The UK housing market has always had its ebbs and flows, but in recent months, headlines highlighting possible buyers hurdles have seemingly appeared a bit more often than usual. At home, the increase in stamp duty led to a rush before the new April tax rates took effect, and globally, international trade disputes have contributed to a highly volatile period of economic uncertainty.
Strangely enough, though, while the new American tariffs have sent stock markets worldwide into a tailspin, they might help bring down mortgage rates. The tariff policy encourages UK interest rates to decrease, and several lenders are cutting rates on their mortgage products. News like this is often enough to spur some activity in the market, from prospective first-time buyers to individuals looking to relocate and secure a more favourable loan.
However, the traditional route isn’t always necessary, even with the housing market looking to get busier. On this page, we’ll review a seller’s options.
Traditional Route’s Selling Season
The traditional route to the property market remains the most popular. You contact an estate agent, have them review, price, and list your house, and then deal with the whole selling process to completion. However, the market isn’t always so lively. The best time for listing and selling in the UK is typically from March to May. Sellers are often advised to list in February and March to maximise this selling season.
This has pros and cons that are entirely dependent on your situation. On the one hand, there will generally be more people out and about looking to buy around this time. On the other hand, you’ve got a lot more competition from other properties on the market. Demand helps to allow for better selling prices, but competition can just as easily hold them in check or have estate agents nudging their clients to lower prices to sell quicker.
While the time it takes to sell and complete the process through the traditional route weighs on many sellers, the extra costs can also be a sticking point. Estate agents charge up to three per cent of the sale plus VAT, and then there are conveyancing fees to throw on top. Still, the process is tried and trusted. Even though house prices in the UK have gone down in the short term, the bigger picture shows that there has been a total recorded 2.8 per cent annual rise in property prices in recent years. So it may prove ideal to consider selling your house to position yourself at the forefront of new listers, as buyers anticipate that prices will rise again.
Going Down the Cash Buyer Route
The issues with the traditional housing market are well known, with one of its most significant problems being unavoidable, and that problem is that it all depends on people. With so many sellers not enjoying a smooth process to sale, or even a sale full stop, it makes sense that alternative options have begun to gain traction. Looking at 2023 figures alone, we see 35 per cent of all property sales falling through, 37 per cent of buyers being gazumped, and the average sale time being 183 days. Stats like these have given rise to the cash house buyer option.
By some margin, selling to a verified cash buyer is the fastest and most clear-cut way. The buyer will still go through the usual process of assessing the property’s condition, valuing, taking stock, surveying, and exchanging, but they all handle it as the potential buyer. It begins with an initial, no-obligation cash offer that tells the seller what to expect from a possible sale. Suppose the offer is to the seller’s liking and all other checks clear, to agree on a price. In that case, the cash gets sent quickly without any extra hassle, though, of course, the ceiling for selling in this way isn’t as high as in a market teeming with demand, and the costs of purchasing a property are factored into the offer.
Taking Matters into Your Own Hands
For some people, doing it themselves is the path to a sale. You can sell a property privately if you can handle all surrounding elements correctly. This means setting the price, advertising, doing tours, holding negotiations where necessary, and ensuring the property is up to scratch. The big miss here from the traditional path is the advertising and connections offered by real estate agents.
It’s a much more cumbersome process than the cash buyer option. So, while you get complete control of the process, the relatively small percentages paid through the other selling routes are generally considered preferential to the private selling route.
The other option is to go to auction. Only 2.3 per cent of all house sales go through auction, but it’s swift, can get a good price through bidding wars, and can help offload problem properties.
Should you be looking into the housing market as a seller in 2025, you have a few options you might not have been previously aware of. A better rate on a mortgage should then help you go from selling to buying.
POSTED BY 
