Wembley Overview
- The market started 2025 with solid foundations. Activity levels are expected to improve further throughout the year. Price growth forecasts in 2025 and 2026 (3.1% and 3.7%) are similar to price growth achieved in 2024.
- Mortgage approval and transaction rates have normalised after weaker levels from end 2022 through to early 2024. Recent interest rate cuts have boosted sentiment, although longer-term mortgage rates could stabilise at 4% or just below (current 5-year swap rate off which mortgages are priced is 4.0%).
- With persistent inflation above target, further cuts in interest rates by the Bank of England will be slow and measured. Rates of price growth will be influenced by affordability headroom. In more expensive regions like the South East and London, price sensitivity will remain for longer.
- One of the big opportunities for the sector, alongside stronger market activity levels, is the new build market as the government make steps towards its house building targets.
Is Your Property Dressed For Success?
For a vast majority of people their property is their most valuable asset so it makes sense to prepare it as best you can in order to get the highest possible price for it. Think about it, would you sell your car without giving it a good clean and showing it in its best light?
So, it only makes common sense to do the same when selling something of far greater value and meaning.
With just a little bit of elbow grease and not much money, you can transform your property into something much more sellable that appeals to a large proportion of the buyers’ market. Based on market research, comments from our buyers, TV programmes, trade magazines and surveys, we’ve compiled a list of top tips on how to maximise your property to its best effect.
Choosing neutral colours for your décor
If you only take one piece of advice from us, take this one.
- You are selling your property. Now is not the time to get sentimental over a striking, bright bathroom or an overly cluttered study.
- You might think white walls are boring but believe us, it sells. A coat of neutral coloured paint on every wall in a property can make an enormous difference to its look.
- Don’t neglect the flooring. If carpets are a crazy colour or have seen better days, replace them with an inexpensive neutral option, like beige or cream.
Cleaning up
- We mean that in every sense of the word! Have a thorough cleaning and de-cluttering session and get rid of everything you haven’t used in the last year and really won’t use again. Be ruthless; detach yourself from your property and view it solely as a saleable commodity.
- Kitchens and bathrooms are two of the most important rooms in your property and can make or break a deal. Both need to be clean and offer a hygienic atmosphere and doing this will greatly increase the chances of selling.
- In the kitchen or bathroom scrub everything clean. Re-paint cupboards and surfaces, fix that wobbly toilet seat, replace mouldy sealant around bath tubs and showers and banish unsightly lime scale.
- A front garden and front of house are the first and last impression for potential buyers. Mow the lawn, trim the hedge, replace missing roof tiles, paint or clean the front door and rebuild a crumbling garden wall. Plenty of property viewers make their minds up in the first few seconds of seeing a property.
Face some home truths!
- Get an objective and honest person to walk around your property and give you a real view on how your property looks to others.
- Be honest – if you were viewing your property for the first time, would you buy it? If not, why not?
- Think to the future. Don’t be upset at changing around your property and getting rid of its ‘personality’. You’re looking to move on and your aim is to get it sold at the best price, within a reasonable time frame and with the minimum of fuss.
By implementing some of the changes above, we promise a property will be infinitely more appealing to buyers.
To read the full article, click here
