A range of factors has caused a post-pandemic boom in the housing market, making it the perfect time to sell your property! Do you have a property with a garden or access to an outdoor space? Fantastic! Outdoor space is currently the most sought-after feature when potential buyers are looking for a new home. As many had to spend more than ten weeks in their own homes, the short time that people could spend outside highlighted the importance of having access to it easily. Those who don’t have direct access to green spaces or a garden are now searching for homes that offer it. Here we explain how you can use these current developments to your advantage.
What are the newest trends in the housing market?
In the beginning of the year, shortly before lockdown, there was already a high demand for new properties which didn’t vanish after the easing of the restrictions. The demand even rose as many people spent more than 10 weeks in their homes and started wishing to have more space or a garden in which they can move around in. The government also recently announced the stamp duty holiday meaning that buyers of houses costing up to £500,000 are exempt from paying the tax until 31st March 2021 – even investors (classed as purchasing a second home), can still benefit from a reduced amount of stamp duty to pay. All of these factors contributed to the boom we are currently experiencing in the housing market.
Why should I sell my home now?
Not only does the stamp duty holidays encourage purchasers to buy now, but the Bank of England has also decided to cut the base rate to 0.1%, making it possible for buyers to receive a mortgage on more favorable terms. All of these current conditions make it very attractive for buyers to invest now and gives you the chance to sell your property for an extremely good price in a short period of time.
What are buyers looking for?
At the moment, two-bedroom houses are the highest in demand. Property types such as flats and studios often do not provide sufficient indoor or outdoor space, and throughout the pandemic, has meant that interest has dropped for this property type slightly.
Rightmove, one of the UK’s largest property websites, has recently conducted a study where more than 4,000 buyers were asked about the most important feature in a new home. According to this survey, around 39% of buyers said that the five most important things were:
- A bigger garden or access to one
- Living in a bigger home
- Living in a pet-friendly home
- A better home workspace
- A parking or a garage
These results show that, due to Covid-19, people’s lifestyle and priorities have now changed as they now think first about their new found interests such as exercising outdoors, reading or gardening while searching for a new home.
How can my garden attract new buyers?
As mentioned above, many buyers are looking for properties with much green space. If you have a garden or an outdoor space, make sure it is in good shape since it is the major selling point for many potential buyers. Take good pictures of it and keep mentioning it in your ads. You should especially take your time during viewings to show the outdoor space. It might also be good to add some colour to the garden by planting some flowers. It’s important that potential buyers can imagine themselves living there in order to want to move forward with a purchase. So remember: the house itself is as important as the garden!
We at HP Sales and Lettings make sure you are in safe hands and tailor our services to your needs. We offer a one stop shop of services for buyers and sellers alike. Please contact us here to find out more from your local property experts.
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