Selling in a sluggish housing market

There's a limit to how much curb appeal can overcome bad timing

(Credit: A McCarron)

Worse things happen at sea but with caveats well and truly dispensed, I feel completely satisfied in saying that selling a flat in Britain is the single most soul-destroying activity any single person can endure at any given time.

Waiting on hold for HMRC only to be cut off, being forced to watch yourself in a recorded presentation or getting trapped in a lift with two guys talking about “alpha”, “sigma” and “grindset” personalities — nothing comes close.

This is especially the case in a sluggish market. The average price of newly-listed homes for sale in Britain fell by 0.6% last month, the biggest June fall in 14 years, according to Rightmove. Meanwhile, Savills updated its 2026 house price forecast to a 2% drop this year, pointing to the impact of rising mortgage costs.

At the same time, you’re not the only one trying to sell. The number of newly listed homes coming to market is up 6% on last year and up 12% on 2023.

All the usual guidance from the broadsheets still applies. Instruct the right estate agent, settle on a sensible price and repaint the bathrooms. But when you have exhausted all these avenues and more, my advice — based off the scars on my back — is devastatingly simple: have you considered selling in a sellers’ market instead?

Look, I know what you’re thinking. This is like that time I revealed my one weird trick for avoiding jet lag was to fly business class. But I was right then and I’m right now.

The first time I tried to sell my flat several years ago, the market was anaemic and buyers weren’t afraid to throw their weight around. They complained about the tree out front, the length of the lease remaining and demanded to be told why I was selling. One person sent through a list of — no exaggeration — 36 questions. I have known less about people I went on to marry.