Anyone else putting their home on the market in early 2025?

[newhomein2025]

Just that really - I'm going to be putting my home on the market soon, and hoping to find something to buy too. It's due to divorce, but I'm actually feeling ready to move on and find a wee place just for me and my teenager. I'm slightly dreading the process, and all the associated hassle, and worried that I won't be able to find somewhere I can afford nearby, but excited to start again. Anyone else planning on selling and buying in 2025 and want to keep me company?

I’d just drop the offers over and put it on for £360k

We are deciding if to list or not to list our 2 bed flat in South London (SE5). We have no 2 on the way and our first is starting school in the fall so feels like the time is right. We had 5 real estate agents over, 3 high street ones and one independent and are trying to find the right price on the market.

Two of the chains priced quite over what we think is feasible (KFH, Mundays) like £100k over what the flats are selling on our street for. The independent is quite cautious, suggesting lower asking price to generate interest and get offers on and over.

The challenge we have that no on our street but a few street around us a number of ex-rental flats have popped up as I assume that landlords are selling up due to financial pressures. A couple of flats on our street last year sold for a good amount, however not sure if we can achieve that.

The fees quoted are 1.25% plus VAT. Questions are:

1. List now or wait after Easter - post stamp duty hangover and let the ex-rentals clear up
2. Go with independent strategy (lower and then go higher) or high street agent strategy of listing and then reducing if we have to
3. What term contract and fees should we push for

It's Southeast London Zone 2 period property 74 sq meter garden space, share of freehold.

@Mercurylines I think many people aren’t keen on offers over. Do you want 360K in order to buy something else? One agent said that you have to decide whether you want to sell for a bit less than you wanted, or not sell at all. It’s no good needing a sale at a certain price to fund another purchase, if no one wants to buy at that price. You might need to adjust your expectations for another purchase, or be prepared to stay put. Especially if you went with a price that was higher than most agents suggested.

@Bluevelvetsofa we can still buy something else if we sold for 340 (which is what we bought it for) just need to adjust expectations slightly on size. we want 360 because that basically covers what we bought it for plus the building works we’ve had done to fix various things that came up on the survey when we bought and doesn’t really take into account all of the redecorating. It’s now turn key condition and when we bought it, it was dated and worn (peeling wallpaper, threadbare carpets etc.)

It would be quite a gut punch to take less than 360.

We just have to wait it out a bit I think but it’s been a bit demoralising because I love the house. Amazing original features, big rooms, large south facing garden, sea views. It should be the perfect house for someone. Eventually working away half the week will wear me out and we’ll probably have to just sell for what we can get.

You have to mentally forget what price you bought and what you spent on it.
The market has dropped and the other things are just normal maintenance that comes with ownership.
You will probably get discount at the next house anyway, which is going to cost you less to upgrade in falling market.
I would sell quickly, for slightly less. Otherwise you will be on the market for months and eventually drop below what the realistic agent has said.
Lots of those around where I live.

:-(

Our chain has completely collapsed so we are back at square one.
we had a full chain for about 2 weeks .. but then our buyers, buyer pulled out .. and that means we have now lost our onward purchase as they have now taken an offer from a proceedable buyer.
I'm totally gutted - its such a stressful process.

We’ve had 3 more viewings requests this morning, one is a second viewing from Saturday so I’m feeling cautiously optimistic again. Still nothing for us to view though.

Sorry about your chain @BunnyMum2000, this is our first time having to sell and buy simultaneously and it’s a lot more stressful even at this early stage! I hope you can find a new purchase.

Thanks all I agree.

@BunnyMum2000 that is really upsetting!! All the best selling again. I am not from the UK and find the whole buying and selling process here absolutely bonkers!! I’m already stressed thinking about what kind of chain we’ll be in eventually.

So sorry to hear this - this is awful. We had this happen to us in 2017 the day before exchange of contracts when we had already moved out of the area across the country living close to intended purcahse and new jobs.

this time too buyer pulled out butthankfully just two days after offering.Still feeling anxious with new buyer till we actually complete.

Sending lots of good wishes.

Sorry to hear that, it's so stressful isn't it @BunnyMum2000

My first buyer pulled out after 8 days. I'm now on day 16 with the new buyers, but there's a chain - one more below them. The people in my onward purchase haven't found anything yet, so that's stressful, also because I don't know how long that chain could potentially be.

@BunnyMum2000 so sorry to hear this.

Oh no, sorry to hear that. As far as I know our buyers (first time buyers) are happy to wait. It’s been over 9 weeks now since we went under offer so I am a little bit worried but not much we can do. At least we have found our onwards purchase, but now need to wait for our sellers to find their next house. All just a waiting game 😬

Ah @BunnyMum2000 that's so upsetting for you. I hope you can get another offer soon.

We put an offer on a house this morning but worried we will end up th same, our buyer is waiting but the person we have offered to doesn't have anywhere to go. He does up houses so hoping he can get a chain free property if he accepts our offer. We have offered £10k under asking, it's definitely a buyers market here at the moment, although not much choice!

After nearly 4 weeks - I at least got some feedback from my buyers survey - nothing too drastic has come up - phew! - as spent quite alot of money in the last few years sorting out roof repairs. Meanwhile my buyer has requested to come round with a Kitchen Fitter to measure up - I am not sure I would have the cheek to ask somebody that - suppose it shows they are keen!

Hiya not sure it shows cheek? Our buyers came round yesterday to do various measures. Likewise we are taking a window glazer and a builder to our onward purchase on Tuesday for quotes. Neither us nor our sellers have been anything except most flexible and willing! Whatever helps all parties in the chain plan and move things along happily :)

Not cheek per se, but potential waste of time for everyone as chain break down in 30% of cases.
I'm surprised you can get builder to visit house you don't own yet. Wouldn't happen where I live.

Finally 3 weeks after survey we got some conveyancing questions. Slow going here

I am guessing conveyancing is a bit slow due to the frenzied activity around the stamp duty deadline. My conveyancer told me she takes 3-5 days to respond to queries and been working 16 hours a day. Let's hope it speeds up!

Yeah you would think with that deadline gone that things will get quieter. I am hoping the conveyancing side won't be too slow here as there's a lot less houses on the market so surely the solicitors all have more time now!

We are still waiting to hear back on our offer. If it's a no then hopefully more will come on. Pattern last couple of weeks is that one to two houses per week done up for us to view, we have to wait until the following week to view and then if it's a no wait until a couple more come up! So slow.

I'm not sure I would bother asking for kitchen fitter to measure if I was quite far out from exchange because as you say could be a waste of time, but equally I kind of get it if they want someone to fit asap once they complete.

I would be delighted if a buyer asked to come round with a kitchen fitter @Gunz - it shows they are committed to the move and making plans for what they will do with the property when they own it.

Well we have seven viewings booked for Saturday which is good.
still nothing coming up in the area we want to buy in though...

Caught up with EA.Apparently conveyancing is very slow at the moment, due to volume of deals still going through (that hasn't made it deadline).
3 months wait apparently 🙈

Oh - that sounds really grim - I did wonder what the impact would be! This is without the people putting properties on the market for Easter/early summer.

We’ve had 2 more viewings booked and 2 more offers from people who viewed last week although one isn’t yet proceedable. The person who originally offered 5% under asking has now increased to just over asking so things are moving in the right direction. We’ve also booked to view a house for us on Saturday, I’m not sure about it but there’s nothing else to look at.

I think our entire plans have fallen through in past week. Our buyer hasn't pulled out.
Is anyone thinking that tariffs anounced last night will lead to people pulling out?
I worked in financial markets for ages and can see clearly how things are going to go.

My MIL has gone from well and self sufficient to completely non-mobile in 3 weeks. She now needs care home and I wonder if we will have to stay in our home until she passes.

Country in EU I was planning to move to will be going downhill as car making is a massive chunk of economy and tariffs are 25%.

Ah our offer was accepted today! We really thought they would push us up at least once so that's great. Vendor hasn't got a property yet but our buyer has confirmed they are still happy to wait. Fingers crossed he finds one that ends the chain soon! 😂 😂 Not asking for much hey!