Published by: Alex Maile
Summer is here, the sun has finally poked its head out from between the clouds and the rain is on temporary hold. It is going to be an interesting few weeks – there’s an election coming, the Euros and Wimbledon. And when that lot’s over, school will be out and we’ll have the Olympics.There’s no doubt, though, that the biggest event for the housing market this summer will be the election. Over the last few months, there has been a deluge of promises and accusations from all sides of the political divide, especially when it comes to tax and spending. The Conservatives, have been going to a lot of trouble to suggest Labour are intending to tax the housing market, while Labour have now responded by saying that it is the Conservatives who will cost homeowners money. However, solid facts are thin on the ground and both are mostly just scaremongering.
It does look increasingly likely that Labour are going to win and, so far, their only concrete pledge is to build more homes. Whatever your politics, that has got to be a good thing. It should also be noted that one of the biggest boom periods for property in recent times occurred during Tony Blair’s tenure as PM.
It is fairly typical of the kind of uncertainty that swirls around the run-up to a general election, as is the brief hiatus it causes in the sales market. Then, just a week or two after it is over, the market returns to more or less exactly where it left off. The Rental market, however, tends to be far less affected and so it’s business as usual as we enter one of the busiest periods for the year.
For sales, though, it is worth remembering that this is traditionally a very good time to put your property on the market, as the sunshine will ensure it looks its absolute best. If that’s what you are planning, then it’s well worth doing it now, as once the election is over, you will be in just the right place to take advantage of all those buyers who had been holding back. Just make sure you make all those outside spaces look as good as they can.
Well, that’s it for now. Enjoy the sunshine and I will be back again in July when we will know who will be our next Prime Minister and we might even have won the Euros.