Update
Hello everyone – today’s post of something different and may be considered controversial. It has been a hectic couple of months with no new properties lined up for viewings at the moment. What exactly have I been up to in the meantime and what are my thoughts on why I haven’t been able to secure a viewing?
Since my last viewing, I wrote a post on my trip earlier this year to York, gave my first impressions on the Nothing Phone (1) (nothing special) and raised awareness of the sport, Powerchair Football. Please go and read them over on my other blog, dynamicdouble.co.uk.
Note: Please bare in mind that the points below are my personal opinions, in no way is this an indication of what will happen to the property market or related events. Any concerns with the below can be raised either in the comments or to ‘info@dynamicdouble.co.uk’.
No New Bungalows
Still after just over a year of searching for a property, not even an accessible new property on the market. All bungalows always come with special features like tight hallways, small bathrooms and a rip of price for half the size of a bungalow. I dislike new builds since there isn’t always a lot you can do with them and it doesn’t have the charm some of the older builds have. The main reason though is the lack of accessible features of course.
Developers still don’t get what it takes to build an accessible property, there needs to be a sizeable shower room big enough for a powered chair to get around it. A good reference point for an accessible bathroom is by using a parking space for build reference since this will have just enough space for somebody in a powerchair to get around it.
Not Many Bungalows in Range
At present, I’ve not seen many bungalows within my price range coming up – they always seem way too expensive. For that reason, I’ve not been able to find a suitable bungalow to view. I’ve also tightened up my threshold for what I believe is a suitable accessible property.
Unfortunately, a lot of the bungalows I’ve viewed since my last viewing have been really small and unsuitable, something I’ve come to expect from the majority of properties. It doesn’t mean I’m being picky or don’t want a property of my own, but when you’ve got very specific requirements to suit your needs it can be a lot more difficult to find the right one. It’s especially hard when many of these properties can’t even fit a powered wheelchair through the door or hallways.
Market Slow down?
Prices have been forecasted to slow down/stall/go down slightly over the next year or so but not crash. With the cost of living crisis, there may be a need to sell properties to save money on energy prices by downsizing. While this might be an unfortunate position for some to be in (due to lack of enforcement on energy companies!) as a property owner, it may open up opportunities to find a suitable bungalow to potentially purchase…
I don’t see the market really slowing down but there won’t be any ridiculous price increases like we saw between 2020-2022 when the stamp duty holiday was in force. I don’t think there will be any further ridiculous hikes in prices or any sharp falls in property prices but there is no knowing what will happen in this current market.
No Rush
Currently, I’m in no rush in moving out since the place I live already is accessible to my specific needs. However, that doesn’t mean that won’t change when I find the perfect property that’s accessible and can be adapted to be the perfect place to live. Coupled with the fact that energy bills and cost of living is ridiculous at the moment, I would much rather stay at home until it blows over, rather than rush in and regret it once the new price cap in October hits.
Your Thoughts?
What are your thoughts on the current property market? Do you expect a market crash of sorts or potential decrease in property value or do you expect prices to continue rising? Please post them in the comments below – let’s start a discussion on the current market and what you think will happen!
If you would like to get involved with the blog, please consider getting involved by emailing info@buildmyaccessiblehome.co.uk or commenting with your ideas or post suggestions – I will try and get back to you as soon as I can!
Please also consider donating to the blog via the BuyMeACoffee button at the bottom of this post. Donations, no matter how big or small highly appreciated and help me continue writing on this blog, plus go towards purchasing an accessible property!
