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March marks the start of the busy spring market, buyer numbers increase and more people are actively searching, which can mean more sales are agreed. If you are thinking of moving, this is the moment to prepare your home properly so it stands out from the competition. At Richard Kendall Estate Agent, careful preparation and the right marketing strategy help ensure your property launches strongly and attracts the right buyers from day one.
Accurate valuations
Start with a professional market appraisal from a trusted local expert. Our team at Richard Kendall Estate Agent offers free, no obligation market appraisals carried out by experienced valuers who understand the local market across Wakefield, Normanton, Pontefract, Ossett, Horbury and Castleford.
A detailed valuation should include comparable local sales, current buyer demand, market trends in your area and features that influence your property's value. This approach gives you a realistic and strategic asking price. Pricing correctly from the beginning often results in stronger interest and faster sales.
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This year we have seen it happen, January is when people start thinking about moving and February is when they start doing something about it.
Our website data from the start of the year shows exactly that. In January, thousands of people were browsing properties, checking prices and researching areas. People were getting a feel for the market. Many were returning visitors, looking at multiple homes and quietly working out their next step. By February, behaviour changed. We saw more people coming directly back to the website, more searches through Google and more time spent on individual property pages. That tells us something simple that people were not just curious anymore. They were serious.
What this means if you are thinking of selling
Most buyers do not wait until spring to start looking, they start early. By the time many homeowners consider going on the market, buyers have already shortlisted areas, budgets and property types. February is often when buyers begin booking viewings and making offers. If your home is not available to see, those buyers will move on to the next one that is.
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The Chancellor's March Budget could include announcements affecting property owners, from stamp duty adjustments to capital gains tax modifications. While specific measures remain unknown until Budget Day, understanding potential changes and preparing strategically now helps you respond effectively.
Potential stamp duty considerations
Stamp duty thresholds and rates periodically face adjustment through Budget announcements. Current thresholds have remained stable, but potential modifications could affect transaction costs for buyers and timing considerations for sellers.
If completing purchases soon after the Budget, obtaining agreements in principle and progressing transactions quickly protects you from potential threshold reductions or rate increases. Conversely, rumours of threshold increases or reliefs might make delaying completions advantageous.
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Every seller knows spring can usually represents the property market’s peak season. What fewer understand is that February, positioned just before this rush, offers strategic advantages that often deliver better results than waiting for the traditional March-to-May surge.
Understanding why February works so effectively helps you capitalise on timing that serious, experienced sellers increasingly favour.
Serious buyers emerge early
Buyers who begin their property search in February typically aren’t casual browsers. They have spent January researching areas, understanding prices, arranging finances, and clarifying exactly what they need. When they start viewing properties in February, they arrive prepared and motivated to move quickly when they find the right home.
These buyers often have clear timescales driving their searches. Job relocations, family changes, or rental tenancy endings create genuine urgency, making them more decisive than buyers casually exploring the market without immediate reasons to commit.
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February represents a strategic month for landlords to address essential tasks before the new tax year begins in April and before the March Budget potentially introduces policy changes. Systematic attention to tax preparation, tenancy management, property maintenance, and strategic planning positions your portfolio for success throughout 2026.
Tax preparation for year-end
With the tax year ending 5 April, February provides final opportunities to optimise your tax position. Review your rental income and expenses for the current tax year, ensuring all allowable costs are claimed, including maintenance, insurance, letting fees, professional services, and travel expenses for property management.
Gather receipts and documentation for all claimed expenses. Missing paperwork discovered during tax return completion creates stress and may result in unclaimed expenses increasing your tax liability. Organise records systematically while the year remains fresh in memory.
Consider whether any planned maintenance or improvement work should complete before 5 April to claim expenses in the current tax year, or defer until after if bringing forward provides no advantage. Strategic timing of expenditure optimises tax positions across years.
If you haven't already, consult with property tax specialists about whether your portfolio structure remains optimal given property income tax rate changes taking effect from April 2027. Understanding implications now allows considered decisions rather than rushed reactions later.
