it well.
Contact us today to learn more.