Ed Mead

Why now could be the time to buy a bigger house

If you’re looking to size up, a falling market is your friend

  • From Spectator Life
[Credit: iStock]

The vast majority of people who move home do so because they need more space. In the good old days, the late 1970s, people moved often – on average every three years. The average is now nearer two decades (you can thank stamp duty for that).

The same time period has seen a growing obsession in Britain about the value of our homes. If the value’s going up it feels good; if it’s going down we despair. But this has led to something of a blind spot about the advantages of a falling market to those wanting a bigger home.

My experience is that many miss out on this advantage as they attempt to ‘call’ the market and wait for the very best deal to fall into their lap

A tough market is the best time to trade up. Buying a bigger (and more expensive) property will entail a bigger stretch if values are rising.

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