Considering moving homes in 2022? Here's everything house-hunters need to know!

A new year marks new beginnings, and for some people that means finding somewhere new to live. Due to the UK property market being extremely frantic last year, many house hunters put off their home searches until 2022.

Although we can never truly predict what will happen with the housing market, it is good to be aware of what to expect in terms of house prices and any guidance on buying and selling.
RightMove has compiled a list of advice for people looking to move homes this year – here’s everything you should know.

The unpredictable market that we’ve witnessed over the last 18 months tends to happen only a few times during most home owner’s lifetimes, according Rightmove’s property expert Tim Bannister. Last year’s frenzied market mainly came as a result of the pandemic, where lockdown led to homes becoming more of a priority in peoples lives. “As 2021 draws to a close, we expect to see a ‘closer to normal’ housing market in 2022 — albeit still a busy one,” Tim said.

“Property valuation requests from home-owners have increased, which is a great sign there will be more homes available to buy and while Covid continues to have an ever-changing impact, we’re starting to see signs of a return to traditional norms, including seasonal fluctuations in house prices. We’re used to seeing a dip in asking prices in December, as home-hunters put moving plans off until after the Christmas festivities.”

2021 was described as a ‘seller’s market’, where demand for homes outweighed the supply of properties available – this is expected to continue into 2022, so there’s no need to worrying about your current home not selling. “If you do decide to sell your home in the new year, your chances of a finding a buyer are very high, as we’re still seeing huge levels of buyer demand, and not enough homes available to buy,” says Tim. “Despite this month’s seasonal price fall, we expect asking prices to rise by another 5% in 2022. However, it’s really important to set the right asking price. Despite high demand, buyers will have limits to what they can afford or are prepared to pay. Good local estate agents can help, as they can share their evidence for setting and justifying the right asking price.”

If you’ve already begun looking on Rightmove for properties available, you’ll have noticed there aren’t a great deal currently on the market. But, Tim reassures house hunters that 2022 is looking more promising. The good news is there should be some fresh property choice coming to market in 2022, as ‘new year resolution sellers’ look to take advantage of the traditional Boxing Day bounce in buyer demand,” he said. “In fact, we’ve seen property valuation requests on Rightmove jump by 19% compared to this time a year ago, which is a strong sign that previously hesitant sellers are now looking to make a move.”