There is currently a lot of negative media about the housing market and prices – nothing new unfortunately and it can unsettle and confuse people who are considering taking the plunge. In reality, what is reported in the papers and on television is often 2-3 months behind what is actually happening today as they base their facts on statistics from the banks and Land Registry which will take a while to register following completion of any transaction. Also, it is summertime ( or meant to be! ) and this will always be a quieter time of year as many people are away or just putting their search on hold until autumn. Not much new stock comes to the market and everything slows down. This has been the same for the 20 odd years I have been in the business so its nothing new. We also tend to hold back as a nation if there are outside influences such as an unsteady economy, which is understandable. On top of this, we have had a lot happening this year – the Jubilee, the Olympics and of course, the wettest summer ever…
However, people still need to move – many for reasons that they can’t put on hold such as schools, jobs or more personal circumstances. We have found a lack of quality stock in Hampshire whilst looking for our latest clients – both in the sales and rental market, and things are still moving quickly. Many agents we have spoken to have said they are having record years so far. Its not just here, I am selling my house in London currently and had multiple offers within two weeks of it going on the market – and its not showing as well as I would like as it has been let for the last year.
The days of buying property to make money are all but over – people are back to buying property as homes or long term investments and this reason keeps the market more positive than reported. It just goes to show, you can’t believe everything you read in the papers!