South-East House Prices Throughout the Course of 2021

As 2021 draws to an end I have been reflecting on how house prices have performed throughout the year, particularly in our core area of the South-East. Essentially, we have seen huge demand from prospective home buyers and a palpable lack of property stock to meet that demand resulting in average year on year price increases in the South-East of England of 10.3%, according to the last data released from the ONS.

This demand has been driven primarily by existing local clients looking to upsize or downsize and stay within a 10-to-15-mile radius of where they currently live, but there has also been a large increase in buyers trying to move out from within the M25, fuelled by the excellent schools, infrastructure, and green spaces the area has to offer.

Indeed, due to our experience and marketing strategies we have been able to harness this demand, producing fantastic results for our clients and prices far beyond their initial expectations.

Whilst this is fantastic news for homeowners throughout the region it doesn’t tell the full picture of the property market. The record high demand combined with almost record low levels of available stock has made finding a property extremely difficult, making the process seem a daunting task to say the least!

How can the Bridges Group help you I hear you ask? With 9 market leading offices throughout the M3 corridor and Blackwater Valley from Camberley through to Basingstoke our super experienced agents can a) secure the best buyer at the best price for your home and b) give our clients access to our VIP finder service, giving our clients priority access to the largest pool of available properties for sale.

As I look ahead to 2022 what can you as a home mover expect to experience? Essentially more of the same but perhaps a more balanced market. Whilst demand is set to remain strong, we are already putting in place marketing strategies for plenty of clients looking to move next year, so I expect there to be increased supply and a wider choice for buyers. The prospect of raising interest rates in 2022, following the small increase to 0.25% in December 2021, is ‘more likely’ according to Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England, which may well see demand cool as the year progresses.

My advice? It’s never too early to start planning and those home movers taking advantage of the buoyant market will be rewarded, and as the market leading agent in your area we are best placed to guide you through not only your sale but find the perfect home for you to move to.

If you would like to speak to one of our advisers, please contact the team at Orchard and we will be happy to explore the options available to you.