Latest Property News - Skitts Estate Agents

Details: Published: 01 July 2025

Let us play devil’s advocate for a moment.

We’re told that giving buyers everything up front — floorplans, video tours, drone footage, high-res images of every corner, right down to the boiler cupboard — is the way forward. “Transparency!” they say. “Efficiency! Convenience!”

But here’s the uncomfortable question no one seems to be asking:

Is showing absolutely everything online actually putting people off?

Because in 5 decades of selling homes, one thing’s remained absolutely true — people don’t buy with their heads. They buy with their hearts.

Too Much Info, Not Enough Imagination

Let’s be honest. When you give buyers 40 photos, a video walkthrough, a floorplan, a plot map, and a virtual tour, what do they do?

They sit at home and pick holes in it.

“The lounge is a bit narrow.”

“Not sure about the tiles in the kitchen.”

“Garden looks like it slopes a bit.”

“All the bedrooms are on the small side.”

“Oh, and there’s no pantry.”

And just like that, they swipe past a home they might have fallen in love with if they’d only stepped through the front door.

Are we creating a generation of home-buyers who are filtering out the “maybes” before their feet ever hit a hallway. It’s like online dating — too many filters, and you’re left single at 50 wondering why you said no to someone because they didn’t like dogs or listed “jazz” as a hobby.

Homes Aren’t Bought on Paper

Here’s the truth: most people end up buying a house that wasn’t exactly what they were looking for. It didn’t tick every box on the wish list. It wasn’t always in the perfect location. But it felt right.

It had that something — the light through the kitchen window, the way the garden felt private, or the fact that their toddler made a beeline for the under-stairs cupboard and called it “his den.”

You can’t capture that in a JPEG. You can’t bottle it in a floorplan.

And when buyers only judge a property from a phone screen, they miss the magic. The feeling. The potential. The human side of the process.

But What About Investors?

Of course, investors are a different beast. They want numbers, not nostalgia. Floor area, rental yield, roof condition. Show them the EPC and a spreadsheet, and they’re off.

But the average buyer — the couple looking for their first home, the growing family moving up the ladder, the retired couple looking to downsize — they’re buying with their gut. Not a calculator.

And maybe, just maybe, we’re making it too easy for them to say “no” before they’ve even had a chance to say “hmm… maybe.”

So What’s the Answer?

We’re not saying we should go back to one photo and a vague description that reads “three-bed, must be seen.” We’ve come too far for that.

But maybe we need to leave a little to the imagination. Maybe we don’t need 36 photos of the ensuite. Maybe we could give just enough information to spark curiosity — not kill it.

Because the goal isn’t to get someone to see a house.

The goal is to get them to feel something about it.

And that still happens best when they walk through the door, smell the fresh coffee (or the slightly overenthusiastic plug-in), and see themselves living there.

Not just when they’re scrolling on the loo.

Details: Published: 25 June 2025

Over the past five years, Wolverhampton's private rental market has experienced a significant growth in rents. The average monthly rent has increased from £676 in 2020 to £1,050 in 2025, representing a 55% rise.

These local trends are interesting when compared with the national picture, where the average monthly rent increased from £1,331 in 2020 to £1,803 in 2025, a rise of 35%. Regionally, in the West Midlands, the rent rose from £808 to £1,087, a 34% increase.

Yet, as affordability tightens, some landlords who were too optimistic with their pricing have been forced to reduce their asking rents; 24% of rental listings across the UK experienced price adjustments in 2025 alone. Despite this, tenants in Wolverhampton are now paying substantially more than they were just five years ago.

Next, let’s look at the supply of rental properties in Wolverhampton over the last five years. Even though the level of rental listings coming onto the market has increased (which bucks the national trend), demand has still outstripped supply as rents have increased.

Wolverhampton averaged new rental listings each month in 2020 - 245
Wolverhampton averaged new rental listings each month in 2021 - 230
Wolverhampton averaged new rental listings each month in 2022 - 244
Wolverhampton averaged new rental listings each month in 2023 - 224
Wolverhampton averaged new rental listings each month in 2024 - 235
Wolverhampton averaged new rental listings each month in 2025 - 264

Seasonal trends are also notable. Rental supply tends to peak in late spring and early autumn, with October being particularly strong (because of the student market), while winter months, especially December, show the lowest levels. This cyclical pattern was disrupted during the pandemic but has since resumed, albeit with generally lower volumes.

The current imbalance of limited supply and high demand has tightened the market. Nationally, rental availability remains more than 25% below pre-pandemic levels.

In Wolverhampton, agents continue to report strong tenant demand, though the frenzy seen in 2022 and 2023 has calmed somewhat. Listings still attract multiple enquiries, particularly due to the city’s affordability relative to nearby towns and other cities. Low vacancy rates persist, and while the supply/demand gap may be narrowing slightly, it remains significant.

Analysts estimate that 50,000 more rental homes are needed nationwide each year to restore pre-2020 availability. Until that gap closes, upward pressure on rents in citys like Wolverhampton is likely to continue. While the scale of rental increases is expected to moderate compared to previous years, I am forecasting a further 3% to 4% rental growth in 2025.

Details: Published: 22 June 2025

At first glance, that number stands out. More homes. More choice. But that's only half the story. Although the number of properties for sale locally has increased since 2022, the number of homes selling has also increased.

Nationally, regionally and locally in Wolverhampton, activity is up, prices are fluid, and buyer behaviour is evolving. This isn't just a market with more homes for sale; it's a market on the move. If you're buying, selling or just watching from the sidelines, the first half of 2025 has delivered some telling trends that every Wolverhampton homeowner needs to understand.

Year-to-Date - the number of agreed UK property sales as of Sunday, June 8 2025, was 6% higher than a year ago. Breaking those statistics down even further, as of Sunday, June 8 2025, 580,191 UK homes had been sold subject to contract (STC) compared to 535,183 as of the same date in 2024. It's essential to note that 2024 marked an improvement over 2023, with the number of homes sold reaching 486,035.

Next, we want to examine May in isolation nationally and compare it with other recent Mays.

Let us start with the number of sales agreed nationally.

May 2023 - 98,609 sales agreed

May 2024 - 114,452 sales agreed

May 2025 - 121,665 sales agreed

Now, let's examine the average national selling prices.

The average UK selling price was £368,649 in May 2023, £369,615 in May 2024, and £372,664 in May 2025 – a modest rise of 1.1% over the two years.

The £ per square foot is another method of observing house price changes. The pound per square foot has risen by 3.25% over the last two years, climbing from £338 (in May 2023) to £343 (in May 2024) and £349 in May 2025 (which is in line with the primary house price indicators).

Next, we want to look at every UK region. Each region has seen an increase in the number of properties selling (SSTC) in May 2025 compared to May 2024 and May 2023:

East Anglia: Up 7.3% since May 2024 and up 27.8% since May 2023
East Midlands: Up 7.1% since May 2024 and up 30.7% since May 2023
London: Up 0.7% since May 2024 and up 15.1% since May 2023
North East: Up 7.1% since May 2024 and up 24.5% since May 2023
North West: Up 9.7% since May 2024 and up 27.1% since May 2023
Northern Ireland: Up 1.3% since May 2024 and up 14.3% since May 2023
Scotland: Up 8.2% since May 2024 and up 22.6% since May 2023
South East: Up 4.7% since May 2024 and up 20.7% since May 2023
South West: Up 4.8% since May 2024 and up 16.9% since May 2023
Wales: Up 12.7% since May 2024 and up 25.1% since May 2023
West Midlands: Up 5.7% since May 2024 and up 28.0% since May 2023
Yorkshire & Humber: Up 8.2% since May 2024 and up 26.3% since May 2023

Finally, it’s essential to look at the supply of property (i.e. the number of homes for sale).

Nationally, we have seen an increase in properties for sale (756,675 in May 2025 versus 694,281 in May 2024 and 605,006 in May 2023).

Now we need to delve deeper into the Wolverhampton property market statistics.

Details: Published: 11 June 2025

How do you beat those odds?

When most people decide to put their Wolverhampton home on the market, they assume one thing.

That it will sell.

After all, why wouldn’t it? You instruct an estate agent, the board goes up, photos appear on the portals and viewings get booked and offers made. Simples!

Except it is not.

Because what most Wolverhampton homeowners never get told is the real probability of you selling and moving. Looking at every Wolverhampton estate agent…

Over the last two years, your chances of selling and moving your Wolverhampton home have been 64.9%.

The remaining 35.1% of homes (i.e. over 3 in 10) failed to sell, withdrawing from the market unsold.

(Wolverhampton WV1/2/3/4/6/10/11).

And those chances vary massively, property to property.

At the end of the day though, whether you sell your home or not almost always comes down to two things. The marketing of your home and its pricing. Every property is unique. Its location, condition, layout, presentation and even timing all play a part and so the marketing of the home needs to be bespoke as does its asking price. Interestingly, we were asked recently if the price band of a property made any difference to the home’s saleability. One would think it shouldn’t, yet the figures tell a different story.

Let us share with you what we found about the Wolverhampton property market and the chances of getting your home sold (and moved), split down by price band.

Two Outcomes to Putting Your Wolverhampton Home on the Market. That’s it.

Let’s start with something simple. When you list your home for sale, there are only two possible outcomes:

You exchange contracts, complete the house sale and move home.
You withdraw the property unsold.

Everything else is noise.

So, we have looked at the data for every Wolverhampton property that has left every Wolverhampton estate agent’s book over the last two years. Then calculated how many have successfully sold (& exchanged and completed) verses how many were withdrawn and never sold.

The results are eye opening.

Details: Published: 05 June 2025

If you are a Wolverhampton homeowner or landlord and considering selling your Wolverhampton property soon, you may have wondered how long it will take to find a buyer and sell.

The time it takes to sell a home varies depending on location, property type, price range, bedrooms, and market conditions. For interested Wolverhampton property owners, we have compiled the latest data and statistics for the 767 Wolverhampton homes that have sold stc in the last 3 months, split down by type (detached houses, semi-detached homes, terraced houses, and flats) and bedrooms to give you a clear picture.

The overall average is 42 days, split by type.

Of the 166 Wolverhampton detached homes sold (stc) in the last 3 months, the average time from coming onto the market to sale agreed was 69 days.

Of the 385 Wolverhampton semi-detached homes sold (stc) in the last 3 months, the average time from coming onto the market to sale agreed was 29 days.

Of the 96 Wolverhampton terraced/town houses sold (stc) in the last 3 months, the average time from coming onto the market to sale agreed was 39 days.

Of the 100 Wolverhampton flats/apartments sold (stc) in the last 3 months, the average time from coming onto the market to sale agreed was 69 days.

Note: The sales numbers don't add up precisely to the total mentioned earlier. That's because some properties fall outside the four main categories of detached, semi-detached, terraced and flat/apartments), such as mobile homes, commercial units, land, and building plots.