As October 2025 drew to a close, one of the most noticeable trends in the Bournemouth property market was the growing gap between sellers’ and buyers’ expectations.
The Bank of England maintained the base rate at 4%, providing continued stability for the market. Ahead of the announcement, many lenders had already reduced mortgage rates:
Accord – down 0.23%
Leeds Building Society – down 0.11%
Barclays – down 0.13%, including a 2-year fixed at 3.72%
HSBC – reductions across all products
These reductions gave buyers more confidence and improved affordability, yet we observed that some sellers were still pricing based on peak market values from previous years, while buyers remained cautious. The result was a clear gap between asking prices and the prices buyers were willing to pay, which in many cases led to longer sale periods and increased negotiation. Supply still outweighs demand - 82% of sellers have reduced their asking price - but supply is finally reducing.
