Vendors cutting prices to encourage sales

As insecurity regarding the outcome of the UK’s planned exit from EU continues, vendors are slashing their prices to increase the likelihood of a sale.

Vendors across the country are slashing their asking prices in an effort to sell their homes fast, as fears grow that once Article 50 has been finalised, the value of their home may be even lower.

For London-based properties, the discounts have been stark. In prosperous areas such as Kingston and Richmond, vendors have cut their asking prices by an average of £84,244. While these reductions are smaller in size than those recorded after the financial crisis over a decade ago, they remain over 6% higher than those recorded prior to the EU referendum.

The online property portal Zoopla claims that around half of all properties in wealthy areas around London and Surrey have had their asking prices reduced under the advice of their agents in order to remain competitive. While this is good news for buyers who have the available funds to buy these discounted properties, it is bad news for both sellers and the property industry as a whole.

For an industry built on consumer confidence, such huge reductions in value are likely to put-off any homeowners considering selling their home in the short-term and instead encourage them to either place their home on the rental market, or stay-put until the market has recovered post-Brexit – assuming that it does.

The average reduction across the UK currently stands at £25,562, but with wage increases failing to meet expectations, those looking to buy their first homes are still unlikely to be able to take advantage. And while house values in general are still on the rise – albeit at a much slower rate than before – many analysts and economists are understandably weary regarding the robustness of the UK’s economy by the end of 2018.

“We see house prices rising a modest 2-3% in 2018,” said Howard Archer, chief economic adviser to the forecasting group, the EY Item Club.

“The fundamentals for house buyers are likely to remain challenging over the coming months with consumers’ purchasing power continuing to be squeezed by inflation running higher than earnings growth. Additionally, housing market activity is likely to be hampered by fragile consumer confidence and a limited willingness to engage in major transactions.”

For many owners who need to sell, the current outlook appears to be a no-win situation without an element of luck – especially taking into account the interest rate hike in November that appears to have further dissuaded potential buyers. However, by using a company such as National Homebuyers, vendors can sell their homes for competitive prices before their values fall further.

Are you worried about selling your home? Why not ask National Homebuyers for advice, as we buy any house. Call 08000 443 911 or request a call back to find out how much you could get for your property.