As the clocks go back this weekend, home sellers already struggling in slower market conditions could find it even harder to secure a sale as shorter days and darker evenings deter potential buyers during the viewing process.
The survey of UK homebuyers, commissioned by Yopa, found that just 27% prefer to view properties in the evening, while 25% opt for the morning and nearly half (48%) favour the afternoon.
The main reason, cited by 69% of respondents, was a preference for viewing homes in natural daylight. Work and childcare commitments were also common barriers to viewing flexibility.
With daylight hours set to shrink, 63% of homebuyers said the end of British summertime would make them less motivated to attend viewings.
HARDER TO VIEW
A further 43% stated that shorter days make it much harder to properly view a property, while 40% said it’s harder but still manageable.
Exterior spaces and the surrounding neighbourhood were found to be the hardest aspects to assess in low light, while 34% of homebuyers admitted feeling unsafe viewing unfamiliar areas after dark.
As a result, one in five said they plan to significantly reduce the number of viewings they attend during the winter months, while a further one in five said they would reduce them to a lesser extent.
Finally, almost half (46%) of homebuyers said they would be more inclined to book viewings during daylight hours at the weekend, suggesting sellers may need to make themselves more readily available if they hope to secure a sale before Christmas.
CHALLENGING TIME
Verona Frankish (main picture, inset), Chief Executive of Yopa, says: “It’s already a difficult landscape for the nation’s home sellers, with the market currently imbalanced between the level of stock available and the number of buyers willing to commit to a purchase.
“As a result, securing a buyer is proving far more challenging than we’ve seen in recent years and, as our latest market insight suggests, it could become even more of a challenge as the clocks roll back and British summertime ends.”
AVAILABILITY IS KEY
And she adds: “This is simply down to the fact that, when making what’s likely to be the most expensive purchase of their lives, buyers are keen to see every aspect of a property in detail.
“The lack of natural light obviously limits how effectively they can do this when it comes to the external areas of the property and the surrounding neighbourhood.
“So for those hoping to snag a buyer by Christmas, the key is to make yourself as available as you can when it comes to viewings. This means facilitating viewings during the shorter daylight hours throughout the week, and especially over the weekends.”
