Purplebricks : Why wait to find your dream home? Here are the benefits of listing your property in Cornwall, today

Guest blog by Clare Mcallister - Purplebricks Local Property Expert in Cornwall.

Author bio: I grew up in Cornwall and truly love our coast and everything our wonderful county has to offer. I enjoy nothing more than spending time with my family and beloved spaniel Hugo on our wonderful beaches - every day the coastline offers an individual breathtaking viewpoint and experience.

I have worked in estate agency for 18 years, 14 of those as a branch manager in the high street. I have always loved the business and fulfilling my clients' needs, both selling and purchasing. Being involved in one of the most important parts of their lives, their homes, is an amazing feeling. However, times have changed with both the process and marketplace. Being a Local Property Expert with Purplebricks enables me to provide buyers and sellers with invaluable experience and the understanding they need to make the process as painless as possible, with a fresh innovative transparent way to market your home.

The property market in Cornwall

It probably won't be new news to you that the housing market is currently experiencing a unique and rather busy period, with sales demand for Spring 2021 up significantly since Spring 2020 and the average price of properties coming to market has also increased. During the first few months of 2021, the property market even experienced its busiest ever days, seeing an influx of first-time buyers rushing to the market to make use of the Stamp Duty holiday and the introduction of 5% deposits (source: Rightmove 2021).

According to Zoopla data, the average time for a seller to find a buyer is 21.6 days in Cornwall, but increasingly, we are seeing many houses being snapped up from the market much sooner, and in some cases just hours after listing. I'm seeing this more and more in Cornwall, I suspect partly due to changes in buyer preferences and increased demand for rural homes following the rise of home working and time spent at home during the pandemic. This is reflected within Zoopla's top three keywords used by homehunters when searching for properties in Cornwall; 'sea view', 'parking' and 'garden'. With sales already agreed for almost two out of three properties on agents' books, buyers eagerly await fresh properties coming to market, making this the best sellers market for the past ten years (source: Rightmove, 2021).

So is it the right time to come to the market?

You may be hesitant to list your property just yet, out of fear it will sell too quickly before you've had a chance to set eyes on your dream home, but rest-assured, I think it is in fact a great time to list your home - and here's why.

Selling your home during this unique market where the average house price is up 1.8% (source: Rightmove, May 2021) and a high percentage of houses are achieving asking price and over on a regular basis, may even give you a larger budget to buy your dream property. You may now be able to afford that new sofa you spotted online, set aside the extra savings to pay off the fees or even afford a property a little bigger than you had originally thought.

The saying, 'you have to be in it to win it' may seem like an overused, cheesy game show catchphrase, but it rings true in this case. With demand high and the number of buyer enquiries for each property up year on year, to avoid missing out on your dream home when it comes to market, you will need to be in the best possible position to appeal to the seller, and this includes being under offer on your current property. And this may be sooner than you think, with Rightmove data suggesting the property market saw encouraging signs of more properties coming to the market at the beginning of May, with valuation requests on the increase. Waiting to find the perfect property to offer on before coming to the market yourself will likely lead to disappointment and frustration, as someone else in a more proceedable position snaps up your dream home.

Many buyers are understanding of the current market and are in a position to be flexible with move dates, particularly our first-time buyers who may be in rented accommodation or living with family. We are here to help manage buyers' expectations of timescales for you - that's our job. Afterall, if the buyers are really serious about the property they will wait if they are in a position where they are able to do so.

If you're still apprehensive about keeping your buyers waiting whilst you continue your search, another option for you is to consider going into short-term rented accommodation. Breaking the chain minimises the risk of fall-throughs and puts you in a very strong position to act quickly and negotiate your next purchase, increasing your appeal to the seller of your future home in Cornwall.

Thinking of selling?

If you're thinking of selling your home in Cornwall and would like further advice from our Local Property Experts, simply download the Purplebricks app and book a valuation. Our Local Property Experts in Cornwall will be able to offer you practical advice on the market, what buyers in your area are looking for and an honest market valuation.

Take a look at some of our properties currently for sale in Cornwall:

https://www.purplebricks.co.uk/property-for-sale/2-bedroom-cottage-penzance-1192915

https://www.purplebricks.co.uk/property-for-sale/3-bedroom-semi-detached-house-truro-1195668

https://www.purplebricks.co.uk/property-for-sale/3-bedroom-semi-detached-house-perranporth-1194034

https://www.purplebricks.co.uk/property-for-sale/2-bedroom-detached-bungalow-falmouth-1091856

https://www.purplebricks.co.uk/property-for-sale/3-bedroom-character-property-ponsanooth-1108690

https://www.purplebricks.co.uk/property-for-sale/4-bedroom-detached-house-st-ives-1197477