Whether it is winter, spring, summer or autumn, the seasons of the year can be enormously influential on our attitude and emotions. As with most things, the impact of the seasons on someone’s mood varies from person to person but it is certainly something that many experience. From feeling tired and withdrawn in winter, to the positivity and joy of the summer months, we often take our emotional cues from the weather, amount of daylight and annual festive events. Unsurprisingly, these subtle fluctuations can have an impact on the property market. With years of experience as buying agents, we are certainly familiar with these patterns.
Seasonal Observations of a Buying Agent
For families, spring is generally considered to be one of the best times to buy. There tends to be a strong motivation to complete a sale before the end of the summer holidays so that children can begin the new school year at the correct school. By using the services of a buying agent, these families can ensure that they are still able to negotiate a good price for the property at a time which favours the seller.
Furthermore, proactive sellers will often try and maximise their kerb appeal in spring by tidying up any outside spaces, highlighting the flowers in full bloom. Whilst unlikely to be a deal breaker, a beautiful garden can certainly brighten up a packed day of house visits! Brighter, sunnier days are also great for identifying any imperfections in the building that might have been hidden away during the darker, gloomier winter months.
Come autumn, a buyer’s motivation turns to Christmas. Evidently, the festive season is not an ideal time to be moving home, given the multitude of other responsibilities people need to manage and the money being saved and spent. As a result there tends to be a burst of activity on the property market during the late summer/early autumn months. If you are flexible about moving during the festive season, however, we would recommend speaking to your buying agent about negotiating a sale in late November. At this time, the seller may be quite keen to move quickly.
However, all of the above is very much a generalisation and we would sincerely recommend that you take into account your own needs and situation. In the spring of 2017 for example, the growth of the housing market actually slowed. In March, the average annual growth rate in the UK was only 4.1%, compared to 5.6% in February. Within the UK regions themselves there was further variation. Wales has continued to see positive growth whilst London alone dropped 1.5% from February to March. This is where the advice of a buying agent can be crucial. Their expert local knowledge allows them to confidently read the local market as well as remain abreast of wider national patterns.
Contact us on 0330 223 6339 to discuss how we can help you.
