Home buyers are a fickle bunch. One moment they’re keen to book viewings, the next their head is turned by something else. And this summer is proving to be one of the most distracting of all.
It was Rightmove who called it in July, when reflecting why activity in the market was down. The portal claimed this summer’s buyers were being sidetracked by sunshine, football and political change.
Who can blame them? The World Cup captured our attention. It lasted more than five weeks and presented a difficult set of viewing times.
Then there have been back-to-back heatwaves. The sky high temperatures have left people either too lethargic to move or in their element at home, behind the BBQ or floating in the paddling pool. Rightmove was able to correlate buying malaise with high temperatures. It observed that the first heatwave in May caused a temporary 8% drop in demand from buyers. June’s heatwave caused a 6% dip, followed by a 4% drop during the July heatwave.
Capping off July was the arrival of Andy Burnham at No 10 Downing Street. With no other contender in the leadership race, the dissection of his past political thoughts started long before he became Prime Minister. And the jury is out. Rumours surrounding the scrapping of stamp duty have been enough to put the brakes on the sales market. It’s highly likely some moving plans are on pause until the Autumn Budget.
If you are trying to sell your home, this trio of distractions will have dented your sales chances – and it showed in Rightmove’s July house price index. The data revealed asking prices took a huge -1% hit in the last month.
In monetary terms, sellers asked £3,832 less in July when compared to June, leaving the UK’s average asking price at £372,359. More importantly, we should put the -1% drop into context. Asking prices do usually decrease in July but the 10-year average is just -0.2%.
Sellers are also working hard to secure a sale this summer due to choice. Rightmove added that the supply of homes for sale is close to a 12-year high for this time of year. In contrast, the number of sales agreed from January to June 2026 was 6% lower than the same period in 2025.
We’re now firmly in the six week school summer holiday – traditionally the quietest sales period of them all. If viewings have run dry but you need to sell fast, consider a sale to a professional cash buyer like Open Property Group.
Our team isn’t on vacation this summer. We’re not sipping drinks around the pool or packing suitcases. We’re here in our Gerrards Cross office, answering the phone, replying to emails and providing cash offers to sellers who need to exchange and complete this summer.
We are a guarantee buyer when everyone else has opted out. We’ll make a cash offer for every type of property. Poor condition? Short lease? Sitting tenants? HMO? Threat of repossession? We buy all these property types. What’s more, you could have your sale wrapped up before summer ends.
Buyers have definitely switched their out of office on but can you wait until September to get your sale going? Open Property Group is actively buying now. We typically offer:
Use our online form to request your free cash offer and we’ll provide you with our market value. If your sale is more complex or you’d like to speak to a real human, get in touch. We’re focused on successful sales, no summer high jinx.
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