HOLIDAYS AREN'T ALWAYS GOOD
NEWS
It is generally accepted by those of us who are working for a
living that it is a real bonus to be given a day off work. The
sense of anticipation and excitement grows as the day approaches
means and it almost feels as if you are bunking off school. So to
be given several days off in quick succession would, you would
imagine, result in an immense sense of gratitude and bonhomie
towards those who are in a position to grant us these occasional
benefits.
Unless of course you are trying to sell your
house!!!
April 2011 will, for many of us, represent the month with the
fewest working days that we have experienced for many, many years.
How has this impacted the property market? Figures just produced by
Moneypenny, a firm which handles inbound telephone calls for more
than 600 estate agent businesses across England, Wales and N.
Ireland confirm that the number of calls they took from interested
parties dropped on average by 24% compared to previous months.
Whilst they do not act for selling agents north of the border it is
fair to assume that the property market in Scotland will have been
similarly affected and for those house sellers amongst you who
experienced a quiet month of viewing in April you can take some
comfort from the fact that you were not alone.
Our experience at Hunters Residential is that things have been
picking up slowly since then and the number of sales in May is
certainly shaping up to be more than we achieved in April so it is
not all bad news. Indeed we have had a run of properties that have
sold within days of going on the market and this proves once again
that it is all about getting the right person through your
door.
However we need to be aware that in general
prices are still falling slowly. ESPC analysts who have their
finger very much on the pulse of the Edinburgh market, confirmed
that the average price of property in Edinburgh fell in April
compared to the same month last year and are predicting that
average house prices will show annual falls of between 3 and 5% in
coming months before levelling off towards the end of 2011. It is
therefore crucial that you are realistic with your expectations.
Our job is to maximise the price obtained for your property and we
will do everything we can to achieve the best results for
you. However, the heady days of 2006/7 when you could
reasonably expect to achieve a figure well in excess of the asking
price are to a large extent behind us and we would recommend that
all clients look seriously at any sensible offer around the asking
price. Speak to any one of our experienced team of negotiators at
Hunters Residential and they will be able to advise you and answer
any questions you may have.
Wilson Hunter
Partner in charge of Hunters Residential
