By Lizzie Burt Chinneck Shaw Estate Agents
Recently listed – Shadwell Road, Portsmouth – £320,000 – Full Details
In a recent post from the property portal Rightmove, it confirms that May was the busiest month for sales agreed since March 2022, and the busiest May since 2021.
In what is traditionally an active time of year for the property market, the month of May is typically busy, being bang in the middle of springtime selling season. Certainly locally, the property market has been buzzing with activity this spring, and the latest data from Rightmove confirms what our offices in Portsmouth and Southsea have witnessed first-hand: May 2025 has been the busiest since May 2021.
This was an unexpected turn of events, as in the middle of May, the monthly ‘House Price Index’ from Rightmove showed signs of a stabilising market, following a period of heightened activity ahead of the stamp duty changes at the end of March. While buyer demand eased slightly, down 4% in April, and annual price growth in May was more moderate than in recent years, these shifts suggested a return to more balanced conditions.
Then, towards the end of May, momentum significantly picked up, with Rightmove recording the highest number of agreed property sales in a single month since March 2022, making it the busiest May since 2021. This strong activity shows that many home-movers remain confident and committed to their plans, even in the face of the recent stamp duty changes introduced in April.
At the time of writing, midway through June, the just-released June House Price Index from Rightmove confirms that asking prices dipped by 0.3% in the previous month.
After recording record-breaking house prices in April and May, average asking prices have fallen by 0.3% in June. It’s not something we usually see at this time of year – in fact, prices have typically risen by an average of 0.4% at this time of year over the past decade.
So why’s this happening?
Primarily, there’s just much more choice for buyers today than there has been over the past 10 years. This means that sellers have to price their homes more competitively to gain any traction and that all-important viewing to stand any chance of finding a buyer in the current market. This is mirrored in what we are seeing locally, with homeowners listening to the advice on price and market ing their properties to attract buyer interest.
Also, changes to stamp duty thresholds introduced in April, are having a delayed impact, particularly in higher-priced areas where the tax rise is adding the most to the cost of moving for home buyers.
If you’re thinking of selling your home this summer, keep in mind that there’s more choice out there for buyers than we’ve seen in the past 10 years. This means getting the price right from the start is critical and often makes the difference between selling and not.
We can help you price your home realistically and competitively for the local market, this will increase the likelihood of a successful sale.
Rightmove’s data shows that homes that get an enquiry on the first day they’re listed are 22% more likely to find a buyer than those that don’t get interest in the first two weeks.
Here are a selection of some of our most recently listed homes for sale –
To see the very latest homes coming to the market, click ‘New to market homes’, this lists all of the very latest homes as they come to the market.
If you are considering a move, we have demand for property in and around Portsmouth and Southsea, with many motivated buyers looking for a new home.
Please feel free to contact me or any of our team for either an informal chat about the market or to book a market appraisal.
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