The winter weather months are a normal slowing down season for the housing market. As people are focused on the holidays and preparing for fewer days outside, hopeful home buyers are distracted. With the uncertainty connected to Brexit, perhaps some are choosing to allow a new year to come and bring more confidence before buying. There could be many factors at play causing a more than usual impact in the market.

The first month of the last quarter of the year, October, saw homes coming onto the housing market at much higher asking prices. Currently December properties are hitting the housing market with asking prices at almost £10,000 lower than those in October.

Home sellers are being aggressive in getting the attention of the buyers in a usually slow winter season market that is being shadowed by Brexit.

According to Rightmove the average asking price of a UK home dropped by £9,719 or 3.2% between the time period of October to December.

Overall the asking price average for 2018 showed growth of 0.7% which is the weakest since 2010.

Rightmove director, Miles Shipside, remarked: “It’s usual for new-to-the-market sellers to price lower in the run-up to Christmas to tempt distracted buyers, so we should not read too much into the mere fact of two consecutive monthly falls.

“However, these falls have been larger than usual, making this the largest fall over two months for six years, showing that there are more than just seasonal forces at play.”

The decline in asking prices could have a positive effect on the market as it could grab the attention of those homebuyers that were sitting on the fence. With lower asking prices and low interest rates, it might be too good of an opportunity to pass up.