House prices are rising – it’s the time to sell!

NOW is the ideal time to sell in the North West, as the number of homes for sale decline and prices continue to rise.
That’s the message from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) following a survey which shows house price growth increased again in June.
Sellers could be in with a chance of gaining a strong offer or even an increased price.
A recent RICS survey of the residential market revealed 53 per cent of North West surveyors reporting an increase in asking prices.
Main  reason for this is the lack of homes for sale, which is at the lowest it has been since 1978.
RICS North West residential spokesperson, John Halman of Gascoigne Halman estate agents – with branches in Stockton Heath, Lymm and across the region – said: “July and August are often regarded as the ‘holiday season’ as there is a lull in activity due to the short supply of quality homes coming on to the market.
Sellers should take full advantage of the fewer instructions coming to the market and the rising house prices – they may be pleasantly surprised at the response they get.
“Buyer confidence is running high and in the current market, it’s not uncommon for vendors in popular areas to find themselves in the fortunate position of having multiple interested parties, resulting in sellers gaining a strong offer or even an increase in their asking price.
“Even if you are planning on waiting until after the summer to sell, you may wish to appoint an agent during the warmer months so that your home can be photographed in good weather and those with gardens can show them off in full bloom. This can often make a big difference, especially if buyers are looking for a home with garden space.”
Simon Rubinsohn, RICS Chief Economist, adds: “The RICS lead indicators do provide some encouragement that the level of housebuilding in the North West will increase over the course of this year but even with these additional developments, the volume of home starts in the region will still fall well short of the homes needed, let alone make a dent in the historic shortfall of housing across all tenures.”