Are you thinking about selling your property?

Rural View has become a highly regarded agency with a reputation for successfully selling property including country houses across South Wiltshire, North Dorset, South Somerset and West Hampshire.

Our approach to selling property

Our approach is simple: to provide an excellent service involving the most extensive, good quality marketing and to handle all our country property sales with integrity and a friendly, personal touch. We look after our clients as we ourselves would want to be looked after, which after all should be the basis of any good service.

It is a source of considerable pride that much of our business comes from personal recommendation. Former clients and customers have been generous in their praise and testimonials which has culminated in our being shortlisted for the ESTAS 2014, the property World’s equivalent of the BAFTAs.

We are members of the National Association of Estate Agents and the Property Ombudsman Scheme both of which promote strict procedures, high standards of practice and regulation.

Viewings of rural properties

We carry out viewings ourselves, keeping our clients constantly updated on activity and feedback. Offers are negotiated intuitively and with integrity and we go the extra mile to ensure that each individual property sale runs as smoothly as possible using our considerable experience and professionalism to achieve a more than satisfactory conclusion.

If you are considering selling property in the foreseeable future please contact us for a free and discreet market appraisal. We would be delighted to hear from you.

Wiltshire State Primary Schools

Alderbury & West Grimstead Church of England Primary School

All Saints (VA) Church of England Primary School, Netheravon

Amesbury Archer Primary School, Amesbury

Amesbury Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Amesbury

Bemerton St John Church of England Aided Primary School, Salisbury

Bitham Brook Primary School, Westbury

Bratton Primary School, Bratton

Broadchalke Church of England Primary School, Broadchalke, Salisbury

Bulford St Leonard’s Church of England (VA) Primary School, Bulford

Chapmanslade Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Westbury

Chilmark and Fonthill Bishop Church of England Aided Primary School, Salisbury

Christ The King Catholic School, Amesbury

Churchfields The Village School, Atworth, Melksham

Clarendon Infants School, Tidworth

Coombe Bissett Church of England Primary School, Salisbury

Crockerton Church of England Primary School, Warminster

Dauntsey Academy Primary School, West Lavington

Dilton Marsh Church of England Primary School, Westbury

Dinton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Salisbury

Downton Church of England (VA) Primary School, Downton

Durrington All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Infants’ School, Durrington

Durrington Church of England Controlled Junior School, Durrington

Easton Royal Community Primary School, Pewsey

Figheldean St Michael’s Church of England Primary School, Salisbury

Gomeldon Primary School, Salisbury

Great Bedwyn Church of England School, Marlborough

Great Wishford Church of England (VA) Primary School, Salisbury

Greentrees Primary School, Salisbury

Grove Primary School, Trowbridge

Harnham Church of England Controlled Junior School, Salisbury

Harnham Infant School, Salisbury

Heytesbury Church of England Primary School, Warminster

Hilperton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Trowbridge

Hindon Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Mary’s and St John’s, Salisbury

Holbrook Primary School, Trowbridge

Holt Voluntary Controlled School, Trowbridge

Horningsham Primary School, Warminster

Keevil Church of England Primary School, Trowbridge

Kiwi Primary School, Bulford, Salisbury

Larkhill Primary School, Salisbury

Longford Church of England Primary School, Salisbury

Ludgershall Castle Primary School, Andover

Ludwell Community Primary School, Ludwell

Manor Fields Primary School, Salisbury

Mere School

Morgan’s Vale and Woodfalls Church of England (VA) Primary School, Downton

New Close Community School, Warminster

Newton Tony Church of England Voluntary Aided School, Salisbury

Newtown Community Primary School, Trowbridge

North Bradley Church of England Primary School, Trowbridge

Old Sarum Primary School, Salisbury

Paxcroft Primary School, Trowbridge

Pembroke Park Primary School, Salisbury

Pitton Church of England Primary School, Salisbury

Princecroft Primary School, Warminster

St Andrew’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Salisbury

St Barnabas Church of England School, Market Lavington

St George’s Catholic Primary School, Warminster

St George’s Church of England Primary School, Semington Trowbridge

St John’s Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, Trowbridge)

St John’s Church of England Primary School, Tisbury

St John’s Church of England School, Warminster

St Mark’s Church of England Junior School, Salisbury

St Martin’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Salisbury

St Nicholas Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Porton, Salisbury

St Osmund’s Catholic Primary School, Salisbury

St Thomas à Becket Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Tilshead, Salisbury

Sarum St Pauls Church of England Primary School, Salisbury

Semley Church of England Voluntary Aised Primary School, Semley

Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Salisbury

Southwick Church of England Primary School, Trowbridge

Staverton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Trowbridge

Stratford-sub-Castle Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Salisbury

Studley Green Primary School, Trowbridge

Sutton Veny Church of England Primary School, Warminster

The Avenue Primary School and Early Years Centre, Warminster

The Mead Community Primary School, Trowbridge

The Minster Church of England Primary School, Warminster

The New Forest Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Nomansland and Landford, Salisbury

Trowbridge Longmeadow Primary School

Walwayne Court School, Trowbridge

Wardour Catholic Primary School, Salisbury

Warminster Sambourne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Warminster

West Ashton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Trowbridge

Westbury Church of England Primary School. Westbury

Westbury Infant School, Westbury

Westbury Leigh Church of England Primary School, Westbury

Whiteparish All Saints Church of England Primary School, Salisbury

Whitesheet Church of England (VA) Primary School, Warminster

Wilton and Barford Church of England Primary School, Salisbury

Winterbourne Earls Church of England Primary School, Salisbury

Winterslow Church of England Aided Primary School, Salisbury

Woodford Valley Church of England Aided School, Salisbury

Woodlands Primary School, Salisbury

Wootton Bassett Infant School

Wylye Valley Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Warminster

Wyndham Park Infants’ School, Salisbury

Zouch Primary School, Tidworth

Wiltshire State Secondary Schools

Avon Valley College, (Durrington)

The Clarendon College, (Trowbridge)

Kingdown School, (Warminster)

Matravers School, (Westbury)

The John of Gaunt School, (Trowbridge)

Lavington School, (Market Lavington)

Matravers School, (Westbury)

Sarum Academy, (Salisbury)

St Augustine’s Catholic College, (Trowbridge)

St Edmund’s Girls’ School, Salisbury

St Joseph’s Catholic School, (Salisbury)

The Stonehenge School, (Amesbury)

The Trafalgar School at Downton, (Downton)

Warminster Kingdown, (Warminster)

The Wellington Academy, (Tidworth)

Wyvern College, (Salisbury)

Wiltshire Grammar Schools

Bishop Wordsworth’s Church of England Grammar School, (selective, Salisbury)

South Wilts Grammar School for Girls, (selective, Salisbury)

Wiltshire Independent Primary/Prep Schools

Chafyn Grove School, (Salisbury)

Leaden Hall, Salisbury

Salisbury Cathedral School, (Salisbury)

Wiltshire Independent Schools

Belmont School, (non selective, Salisbury)

Dauntsey’s School, (non selective, West Lavington, Devizes)

The Godolphin School, (selective, Salisbury)

Leehurst Swan School, (selective, Salisbury)

St Mary’s School, (selective, Calne)

Tisbury School, (selective, Tisbury)

Tumblewood Community School, (non selective, Westbury)

Warminster School, (selective, Warminster)

Special Schools

Larkrise School, (Trowbridge)

Exeter House School, (Salisbury)

The UK market is highly localised and as regional village and country property specialists we are well placed to gauge movement in this area. Our intuition ties in with other professionals and bodies, being that the UK market as a whole is set to improve in 2014 and beyond, and that our region is set to similarly grow in terms of price rises and transaction levels.

There has been a marked increase in first time buyers to the market, prompted by Help to Buy and low interest rates. Local new starts are increasing but there is not enough to satisfy demand, resulting in many first time buyers opting to purchase existing homes and onward demand thus being created in our particular market place.

Mortgage finance remains low and is likely to edge up in the latter part of 2014, if not 2015. This will slow the pace of house price rises. However, the UK housing market ended 2013 strongly with mortgage lending rising by 30% in November, according to industry figures, with total borrowing for the year set to exceed expectations and this will continue into 2014.

Improved sentiment, mortgage availability and rising prices will see more sales holding together and Rightmove predicts a 13% transaction improvement nationally on only a 2% listing increase, while RICS forecasts 1.2m sales across the country in 2014, up from 1.05m in 2013.
Our core patch of South Wiltshire, North Dorset, South Somerset and West Hampshire remains a desirable place to live. This will continue to place pressure on the supply of good family houses and will underpin values. We therefore feel it is likely that we will see price rises in this region of around 4-6% in 2014 with slightly increased listing levels, and completed transactions to still improve further. All around 2014 look to be an exciting year in this neck of the woods.

So the festivities are over, the cat has had the turkey and those of us who have relinquished the sofa will be fighting back to normality, having resolved to change our lives for the better.

The Christmas break is when families to come together and discussions at this time often concern what the forthcoming year might bring, including house moves. More elderly parents may be thinking of downsizing, or being gently pressed by their children to do so. Aspirational moves may be toyed with, and timescales will be mooted.

For motivated sellers, the most obvious time to put their property on the market would be the Spring, when bulbs are erupting, and the first hint of green is appearing on the trees. From now on the countryside will only get better until late May/early June when it is considered to be in its prime. But with everyone thinking similar thoughts the competition among properties for sale is often fierce.

The first few months of the year are, let’s face it, pretty depressing and all most of us want to do is hunker down, Moley and Ratty style until the first shoots start to appear. However there is a strong case, especially this year, for launching your property early.

Firstly, because of the late start to the market last year, many sales chains were not completed until the Autumn/early Winter, meaning that numbers of proceedable buyers emerged late in the day. Many of them are still around now, having negotiated delayed completions or decided to rent for six months. These are very motivated buyers, though, and they will be frustrated to have to wait several months before viewing fresh property again.

Secondly, more demand than supply will mean that an agreed sale on your house is more likely and you will be in a strong position to search confidently when the market truly kicks off.

Thirdly, improving conditions and market sentiment means that we can use the lack of competition as a more effective lever in achieving the best possible price for you.

The early bird is always there to catch the worm, but important consideration also has to be given to effective marketing. Presentation is key and waiting for external shots on a crisp winter’s morning is just as crucial as capturing those blue sky moments in the summer. Light filled interiors and blazing fires can be just as appealing as full trees and colourful beds.

So if conversations over Christmas touched on a house move this year, don’t dismiss jumping earlier than convention has always suggested, because this year especially you may just steal that valuable yard on those who wait.

The ideal way to put an estate agent in a dilemma at this time of year is to ask whether as a prospective rural house seller, you should put your home on the market now or to wait until the spring. The reason for the estate agent’s discomfort is that he is more than likely to be desperately short of properties to sell as the year nears its end and would very much welcome some fresh instructions but at the same time knowing that spring is the more usual time to be thinking of launching a sales campaign when the market is traditionally more active.

There are certainly disadvantages in trying to sell a house in December; one of the primary ones being that unless one had the forethought to take them back in the summer, it is more difficult to capture those essential flattering photographs with the low winter sun (when it deigns to appear) being available for only a short time and casting long shadows.

Gardens and the countryside are without doubt less colourful although they are not necessarily completely devoid of interest all together and on a bright winter’s day can be lovely. Frosty or snowbound shots are best avoided and like daffodil filled gardens in March, can date a photograph very quickly although a good estate agent will update seasonal shots at the earliest opportunity.

The other thing of course is that there are fewer buyers around at this time of year but for the seller, there is also less competition. Those purchasers that are hardy enough to venture out on a cold, dark blustery day and are prepared to ignore the distractions of Christmas shopping to go house hunting are often genuine, seriously motivated buyers. This year, certainly, we are seeing plenty of fresh viewers who have recently completed their chains and are keen to complete their rural move.

It is also true that some rural houses can appear positively gloomy in the depths of winter whilst others, once the lights are on, curtains drawn and fires lit, can be quite jolly and cosy. Therefore the age, style and orientation of a property can be quite influential as to whether they are likely to be winter sellers as can be their décor and furnishings.

The circumstances of some vendors, such as those who have found somewhere else to buy, an executors sale, the property is vacant or there is a job move involved means that there may be little choice as to when to market and there will also be some who will have a ‘let’s just get on with it’ attitude.

The counter arguments for waiting until March or April are perhaps more obvious. The spring is a warmer, greener and more upbeat time of the year and by convention is when both house buyers and sellers (most are both) come out of hibernation, leading to a spring ‘buzz’ and more activity.

With positive signs of improvement in the fortunes of the UK economy, there is a feeling that 2014 will see some growth in the housing sector but it is necessary to remain cautious as the continuing weakness of the Euro Zone could hold things back and a long, cold winter might suppress the spring market or stifle it altogether as was the case earlier this year.
So to get back to the original question, do we put our house on the market now or later? The answer is a fence sitting; ‘do it when it suits you’!