What is happening in Ashford housing market this Autumn?

Nationwide housing stock is up by 7% and sales are down by 3%. In Ashford, Mockford & Hunt have seen a similar picture where more homes are coming to the market yet buyer activity has dropped off. From intel data that we can access via Rightmove, Zoopla and On The Market, it is clear that this is the same story for all agents in and around Ashford.

Pricing your home right in this market is key to ensure interest. In any marketplace, there is always a need for people to move for a whole variety of reasons but when less buyers are active, best marketing and patience is what it is taking to get homes under offer. Year on year, homes are typically taking 10% more time to sell nationally. Data from Zoopla suggests that in the TN25 area, homes are typically marketed for 50 days before they go under offer. In this market, as agents we typically have to use additional enhanced marketing strategy's to ensure that our homes stand out from the crowd when attracting new buyers.

The good news when purchasing is that if you are looking to buy your first home or your next property, there is plenty of choice and you may be more likely to pick up a better deal given you'll have less buyers to compete with.

We spoke to local mortgage advisor Dean Laidlaw for his view on the current market: ⁠“We’re starting to see lenders ease up a little - swap rates have been drifting down, and that’s feeding into slightly better fixed-rate deals. While rates aren’t back to the ultra-low levels we saw a few years ago, the overall direction is positive — things are slowly moving in the right way. For people who are ready, this feels like a good window - more choice, less pressure, and the potential to lock in a solid deal. Buyers have options - and that combination of softer pricing on properties and improving mortgage deals doesn’t come around too often.”

If you want to find out if now is a good time for you to be buying a new home, then contact us to arrange a free mortgage chat with Dean on 01233 367606 or email us at enquiries@mockfordandhunt.co.uk #deanlaidlawmortgages #buyersmarket #ashfordhousingmarket