Do you think there will be a load coming on the market after the budget

[paddleboardingmum]

...or will people wait till after Christmas? nothing has really been coming on in recent weeks.

My aunt came over today (they've been trying to downsize for two years chain fallen through twice). The estate agents all seem to be saying the same thing - that although the're expecting larger homes to be hit by the budget it seems to have affected the whole of the market (at least where aunts looking) they're predictions are that the few that need to sell for jobs, probabte etc will come on after budget but that they think they'll trickle on to the market after Christmas and many will just wait till spring. They seem to think they'll have a busier spring than normal. But obviously its all predictions and nobody knows what the knock on effects will be till after tomorrow.
I think it's going to also depend on what happens to the economy in general because that will effect mortgage rates and confidence.
What the cost of all our other outgoings will be not just utilities but food, childcare, transportation etc people will be having to really think about affordability.

The sensible thing will be to wait until next Feb/Mar to list. However, the three D's will always ensure a trickle of property listing.

we have been waiting for a 5 bed for 2 years. Literally nothing has come on so I hope so!

Depends on the budget really. It depends who is getting hit with the taxes. If landlords then I suspect a big sell off of rentals

Thanks all. I think given the timing, a lot of people understandably won't want viewings in the lead up to Christmas. I'm looking but think I'll wait till January. Although even then it normally would take people a couple of weeks for photos and getting it on the market so maybe Feb/March it will pick up. Like pp have said it will depend on what happens in the budget. I'm worried about more job losses.

Yes that's true there could be more ex rentals coming on.

I agree that waiting until Jan/Feb would probably be best, wait for the dust to settle and get Christmas out of the way. I expect most other sellers will wait until Spring.
I think you are absolutely right to be worried about more job losses but they probably won't have risen that much by January/February. I do expect it to get much worse though. The thing to do is to research your market, get a very competent agent and not to price too high. If you price sensibly, you will still get interest.

Well you can have ours if you like?! We are putting it on the market in spring.

We were hit by the paralysing of the market once the budget rumours started. Our local agent said Absolutley nothing was moving over £500k.

We’re going on market on local agents Boxing Day launch. Three recommended the same approach. The budget and Christmas have stoped everything.

The market for family homes near me in London seems to be that only people to have to sell are on the market. But buyers aren't buying because prices are more likely to come down than go up. So things are stuck. Some temporary increased certainty after the budget might help but the fundamentals of the market are still screwed with affordability and job worries.

I've put a hold on looking for 3+bed properties for now. Hardly anything coming on the market recently, the ones that come on are asking a bit too much more than I think they're worth especiallyconsideringreno costs these days, and they aren't selling for months either (which proves my opinion about the asking prices). I think sellers are not realising how much reno costs have gone up, so if their house needs reno to bring it in line with recent sold price for a nicely done up house, then they'll need to drop their price further to make their house more appealing to buyers.

And all the uncertainty about jobs, taxes on income, savings and property isn't helping either. I'm too jittery to take on even a 200k mortgage

I honesty think the rumour around stamp duty was the issue. That seems to have died down and now it’s council tax increases / mansion tax.

I think the market will pick up particularly if interest rates drop in December (and that passes down to mortgage rates).

We were looking for 18 months. We’d have looked all over the Christmas period if we could - you don’t suddenly stop needing to move just because it’s festive season!

Ours has been on for months, pulled it this week and will go again with a new agent on Boxing Day.

In our area the market for larger houses and especially those over £500k is dead.

@ForLoveNotMoney our 5 bed is looking for a new owner!

I’m hoping property prices come down after the budget. I think the reality is that a lot of the property market is overinflated and unaffordable. I say that as someone who owns a property in London. It’s ridiculous and unsustainable in the long term.

My partner is about to put ahis late father’s house on the market, having just been granted probate. Estate agent met him on Monday and said the market is very strong. My partner felt the asking price was a little low (given that agent suggested a fixed price) and was told yesterday - the very next day! - that the market was slow and struggling. Same man. Does anyone really know?

I genuinely think it’s dead - because of the budget. The market around us was frantic until the rumours started. Prices aren’t falling, things just aren’t selling and nothing new is coming on.

I am always amazed at the push to list on boxing day, I'm convinced the hype around it is artificially created by Rightmove, just as a bit of PR.

The number of serious buyers that are logging on to RM on Boxing Day always seems a very small number to me.

Often things don't get going properly until mid-January.

death, divorce and debt are the drivers behind a lot of sales in a weak market. Many people decide to divorce straight after Christmas each year so this can trigger sales for the new year (ex estate agent so this is from experience)

Generally, budget or not, the market is v slow because of the economy. If RR makes a drastic change to stamp duty etc it might shake things up but sounds like she isn’t going to do that. Estate agent valued our property in summer and said if it’s the right price it will sell. But since then I’ve been keeping a close on similar properties and a lot are not selling or falling through. I’m not sure things will pick up massively in 2026 - I think sellers/buyers now need to be in it for the long game.

This is our experience too. We’ve sold our house and are looking to relocate but there is literally nothing over £500K coming on to the market where we want to buy. The last time I received a Rightmove alert for a property in our price/size range was 7th October - so about the time the budget speculation began. Nothing is selling either, especially at the top of the market.

Property prices in London did fall last year! Only by 1.8%, but definitely went down not up.

In many places that price drop has happened already. Poole Dorset for instance.
People who take offers on listing price must be desperate. We get one viewing per week average. Only 1 offer so far.
There are 'doer uppers' that are ex rental and looking worn and tired. We have listed one of those. A big 3 bed, 2 bath + office or tiny bedroom.

I don't think responses will ever be as dramatic as envisioned.

They have shot the market to pieces
Tax
Cost of living
Job losses
Fear of redundancy