How can I calculate how much home equity I have?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 24th Apr 2024With many homeowners making the most of the equity they have in their homes to move to a better property, having good levels of equity in your home gives you more options. Even if you don’t have quite as much as you would...
Sales Agreed in SL0 for 2024
By Oakwood Estates Team on 18th Apr 2024Great news for Oakwood Estates! Our sales team is proud to share a strong performance in the first part of 2024 for properties located within the SL0 postcode. As visualized in our pie chart, Oakwood Estates takes the lead with...
10 types of mortgages explained
By Oakwood Estates Team on 4th Apr 2024When getting involved in the property market, there are many technical parts to buying a home. Mortgages can be one of the most complicated steps.
What is a mortgage?
A mortgage is a legal loan agreement...
Your early 2024 property market update
By Oakwood Estates Team on 6th Mar 2024Understanding how the property market is evolving is crucial to making informed property decisions, especially if you’re considering a move. Let’s take a look at how the market has been shaping up so far this year, why it...
Are you upsizing or downsizing?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 6th Mar 2024Are you wanting another bathroom or a larger garden? Have you got empty space you’re wanting to escape from? When choosing your next dream home, you can be faced with all sorts of questions, and we want to ensure you are...
How to spot a home with a good resale value
By Oakwood Estates Team on 6th Mar 2024Before buying a home, you may consider its saleability; after all, it may not be your forever home. You may be interested in bagging a bargain by buying a property that you can add a lot of value to. This can be a good way of...
Why is moving home easier in 2024?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 15th Jan 2024You can move quickly
Homes placed on the UK property market took an average of 34 days to sell in 2023*, this is a little longer than the ferocious pace of previous years. But currently, sales completions are taking...
Why buying now could be a really great move
By Oakwood Estates Team on 18th Dec 2023Timing is often on the minds of many homemovers. You want more. You want to move, but you ask yourself: Is it the right time? This can be for an entire host of reasons, and in many ways, it does not exist. Often, the amount of...
New year, new home, new beginning?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 18th Dec 2023Here we go again! Another new year, another chance to find everything you are looking for in a property. Could 2024 be the year that you have all the right questions answered with a lovely new home?
A new year
...What will the 2024 UK property market look like?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 18th Dec 2023It’s impossible to predict the future completely, so why worry? When homes sell incredibly quickly, this often leads to rapid property price inflation. Right now, the market is stable and not growing rapidly, which makes it a...
Could the property market warm again as Christmas appears on the horizon?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 23rd Oct 2023Now that the entire family has settled back into work or school during September, many people are getting on the move again. Even if you do not have a young family, it can be a bit frantic during the summer as you...
Interesting properties and peaking interest rates
By Oakwood Estates Team on 27th Sep 2023Are interest rates peaking?
Inflation is falling, but with so many fluctuations in interest rates, it can be frustrating trying to plan your future. With inflation falling to 6.8%, lower mortgage rates are on the way.*...
First impressions last. Top tips on increasing your home's kerb appeal
By Oakwood Estates Team on 21st Jun 2023You want your home to stand out, whether it’s first seen by your buyers in an image or from the kerb. That first glance is important. If the rest of your home is in great condition, the last thing you want to do is alienate...
Now is a great time to buy bigger with Oakwood Estates!
By Oakwood Estates Team on 16th May 2023Homes for first-time buyers, typically with two bedrooms, are selling exceptionally well right now. In March 2023, they were just 4% down on 2019, and average asking prices for the same period were down by just £500.*
...Good times for first-time buyers
By Oakwood Estates Team on 20th Apr 2023Taking your first steps on the property ladder can seem quite daunting, with market news constantly changing and figuring out where to start. Therefore, we are here to update you on all the reasons why now is a good time to...
Is springtime a good time to sell your home?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 20th Apr 2023This time of year, has a lot going for it: Easter, lots of chocolate, spring flowers, warmer weather, and if you are on the move, April is the best time to sell your home. In fact, March, April, May, and June are the most...
Would you like to know how to skip a few steps on the property ladder?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 20th Apr 2023Some people say the property ladder is disappearing. Many first-time buyers are no longer satisfied with a flat or humble two-up, two-down starter home. Starting small has traditionally been the beginning for many on their...
Top tips to speed up the time between sale agreed and exchange
By Oakwood Estates Team on 7th Dec 2022Selling your home requires a good amount of patience and persistence, and the process is never as straightforward as it might seem. On average, 34% of transactions fall through before exchange, and this is why some homes take...
Mistakes to avoid when buying a property
By Oakwood Estates Team on 2nd Nov 2022Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a homeowner who’s ready to take another step up the property ladder, buying a house is a big decision, with an equally large scope for making errors. To help you get off to the right...
First-time buyers: What deposit will you need?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 3rd Oct 2022Whether you are thinking about saving for your first house or you have been saving for a while now, the deposit will most likely be the first hurdle on your journey. Here are some of the basics you’ll need to know to help you...
You could increase your home’s value by 16%
By Oakwood Estates Team on 31st Aug 2022Simply improving your property’s EPC rating could be the way forward. This is because many buyers are starting to focus their search on greener, energy-efficient homes.
This new buying trend may partly be the result...
Sales being agreed in the quickest time since 2016
By Oakwood Estates Team on 31st Aug 2022In the last five years, there’s been a 42% drop in how long it takes to accept an offer on the average UK home.* This is a fall from 45 days back in 2016 to a mere 26 days in 2022 – less than a month!
However,...
Will the property market slow down?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 4th Aug 2022The last few years have seen a sharp hike in house prices across the country, but can this rise be sustained? While recent data from the Land Registry shows house prices were up by 12% since April last year, some believe...
1 in 10 homes currently selling within a fortnight
By Oakwood Estates Team on 4th Aug 2022Are you thinking of selling soon? You’re probably wondering how long the process will take. Right now, your chances of achieving a fast sale are strong, despite the recent rise in interest rates.
This is partly...
Soaring demand for chain-free homes
By Oakwood Estates Team on 6th May 2022New figures have revealed that, in the past year, the number of chain-free properties sold has increased by a huge 29%. *
Data from a popular property purchasing specialist has revealed that a total of £28.8...
Five key questions every homebuyer should ask
By Oakwood Estates Team on 7th Apr 2022From assessing your finances to booking a viewing, you have a lot to think about when searching for your dream home. By asking a few key questions, you can be confident you’ve chosen the right property.
Here are...
Three simple ways to speed up your sale
By Oakwood Estates Team on 15th Mar 2022When it comes to selling a property, the small details can make all the difference. While it's easy to spend a lot of money staging your property for showings, you don't have to do so to make it look new.
You can make...
Is now a good time to buy a house?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 21st Feb 2022The pandemic has sparked a dramatic rise in house prices across the country, with properties achieving 10.4% more in December 2021 than they did the previous year. * This is mostly due to a smaller supply of desirable homes...
Prepare your property for a February sale
By Oakwood Estates Team on 19th Jan 2022Christmas is over and 2022 is here!
If you’re preparing to sell your property this year, then you might be unsure about what you need to do beforehand.
Don’t fret, we’re here with a list of top tips to...
Market predictions for the new year
By Oakwood Estates Team on 14th Dec 2021The trio of low mortgage rates, the stamp duty holiday and changes in buyers’ priorities have all contributed to the incredible demand within the housing market in 2021. That is why we’ve managed to see an incredible leap...
Best seller's market in a decade
By Oakwood Estates Team on 14th Dec 2021Over the past year, the housing market has had its fair share of ups and downs.
A lot of people were worried about buying and selling, leaving the market vulnerable at times. Yet despite this, market conditions are...
UK house prices have climbed on average by £25,000 in the past year alone
By Oakwood Estates Team on 10th Nov 2021House prices rose by 10.6% during August, up from 8.5% during July – bringing the average price to £264,000.*
This strong national increase is being fuelled by the perfect storm of high buyer demand combined with low...
The tricks to help you secure your dream home
By Oakwood Estates Team on 10th Nov 2021With Christmas not far off, many homeowners and buyers will now be readying themselves for the new year, new home surge that will inevitably see high demand and interest levels across the UK.
Having spent one last...
What Are First Time Buyers Looking For When Visiting Your Property?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 25th Oct 2021Demand during the pandemic indicates now is a popular time to sell your home, but who is the first-time buyer and what do they want most?
The mortgage crunch has pushed the
Optimal selling conditions following the end of the stamp duty holiday
By Oakwood Estates Team on 18th Oct 2021Autumn is traditionally one of the best times to sell your home, and with demand levels remaining high despite the end of the stamp duty holiday, we're on track for one of the busiest years for sales yet.
Is now a good...Buyers and sellers need to act now to move in time for Christmas
By Oakwood Estates Team on 18th Oct 2021Homeowners up and down the country are preparing for the pre-Christmas rush, and with the demand-supply imbalance still providing sellers with optimal market conditions, it's likely we'll see a lot more sales to come before...
3-bedroom properties in high demand
By Oakwood Estates Team on 19th Aug 2021Property experts from Rightmove are urging homeowners to sell their three-bedroom homes, as high demand leads to an average selling time of just 45 days.
With the summer season well underway, the latest house...
A look at what the stamp duty holiday has led to
By Oakwood Estates Team on 13th Aug 2021Since its launch, the stamp duty holiday has led to phenomenal sales numbers for England's property market, with 50% more transactions in Q1 2021 compared to the previous year, pre-pandemic.*
Now, with the...
How does disrepair impact your property sale?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 12th Aug 2021Throughout the selling process, buyers are looking to assess the extent of the work needed to fix your home to their own standard of living, working out the time and money they may need to invest.
Whilst there...
Why does market activity peak in August?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 7th Aug 2021For the past 12 years, reports show that August has been one of the most popular months for home moving, with a third of movers choosing to buy or sell between June and August.*
Whilst typically homeowners would...
What’s next for the property market?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 4th Aug 2021Having contributed to record-breaking sales numbers over the last year, we consider what's next for the property market following the approaching end of the stamp duty holiday.
For first-time buyers
Post-pandemic predictions for the property market
By Oakwood Estates Team on 19th Jul 2021After 18 months of uncertainty, the UK property market has seen some incredible highs and lows, from the sector closing and reopening last spring, to the impact of the stamp duty holiday on residential transaction levels.
...
How we qualify your buyer so you can understand they’re the best fit for you
By Oakwood Estates Team on 17th Jul 2021Finding the right buyer can save you time, energy and disappointment.
If your chain falls through due to your buyer's financial readiness or uncertainties, you may lose out on other offers as well as the property...
A third of homes sell for over the asking price
By Oakwood Estates Team on 9th Jun 2021One in three properties sold for more than the original asking price in April.*
This has put homeowners looking to move in a better position than ever. What could it mean for you?
Here are a few top tips...
What is the outlook for the housing market?
By Oakwood Estates Team on 26th May 2021Compared to this time last year, the value of homes being sold in the UK has practically doubled in the first 15 weeks.
During this period, around £149 billion pounds worth of property transactions have taken...
What you need to know about the 95% mortgage guarantee scheme
By Oakwood Estates Team on 7th May 2021A new mortgage guarantee scheme was announced this spring, with the goal being to help first-time buyers and aspiring home movers purchase a home with a smaller deposit.
The initiative, which will be available for new...
Residential transactions 23% higher due to stamp duty and vaccine news
By Oakwood Estates Team on 8th Apr 2021February saw a total of 147,050 residential transactions according to HMRC, which is a 23% increase from January’s total and a whopping 48.5% more than February 2020.
The cause of this surge seems to be as a result of...
Mortgage agreements for early 2021 at their highest since the financial crisis
By Oakwood Estates Team on 8th Apr 2021Mortgage approvals have reached a 14-year high, propelled by last year's property market boom.
The Bank of England’s mortgage data from the end of last year shows a 24.2% increase in mortgages agreed compared to the...
Chain-free property listings boom as sellers opt to rent ahead of their next move
By Oakwood Estates Team on 8th Apr 2021Recent data from Rightmove suggests that there has been a sudden increase in the number of chain-free properties listed on the market, due to sellers being more willing to rent before they purchase their next home.
21%...
Good news for first-time buyers as lenders allow smaller deposits
By Oakwood Estates Team on 12th Mar 2021Over the last 12 months, first-time buyers have found it more difficult to move forwards with their purchase plans, as low deposit mortgages became increasingly scarce.
Now that lenders have begun to re-introduce their...
Stamp duty holiday extended by Rishi Sunak until 30th September, using a tapered method
By Oakwood Estates Team on 10th Mar 2021Many home buyers welcome the extension, as the original deadline of the 31st March left them struggling to complete their business.
The extension is predicted to further boost the housing market. The last stamp duty...
The most beautiful homes
By Oakwood Estates Team on 5th Dec 2020Estate agents have seen a high increase of properties with land being sold in 2020 most certainly due to the result of lock down.
Many people who have lived in apartments or properties without outdoor space who never...