A five-bedroom barn conversion in the centre of a popular Norfolk town has sold after only two days on the market.
According to property website Zoopla, it can take between five and 14 weeks for a property to secure an offer, but Nomad’s Barn, which was for sale with abbotFox Bespoke for £750,000, sold, subject to contract, after just two days.
The property had been described as a “most attractive brick and flint, Grade II listed barn neatly situated in the centre of North Walsham”, comprising a modern open-plan living and kitchen space with a wood-burning stove, home office, five bedrooms and a family bathroom.
Samantha Withers, property valuer at abbotFox Bespoke, says that it doesn’t take long to sell a home of this standard, but says that off-market prep really helped to speed up the sale.
“Homes of this calibre rarely take long to sell, and we had already made contact with several buyers – including the new-to-be owners – prior to its official launch.
“It’s been very carefully restored, retaining all of its original period features and has been given all the benefits of modern living, including underfloor heating and high-end fixtures and fittings.”
Samantha says it was also the setting that contributed to a quick sale – proving that the old adage, location, location, location, really rings true – as it offered half an acre of professionally-landscaped grounds and was in the town centre.
“Without a shadow of a doubt the position – but more specifically, the setting – is what I believe made it so popular, selling in just days,” she says.
“I’m sure with North Walsham becoming more popular in recent years, this too played its part.
“We have sold some wonderful homes within the town recently, including Ivy Cottage. The town’s eclectic mix of independent shops, eateries, amenities and the train station tick boxes for many buyers.”
Many estate agents across Norfolk contact potential buyers before a property goes to market, so if there’s a particular type of home on your property search, it’s worth registering with an agent.
Zoopla says that the time it takes between listing your property to accepting an offer usually depends on the temperature of the market.
In cooler markets, for example, Zoopla says some homes can stick around without an offer for several months.
But Samantha Withers says quick sales, like that of Nomad’s Barn, reflect the pace we’ve become accustomed to over the past few years, and she believes we’ll see more of a traditional “pick-up” in spring and summer, as inflation rates come down.
This time last year, Zoopla said that the average home was taking around 29 days – or four weeks – to secure an offer, although the time to completion was much longer.
The sale comes off the back of a gloomy forecast for the UK’s property market late last year, amid rising interest and mortgage rates and predicted price drops.
However, estate agents across the county still remain positive about what’s to come.
Last week, Joanna McIntyre, of Musker McIntyre, said that her firm has seen a higher level of new instructions in the first trading week of 2023.
David MacDuff of Arnolds Keys said applicants from new buyers are up by over 20pc and market appraisals almost treble the same period last year.
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