Summer Home Buyer Trends

Every property journey is different, from reasons to move, timeline, needs and wants. And while it differs for everyone, there are ways we can tap into what buyers want to make selling your home slightly easier.
 

Understand what buyers are looking for can mean we can highlight those desirable areas of your home, and adapt other spaces to maximise the potential.
 

Seasons can impact on buyer trends, so here are 5 things we can expect to see this summer:

Garden & outdoor space

It’s obvious really, but summer days get buyers thinking about what they want from their new home’s outdoor space.
 

Families might be looking for versatile spaces for play and entertaining, whereas downsizers might want an easily-to-maintain garden. Think about the potential buyers your property will attract, and consider adapting the garden space to suit this.
 

Keeping the outdoors in a well presented order during the viewing processes will appeal to most. Buyers won’t want an over-grown un-manageable garden, so show them it’s not by keeping it tidy.
 

Adding some garden furniture to a patio area will highlight the additional potential it has.

Schools

Another huge reason families may decide to move is to be closer to desirable schools. During the summer season, you’ll find lots of buyers trying to make the move following the end of the school term and before the next, to reduce the amount of disruption during the school year.

If you property is located in a school catchment area of a popular school, use this when marketing your home. Your local agent should already be doing this, but its importance can’t be understated. House sales can be made based purely on catchment area alone.

An added bonus is that buyers moving for school entry will be even more motivated to complete the purchase quickly.

Entertaining Space

Summertime is all-around a more social time of year. The second the days get warmer, us Brits are known for dusting off the bbqs and getting out the coolers.
 

So it’s no surprise that buyers want to make sure their next homes have the space to entertain. This might be in the form of a great garden, or it could be open-plan living for parties indoors.
 

Even if your home doesn’t have the open-plan design, there are still things you can do to show buyers your home shouldn’t be discounted for this reason.
 

Look at how you can move your furniture around to create more space. As a rule of thumb, very room should have a clear walk-way with no obstructions, and a path between each entry point.
 

For social rooms like lounges and dining room, ensure the floor space is kept clear and tidy.

Comfortable Interiors

Many people love summer for the warmer days, but no one wants to live in a sweaty box. For this reason, you need to show your home can be cool and breezy during the height of heat.
 

In the UK, we don’t commonly have air conditioning so we must rely on age old tips to keep cool in the summer.
 

Keep your house well ventilated before viewings, a cool breeze will make a huge difference. Don’t forget, most viewings will happen in the hottest parts of the day so you don’t want to put your buyers off before they’ve even explored the house.
 

Open the interior doors to allow air flow naturally breeze through the house.
 

If you have a glass conservatory, think about adding some vinyl to the windows directly in the sun to avoid it overheating.

Home office space

Whilst we’ve moved on from the days of lockdown where people were forced into home working, home office spaces are still a big trend among buyers.
 

Home offices are high up on the wish list in summer especially due to working parents wanting the flexibility of WFH when their children are on holiday.
 

If you have a spare room, consider adding a desk to show off the potential of a home working space. For properties that don’t have a dedicated room, try and find an area in your house for a compact office. Maybe in the dining room or even the lounge, these days working spaces can be anywhere you can comfortably fit a desk.
 

Adding this to your home for viewings helps the potential buyers visualise the opportunities you home can offer.