Some tips for selling a property in Doncaster in the current market
The Doncaster property market has had its fair share of problems in recent years. If you need a quick house sale in the town, you need a comprehensive approach to marketing and a competitive asking price. This guide to the local property market in Doncaster contains tips and advice to help you find a buyer for your property as quickly as possible.
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House prices in Doncaster have been lagging behind those in most other areas of England in recent years, and recent house price growth has been relatively stagnant. So if you need to sell a house fast in Doncaster, you will need to do everything you can to make your home attractive to a broad range of potential buyers. Alternatively, you can bypass the open market completely by selling your property quickly with our help. We work with wealthy investors who are ready to make an offer on your home and buy houses in any condition.
Why do you need a competitive asking price when selling houses in Doncaster?
The Doncaster property market has suffered a torrid time in recent years, and local homeowners have been forced to watch helplessly as the asset’s value tumbled for several years. According to the Thisismoney website, Doncaster property values in 2014 were lower than 10 years previously. Incredibly, at this time, you could buy a large, three-bedroom house for less than £70,000 – and the average price for a family home in Doncaster during 2014 was well below £100,000. Average house prices in South Yorkshire were around £120,000 in 2007, but they currently stand at around £100,000 in 2015. This area of England suffers from chronic house price stagnation and decline, so you will need to be realistic with the initial asking price you set.
Doncaster’s house buyers are susceptible to price, and setting your initial asking price too high will price your home out of the local market. To ascertain what represents a sensible asking price for your area of the town, research into recent sold house prices will be necessary. This essential research is often the responsibility of an estate agent. But whether you are going it alone on the open market or you want to check your agent’s valuation makes sense, you can research sold house prices in Doncaster yourself on the Rightmove website. Government data on property transaction statistics are available via The Land Registry web portal. Zoopla allows you to enter your postcode to access house sales data for a particular street in Doncaster.
Adopt an all-encompassing approach to marketing when house selling in Doncaster
There is little doubt that the next few years will be tough on people who already own a home in Doncaster. Stagnating demand and prolonged house price growth is depressing the entire market. According to an article on the Yorkshire Post website in December 2014, prices for houses for sale in Doncaster in Yorkshire may rise at half that rate projected for national house price growth. Detached houses, in particular, are proving incredibly difficult to sell in Doncaster. According to the Home website, the average detached house in Doncaster took 211 days to sell in September 2014, but 232 days in September 2015. These statistics show that more and more local people are finding it difficult to get on the property market or upgrade their existing houses. As a result, you will need a comprehensive marketing strategy to attract a dwindling number of prospective buyers to property viewings at your home.
Many people are deciding to sell a house without an estate agent to save on the cost of commission. However, the Doncaster property market is probably not the best market in which to do this. Selling privately might save you some money in the short term, but you might harm the price potential of your home unless you have the time, know-how and marketing contacts to fulfil your home’s price potential. Estate agents with houses for sale in Doncaster can charge handsomely for their services, but they deliver a huge range of benefits that will often increase the final selling price achieved.
Unfortunately, not even the best estate agent in the area will be able to provide you with any guarantees in such a volatile market, even if you try selling online via an internet estate agent.
Is there a profitable time of year to sell a house quickly in Doncaster?
Most property professionals agree that the time of year at which a house is sold does not directly impact the sale price it achieves. Of course, the number of buyers around can peak at particular times of the year. Still, there is very little evidence to suggest that the prevailing season affects average selling prices whatsoever. Surprisingly, December was the busiest month to June 2015 for completed house sales in Doncaster. This is surprising given that most people are preoccupied with Christmas at this time of year – and it suggests the market is still in a state of flux. If you are determined to use the prevailing season to your advantage, make some seasonal changes to your home’s decor, layout and features in line with buyers’ priorities. This won’t necessarily increase the final sale price you achieve, but it might help you find a buyer more quickly.
What are the issues that have the potential to increase house prices in Doncaster?
The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster is a large area, and there are many different property markets within it. So while you might have been discouraged by the news of stagnating house prices in Doncaster generally, it is a good idea to check what is happening in your particular area of Doncaster, as there is a chance that house prices may have been outperforming the town average in recent years. For instance, property values in Bawtry and Tickhill have been rising faster than they have in the area as a whole. Use Rightmove and Zoopla to ascertain what is happening in your street before making any house selling decisions.
There are always several issues that can increase house prices in a particular area, and knowing about them will help you tailor your marketing strategy accordingly. For instance, if a school with consistently good OFSTED reports is in your area, you might want to target buyers with children to secure a premium for your property. Living in an area with low crime rates might also work in your favour when you decide to sell a house in Doncaster. Among the many local issues that might influence house prices is the regeneration of Doncaster town centre.
About the town of Doncaster
Doncaster is a market town located in the ceremonial county of South Yorkshire. The town is the centre of the larger Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, including several outlying towns and villages. When all of these smaller settlements are considered, the population of the borough is well over 300,000 – although the population of Doncaster itself is just 77,000.
Doncaster rose to prominence during the 18th century with coal mining. The waterways in this part of England made the entire region hugely important to the economic success of an industrialising Britain. Thanks to the central location of Doncaster, and its proximity to several good road links, the town has become a major centre for distribution. One of the largest distribution centres in the area is the Doncaster International Railport. There are also major logistics depots for Next, Amazon and Tesco in the area. Several regeneration projects in Doncaster in recent years have transformed the look and prosperity of the town. As well as the town being granted Fairtrade status, the building of Education City and the extension of the Frenchgate Centre have breathed new life into Doncaster.
Things to do in Doncaster
If you want to explore the beautiful countryside and get a taste of local history at the same time, make sure you visit Brodsworth Hall and Gardens during your time in Doncaster. You can also enjoy the unique combination of a garden centre and a steam engine museum at Markham Grange Steam Museum. Have a flutter at the prestigious Doncaster racecourse, or check out the huge range of artworks and exhibits at Doncaster’s Museum and Art Gallery. Or, if you have a love of flora, make sure you take a stroll around Walker’s Nurseries, which is filled with exotic flowers and displays that are filled with colour. A great day out for all the family is at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, or you can explore the history of RAF aircraft at the Aeroventure museum. A range of activities, including swimming, table tennis and ice skating, can be enjoyed at The Dome Leisure Centre.
