UK homes are taking around 64 days to sell on average, according to Rightmove data, and buyer enquiries are running 9% below last year. At the same time, the number of homes for sale is at a 12-year high for this point in the year. That combination gives buyers more choice and more room to negotiate. It does not mean you cannot sell well, but it does mean that getting the detail right matters more than it did two or three years ago.
First-week pricing is everything
The first seven to ten days of any listing generate the most attention. Buyers who have been searching for weeks pounce on new instructions. If your price is too high at launch, you will miss that window. Overpriced homes sit, gather days-on-market figures that every buyer can see, and develop a reputation for being unsold for a reason. Agents call this stigma, and it is genuinely difficult to shake off.
A sharp, well-evidenced asking price from day one gives you the best chance of generating multiple enquiries and a clean offer. Speak to your agent about recently sold comparable properties, not just current listings. What a neighbour is asking for their house and what it actually sold for are often quite different numbers.
Presentation and photography
Professional photography and a proper floorplan are not optional extras in this market. Buyers are scrolling through dozens of listings, and a dark, poorly framed photograph will push your home down the shortlist before anyone has read the description. A good photographer will work with natural light, declutter the frame, and present rooms at their best angle. The floorplan lets buyers assess the layout before they ask for a viewing, which means the viewings you do get are from people who are genuinely interested.
Kerb appeal matters too. The exterior photograph is usually the first image a buyer sees. Tidy the front garden, clean the path, repaint the front door if it needs it, and remove the wheelie bin. Small jobs, real impact.
Timing your listing for the autumn bounce
Rightmove has recorded property searches running 7% above last year already, which suggests genuine buyer intent this autumn. Families who did not move over the summer are back in the market, and many want to complete before Christmas. If you have been sitting on the decision to sell, listing in September or early October puts your home in front of that wave of renewed activity. Waiting until November shrinks your window considerably.
Using viewing feedback properly
Every viewing that does not produce an offer is information. Your agent should be collecting honest feedback, not just passing along polite comments. If three separate viewers mention that the kitchen feels dated, or that the price seems high for the road, that is a pattern worth acting on. It is easy to dismiss individual pieces of feedback, but repeated themes are telling you something real.
A price review should not be a panic move. There is a difference between a motivated reduction, where you drop to a price that reflects the market and generates fresh interest, and a token adjustment that does not change anyone's search results. On most portals, buyers set price filters in round-number bands. A reduction from 385,000 to 379,000 may move you into a different search bracket and bring in a new set of buyers. Your agent should advise on where those thresholds sit.
Why your choice of agent matters more now
In a fast market, almost any agent can sell a home. In a market where buyers have choice and negotiating power, the quality of your agent's work has a direct effect on your outcome. You want an agent who is proactive about feedback, honest about pricing, skilled at negotiating, and visible in the local market. Ask how they plan to promote your property beyond the portals, how often they will update you, and what their average sale-to-asking-price ratio looks like.
A local high-street agent with good knowledge of your specific neighbourhood will understand buyer demand street by street. That local intelligence is worth a great deal when you are pricing in a competitive environment.
What to do next
Well-priced, well-presented homes are still selling quickly. The market has shifted, but motivated sellers with realistic prices and good agents are completing. If you are thinking of selling, the first step is understanding what your home is worth in the current market, not what it might have been worth eighteen months ago.
Cooke and Co offer a free, no-obligation market appraisal. Our team will give you an honest assessment based on real local evidence, not flattery. Get in touch to book your appraisal today.
No comments
Leave a comment