If you’d asked us a year ago what we hoped the market would be like in early 2021, our answer would have been very different to the outcome.
In a hugely different world to the one back then, our main goal as estate agents remains - to keep our clients moving.
It would make sense to think that a lockdown means the housing market subsequently shuts down, but thankfully that hasn’t been the case.
Coming from an amazing year end in 2020, we are extremely hopeful that the momentum we experienced in the last few months will continue through 2021.
We’ve been able break our own records and achieved our highest sales months yet.
So, how do we think 2021 is going to look for anyone thinking of moving?
The market is still busy. January is always a hectic time with lots of people having decided over the festive period that it’s time to move, and this January has been no exception.
There are still a huge number of buyers looking for property after being unsuccessful through the latter part of 2020.
Last year brought an unprecedented amount of competition for property, so it’s no surprise that many people are still looking for a home.
The more buyers there are, the better it is for sellers – the higher the level of interest in their property, generally means a higher price achieved.
While we can’t guarantee the market moving forward, we do anticipate 2021 is going to be another busy year.
That’s not to say that buyers and sellers won’t experience any problems this year.
At present, mortgage providers are backlogged with applications and have been since summer last year.
It’s taking almost twice as long to get mortgage offers issued than usual.
If this time increase isn’t factored into both the buyer’s and the seller’s plans, it can cause problems arranging entry dates and organising movers.
The market is still busy. January is always a hectic time with lots of people having decided over the festive period that it’s time to move, and this January has been no exception
Barry Walker
The best advice we have to offer right now is to speak with a mortgage advisor as soon as you can.
Getting a mortgage offer has become a long, drawn out affair, so it’s important to have someone onside who you know and trust to guide you through the process of buying and/or selling.
We would also recommend everyone shops around and speaks to at least two mortgage advisors – interest rates have climbed from January 2020, so only speaking to one person about finances isn’t necessarily going to get you the best deal, usually just the quickest.
The housing market is busy at the moment, but it’s also very different – as is the rest of the world.
We will continue to work to the best of our abilities for all of our clients to help keep them moving in 2021.
