Back-to-school commitments to slow property search for 88% of parents, research finds
86% expect to spend less time searching for a property because of school-related commitments.
Most homebuyers with school-aged children (88%) expect to be less likely to book or attend property viewings during the first few weeks of the new school term, research from House Buyer Bureau found.
86% expect to spend less time searching for a property because of school-related commitments.
Only 8% expect to spend the same amount of time on their search, while 6% expect to spend more.
79% expect to rely more on online listings, virtual tours or video viewings because attending properties in person will be more difficult.
Four in five respondents would consider delaying a viewing because of school-related commitments.
Meanwhile, 92% expect these commitments to slow the progress of their purchase by making it harder to deal with calls, paperwork, surveys and mortgage appointments.
12% expect to return to normal within the first week, 8% within two to three weeks and 5% within around a month.
Chris Hodgkinson, managing director at House Buyer Bureau, said: “September traditionally marks the point at which the property market starts to find its feet again following the summer holidays, but for parents, the return to school can leave very little time for searching for a home, attending viewings or progressing a purchase.
“What really stands out is that this may not be a short-lived blip.
“Three quarters of parents believe it could take more than a month before they can give their property search their full attention again, potentially delaying the usual autumn uplift in activity.”
Hodgkinson added: “The final run-up to Christmas is traditionally a busy one and we expect motivated buyers to return once the back-to-school disruption has subsided.
“But sellers shouldn’t necessarily expect that activity to materialise immediately and, for those who need to sell quickly, a few quieter weeks can make a considerable difference.”
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