Why Portsmouth and Southampton are the perfect locations to sell property

In recent months, Southampton, Portsmouth and the surrounding areas have been experiencing incredibly high property demand from buyers. This is primarily due to the spiralling rate of London house prices, which only look set to increase further.

London’s housing market carries on at full speed ahead, with both buyers and renters are struggling to keep up. Current house prices in the capital are more than 46% higher than what they were at the pre-financial crisis peak, with the average house price standing at a massive £525,000.

Many potential buyers can’t afford to purchase properties in the capital, and with the commuter belt widening, even properties outside public transport Zone’s 1 and 2 are proving difficult to afford.

On the other hand, this is fantastic news for sellers in southern locations such as Southampton and Portsmouth, as ex-London residents are now choosing to bed down further afield to get a foot on the housing ladder and get more property for their money.

Not only do Southampton and Portsmouth present opportunities to live in a location where you can get better value for money in terms of property, but they also rival the capital’s social scene.

One of London’s main draws is its varied social scene, but as coastal locations such as Brighton have demonstrated, you don’t have to live in the capital to have a variety of things to keep you occupied.

Cities such as Southampton and Portsmouth are now buzzing epicentres of activity, with a handful of universities between them, dozens of galleries and music venues and great ports.

For those who are considering making the move down south, but still wish to commute to the capital, this is also still possible, taking just 90 minutes. This provides the best of both worlds for buyers as they can set up home in a more affordable property, yet not be too far from the capital.

These rising house prices in the capital have really done southern locations a favour. Higher prices in the capital mean an increased influx of people are choosing to buy property in Southampton and Portsmouth, areas where we cover as leading estate and letting agents. This high buyer demand in these areas means that property can be priced slightly higher than before, something every seller wants to hear when placing their property on the market.

This increasing demand means that well-presented properties in Portsmouth and Southampton are selling like hot cakes. Sellers in Southampton and Portsmouth can benefit from quick selling times too, as on average they’re likely to sell in 67 and 70 days respectively.

Here at Chimneypots, we’re experienced in all things property-wise and are skilled in selling your home. Need proof? Well in August this year, a month typically recognised for being slow in the property market, we sold 23 properties, quite impressive by anyone’s standards!

Choose us to sell your home and we’ll ensure we attract those buyers which are flooding to southern locations such as Portsmouth and Southampton in their thousands.

If you're looking for an estate agent in Portsmouth and Southampton and would like further advice or property selling tips, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team today. Alternatively, if you would like to find out how much your property is worth in the current market, and be in with a chance of selling your home for free, check out our free, online valuation tool.

http://chimneypotsestateagent.co.uk/why-portsmouth-and-southampton-are-the-perfect-locations-to-sell-property/  

Welcome to autumn – the perfect season for selling your home

Autumn is the season of vibrant, multi-coloured leaves, nights drawing in, cosy nights in front of the fire and hearty stews to set us up for winter. It’s also a fantastic season in which to sell property. The kids are back at school, Christmas is still a few months away, and temperatures tend to be relatively mild.

People are keen to be settled in their new home before the weather starts to bite and the festivities get into full swing. As a seller, you can take advantage of this fact.

There are a number of things you can do increase your chances of selling in autumn. Below, using our experience as estate agents working across the south of England, we outline what some of these are.

Give your home an autumnal glow

If you have a garden or outside space, shine a light on it. It might not be the time of year for entertaining outside or barbecues, but your garden is never going to look more beautiful than it does in autumn. The front garden (assuming you have one) could also play a key role, welcoming would-be buyers in with a display of seasonal flowers and a well-kept lawn. If you have a driveway instead, spruce it up and add a few plant pots to make things look more attractive.

Clear those leaves out

A simple but very important task, clearing away fallen leaves from your gutter and drains will show would-be buyers that you care about the appearance of your home – even the outside part of it. This sets the right tone for a house viewing. In windier weather, litter could also be blown into your front garden or driveway. This is not a great look, so should be swept up as soon as possible. These little touches will really help to improve your sales pitch.

Put the heating on

Use your judgement here. Sometimes, as we’ve been seeing in the last few weeks, the weather can be very pleasant in September and October. If the weather is warm enough for the heating to be kept off, keep it off. If, however, the viewing takes place during a cold snap, whack the heating on to ensure your house is both warm and inviting. If you happen to have a fire, get it roaring if the weather outside is a tad on the Arctic side. Nothing says cosy family home quite like a roaring fire!

Let there be light

As the nights draw in, there is a danger that your house could look a bit dark and gloomy if you don’t use light well enough. Natural light will be harder to come by, but clever use of lamps and other lights will help to show off your property’s best attributes.

Give your coats a home

Temperatures might not be as cold as they are in winter, but the thermometer does tend to dip a little during autumn. As a result, we all start to wear thicker coats, thicker jumpers and sturdier footwear. If the weather really starts to turn, the scarves, gloves and woolly hats could be making an early appearance. But where do all these items go? Hanging on the back of a door or the bannister? On a coat stand? When it comes to a viewing, having these personal items on show is unlikely to help your cause. Find a place to store them, out of the way and hidden, so buyers can imagine themselves living in your home.

If you would like more advice about selling your home in the autumn, please get in contact with ChimneyPots on 01489 584298. To find out how much your property could be worth in the current marketplace, check out our free instant online valuation tool.

http://chimneypotsestateagent.co.uk/welcome-to-autumn-the-perfect-season-for-selling-your-home/