Legal news

Downsizing on the way up

Jonathan Winston Jonathan Winston
2 min read

The property market expert Rightmove says that downsizing is the biggest reason for moving home at the present time. It says that it is the biggest factor in nine out of the 10 regions in England and Wales, with 40% looking to trade downwards compared to just 25% who were looking at bigger properties than their own.

Rightmove identifies people who are looking to downsize as largely property rich, but who are short of the ready cash they need to fund lifestyle changes and family commitments, due to, among other things, the high cost of living, low interest rates affecting their savings and poor returns on personal pension investments.

Overall, the company puts the average house price across England and Wales at £243,759, with the number of new properties coming onto the market down 10% on the month before. Rightmove say that market activity has also been adversely affected by some companies increasing their mortgage interest rates and that this, combined with the effects of the economic downturn, is leading to a continuing sluggishness in the sector.

Miles Shipside, director of Rightmove, says the number of people looking to downsize has to be matched by those seeking to trade up for there to be a healthy housing market and added that there needs to be a “fair and consistent wind of mortgage lending to prompt a speedier housing market recovery”.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2147351/Downsize-UK-Property-mar...

Client feedback

I had approached Winston Solicitors for aid about a time-sensitive case. They were very responsive, both through email and phone, and professional. They helped me resolve my case quickly and with ease.
Anonymous
Used Winstons for the conveyancing of my first property. Leasa, Julie and everyone there were very friendly and helpful throughout keeping me updated and chasing with the sellers solicitors. Excellent firm, I would definitely use them again.
Barnabus
I have used Winston Solicitors a couple of times now during a purchase and Sale of a property. Most recently i have used them for the sale and my main contact was Joe Bright. Joe kept me updated through every part of the process and made the selling of the property less stress than it would have been. I would like to thank Joe and the team for their hard work and support in ensuring the property sale when through as efficiently as possible.
Jhangir
We had an excellent experience throughout the entire process. The team was extremely helpful, informative, and kept us updated at every stage. They were very knowledgeable, particularly regarding our funds coming from Romania, and they were thoroughly involved in all the required checks, which gave us great confidence. Communication was clear, timely, and professional, and we always felt well supported. We are very grateful for their dedication and would not hesitate to recommend their services to others.
Aurora
We have just used Winston Solicitors for any sale which went very well but the purchase had a few problems and took longer than expected but with the help of Sam and her team we finally got there. Sam was very good any problems we had were dealt with correctly and straight away acted on which was good professional work always. We would definitely use them again and recommend them.
Michael
I was highly recommended to this firm, though initially I was hesitant to work with someone so far away. Any doubts I had, however, were quickly dispelled—everything progressed satisfactorily.Throughout the process, Monika and her team were highly professional and kept me informed online at every stage. Their work was carried out efficiently and to our satisfaction.Thank you, Monika, for your outstanding support throughout this process. I will definitely reach out to you and Winston Solicitors again for any future needs.Sid
Sid
I recently used Winston Solicitors for the puchace of a new house and I don't have anything other than positive things to say obout the service. Olivia was always availble when I needed to get in touch for updates, either by phone or email. The level of customer service really shone through and that's what I would say made the difference. I'd have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone who is looking for a conveyencing solicitor.
Matt
My family and I had a great experience with Winston’s. The staff are friendly, efficient, and answer emails in a timely fashion. Monika who dealt with our case was approachable and explained things in a way that was easy for the lay person to understand. She also kept us updated regularly, which was appreciated.
Catherine
Contact us