‘October is the new September’ in home buying world

Tue 05 Oct 2021

October is the new September in the world of selling houses, as estate agencies line up a raft of new properties for buyers looking to start their moving process this autumn.

ehB Residential says mid-autumn is likely to be very busy – a few weeks later then the traditional September rush the industry experiences every year.

That’s because many of those who would usually have gone on holiday during July and August have moved their trips into September because of limited summer holiday availability and uncertainty around international travel, says its office manager Clive Thompson.

“We’re seeing an interesting pattern,” he explained. “In the past, the situation has pretty much always been that sellers take their holidays in the summer, and then put their houses on the market as soon as the first whiff of autumn hits. This year, we’ve been seeing people asking us to carry out a valuation on their return from a September break with a view to selling their house during the autumn period.”

The stock already sitting in ehB’s sales drawer has sold almost as quickly as it arrived, with the criteria for new homes remaining the same as when the pandemic was at its height.

“Working practices aren’t going to change any time soon, so people are still after home offices and decent gardens, with less emphasis on easy access for a daily commute,” explained Clive.

“Of course, the fact that houses are sold so quickly does reinforce what we’ve been saying for some time – that buyers must be ‘in it to win it.’ They must have their homes already listed for sale, with a buyer lined up. Many sellers are receiving multiple offers and those in a good position to buy go to the top of the queue.

“Unfortunately, such is the demand at the moment that unless would-be buyers are already in a proceedable position by the time they find the houses of their dreams it’s likely to have been snapped up.

“So the answer is to get your home on the market with us now and let us find you a buyer who will wait until the house you want becomes available.”