I keep a loose eye on Rightmove for the New Forest area, partly out of nosiness and partly because I like to know what neighbouring properties are going for. Over the past fortnight there has been a noticeable jump in the number of new listings. I counted eleven new ones within half a mile of us in the last ten days, which for a quiet residential area is unusual.
Saw the Halifax data earlier in the week suggesting prices were basically flat month on month, and I know buyer choice is supposed to be at a ten year high nationally. I am wondering whether sellers are trying to get ahead of whatever happens in the Budget on the 26th, or whether this is just the normal autumn rush that got slightly delayed this year.
Anyone else seeing something similar in their patch? We are not looking to move but it is interesting to watch. The asking prices on some of these look optimistic to me given how many reductions I am seeing on older listings, but I suppose everyone thinks their house is the exception.
Same here in the East Midlands. Three houses on my street alone have gone up in the last couple of weeks, which is unheard of. One of them is asking £30k more than an identical one sold for in June. Good luck with that 
Think people are panicking about the Budget but I have no idea what they expect to change that would make selling now better than selling in January.
I have noticed the same thing in my area, which is south London rather than the countryside, but the pattern is identical. A whole cluster of new listings appeared in the last ten days or so, mostly two and three beds, mostly at prices that feel optimistic given the Halifax numbers that came out showing growth basically stalling. I wonder if some of these sellers are trying to get ahead of the Budget on the 26th, on the theory that whatever comes out of it probably will not be good news for property owners and it is better to be already on the market when it lands. Or it could just be the usual autumn rush of people who want to be settled by spring. Either way the ones priced sensibly seem to be getting viewings, and the ones that are not are just sitting there looking a bit lonely on Rightmove, which is exactly as you would expect.
Following up on my own observation from the weekend, I have been keeping an eye on a few of those new listings in my area and two of them have already had price reductions, one after just nine days on the market. The first dropped by £15,000, which is a chunky cut on a £375,000 house, and the second quietly amended the listing from “offers over” to “offers in region of” which is estate agent semaphore for “please just make us an offer, any offer”. I cannot help wondering whether some of these sellers are trying to get ahead of whatever gets announced in the Budget on the 26th, particularly at the upper end where all the mansion tax and CGT speculation has been swirling around. The Rightmove data showing asking prices down 1.8% month on month would certainly support that reading. Whether it is rational or just panic selling dressed up as strategic timing, who knows.
Interesting to see @Frankie91’s observation about quick reductions confirmed. I have been tracking the same batch of listings in my area and of the seven new ones that appeared in the last couple of weeks, two have already reduced (one by £15,000, the other by a more modest £7,500), and one has been withdrawn entirely. That last one was a bungalow on a decent sized plot that appeared at £425,000, which was always ambitious for that road. I suspect the agent talked them into testing the water and reality bit fairly quickly.
Whether this is Budget nerves or just the usual November slowdown is hard to say. The Halifax figures showing prices basically flat would support the idea that sellers are getting ahead of themselves. I noticed the Bank held rates at 4% again, which was expected, but if December does bring a cut I wonder whether we will see another little burst of optimism in the new year. For now though the mood locally feels cautious. Even the estate agents’ window displays look a bit half hearted 