May 2020 Property Market Comment

The housing market has been an obvious casualty of the Coronavirus lockdown. Yet the desire to move is strong, once the decision has been made. Indeed, as soon as the government announced that people could once again move house, Rightmove buyer enquiries doubled within 24 hours. They were even 4% higher than the same day last year, says independent estate agent Alasdair Morrison.

The problem is that this demand is not being matched by properties coming to market in the Newark and Southwell area. Estate agents have generally not been able to list properties over the past month and the tight social distancing regime continues to be a challenge. 

However, we have been amazed at how flexible and innovative local homeowners have been. Many, keen to prepare for the deluge, have provided us with some very clear and often entertaining virtual walk-throughs which have given us a pretty good indication of the type of property we’ll are now preparing to market. 

Time has been a gift for many sellers – nothing has needed to be rushed and full preparations can be made – that touch of paint, garden tidy, garage clear, etc have all had their place and we have been impressed how sellers have adapted.

At Alasdair Morrison & Partners, we’re expecting momentum to build over the coming weeks and months, especially as there is unlikely to be any summer holiday lull this year.

Those whose plans have been unaffected by the pandemic are leading the charge here, but there will of course be virus-related moves as well, which could help fuel the market. For example, additional sales may be created as a result of:

• Job losses (sadly), prompting people to consider moving as they pursue other opportunities; 
• New jobs being created as businesses reappraise their efficiencies and locations;
• People realising that working from home has worked well for them – but a bit more space would really help;
• Frustrated family members, pulling their hair out under lockdown, deciding to buy a place of their own;
• Buyers locking-in a low interest rates before any potential hike.

Certainly, space to work from home will now command a premium – even potentially replacing proximity to transport links as a must-have attribute.

So, our advice to potential vendors in the Newark and Southwell area is please don’t wait to put your home on the market. If a move is on the cards for you, then please do call us (01636 700888 or 01636 813971) to talk through how we can help you take advantage of this unexpected increase in demand over supply. Together, let’s secure a safe, satisfying sale.