With the Renters Rights Bill set to become law this year, landlords are responding in different ways. Some are content to go on letting out properties, while others are unhappy with the constraints the new legislation will bring and are keen to sell up.

If you are in the latter group and keen to find estate agents to help you out, you may be wondering when the right time is to sell. Is it right now, when some first-time buyers are hurrying to complete purchases before the stamp duty hike comes into effect? Or could it be later in the year, when interest rates may be lower, thus boosting the market?

The stamp duty factor is one of the few certainties in the current market, but some other developments may hint at trends to look for.

Perhaps the most encouraging for sellers is the latest data from Zoopla. This revealed that in 2024, the average home in the UK increased in value by £2,400. However, this overall picture masks some very large regional variations.

Half the homes in the UK performed far better, with an average rise in value of £7,600, with the better performers coming in the north and Scotland. By contrast, some homes in the south actually fell in value.

Indeed, while some may not have much regard for the political slogan of ‘levelling up’, it seems that is what is happening to house prices, as the gap between the most and least expensive regions starts to close, although the gulf is still very large.

The Midlands was caught in the middle both statistically and geographically, with 48 per cent of East Midlands properties registering an increase of at least one per cent in value, way short of the 60% plus seen in Scotland and the three northern English regions, but ahead of the East of England, south east, south west and London.

Zoopla said the worst performers were affected by higher mortgage rates. But could that be a feature of the property market that might be very different in the later part of 2025 than at the beginning of the year?

The Bank of England cut the base rate twice last year as it eased back on the monetary squeeze it had put in place following the inflation surge driven by the Ukraine war energy shock. However, the minutes of the Monetary Policy Committee’s monthly meetings invariably struck a cautious tone.

Despite this, some expect the Bank to be much more willing to cut rates this year. While the money markets have priced in just two cuts this year and another next year to take the base rate from its current 4.75 per cent to four per cent by the middle of 2026, Goldman Sachs has predicted they will go further and will drop it to 3.25 per cent.

It remains to be seen how far the Bank goes as it juggles a consumer prices index rate that has bobbed up and down either side of the target of two per cent, while taking into account the risks that a tight monetary policy may tip the UK into recession, which would be bad news for the property market.

Given all these uncertainties, it makes sense to work with an estate agent who can get the best price for your property if you want to sell up in 2025.