The Southwest of England has long been an idyllic landing spot for people on the property market – particularly those with a decent chunk of cash. Second only to London by many accounts, homes in the Southwest average out to be among the most valuable in the UK. With average prices at over £350,000, the bar for entry is quite high.
In equal measure, however, the amount that can be gained from selling and moving to another part of the country is high as a result. Still, it might not be this potential to pocket extra cash that’s driving a seen surplus of houses on the market. By some measures, demand isn’t even half as high as the stock of homes for sale in the Southwest.
What is it that’s driving this influx of houses hitting the market in the Southwest, and what does it mean for the region overall?
People Not Living Here Selling Up
Source: Unsplash
While there are many properties for sale in the Southeast, Wales, and London, the Southwest trumps them all as of mid-March. The biggest difference between these regions is the number of second home owners. With the exception of London, the Southwest has the highest percentage of second homes without usual residents.
The 2021 Census found that over one percent, or 1.3 percent, of all dwellings were second homes without people living there usually. London stands second for the most second homes in the country, with nearly 25,000 being worth over £11.5 billion combined. The Southwest, however, boasts by far the most by 2024 figures.
Research into the UK’s second home market – which doesn’t factor in how much the second homes are used – found that 21 percent of the nation’s total second homes are in the Southwest. As a result, when markets swing and change, the properties are more susceptible to being put on the market as they’re not essential for living.
Over the last few months, the market has changed quite drastically, even while southwest house prices have remained high. Still, as shown by the for-sale surplus, it’s not easy to sell a property. Given the 162-day average for a Bournemouth house being on the market and the congestion right now, sellers turn to alternate options.
These alternate options step around the active housing market and shed the difficulties of a chain. The best way to sell a house fast in Bournemouth in 2025 right now is via a cash offer. It’s faster, doesn’t rely on selling in a very open market, and doing so has the platform deal with all of the time-consuming technicalities.
Moving on due to Rule Changes
Source: Pexels
As one of the many high-profile switches to the rules of the housing market, the new Labour government introduced the option for councils to enforce a greater council tax on second home owners. This wasn’t a trifling bump, either. Now, UK councils can apply double tax on second home owners.
In England, from April 2025, this has second homeowners paying twice the amount of council tax. With this in mind, it’s not a surprise that there was such a rush of homes hitting the market in the Southwest through the opening months of the year.
Naturally, several councils opted to bring in this tax. In the Southwest, given the sheer number of second home owners and the well-known local demand, it makes sense to take this opportunity. Hopefully, this drive to sell homes in the Southwest results in more locals finding somewhere nearby to live.
