The Intermediary – June 2025 - Flipbook - Page 88
L O C A L FO C U S
Gloucester
An active marketplace
MATTHEW WASLEY
director at Murdock & Wasley
he market in Gloucester is currently very buoyant, with a
healthy level of activity and a noticeable increase in stock.
We’re seeing a strong flow of new listings across most price
points, giving buyers more choice than they’ve had in recent
years. at said, realistic pricing is key – with more properties available,
buyers are well-informed and price-sensitive, so homes need to be
positioned competitively to achieve a successful sale.
e appetite for residential purchases has been very encouraging.
Confidence is returning to the market, largely due to a more stable
economic outlook and mortgage rates beginning to slowly decline. is
has helped to unlock previously hesitant buyers and get chains moving
again. e combination of increased stock and improved affordability
has created a more active and balanced marketplace.
e lower to mid-range properties are moving particularly quickly –
especially homes suited to first-time buyers or buy-to-let investors. In
contrast, the top end of the market has been slightly more pricesensitive and slower to shi, oen due to a smaller buyer pool and
tighter lending criteria. at said, well-presented homes that are priced
correctly are still finding buyers across the board.
ere are some exciting developments and infrastructure projects in
the pipeline across Gloucester and the wider Gloucestershire area. From
new-build housing schemes to improved transport routes, the county
continues to evolve. Several residential developments are underway in
the outskirts, catering to growing demand for family homes with access
to good schools and amenities. ere’s also ongoing investment in city
centre regeneration, including retail, leisure and public space
improvements, all of which will continue to enhance Gloucester’s
appeal as a place to live and invest.
T
Dudek says: “We have seen more
products and schemes coming into the
market to help more buyers get onto
the property ladder.
“We have seen the return of the
100% mortgage, along with various
lenders offering ‘income boosts’ for
certain buyers.”
Buyer demographics
This diverse and active marketplace
is matched by an equally varied and
evolving buyer demographic.
As of 2022, the area was home to
around 664,000 residents, with a
gradually ageing population and a
15.6% increase in numbers since 2002.
This growth, in turn, has translated
into a steady stream of activity in the
housing sector.
“Our client base is incredibly
varied,” says Wasley, who works
with everyone from first-time buyers
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The Intermediary | June 2025
and growing families to downsizers,
investors, and those relocating to the
region. Notably, the laer group is on
the rise.
He adds: “One trend we’ve seen more
of in the past year or so is an increase
in buyers relocating to Gloucester,
particularly families drawn to the
area by its excellent grammar schools,
strong transport links and a mid-level
price range with great green spaces.”
This blend of affordability, lifestyle
appeal and connectivity continues to
make Gloucester a magnet for a broad
cross-section of buyers.
Dudek says: “There is a good mix
of both home movers and first-time
buyers in the local area.
“The remortgage opportunities
are also there, as we are encouraging
our clients to review their current
mortgage deal six months before it is
due to expire.
“We are seeing those who were
fortunate to secure a low interest rate
come back into a higher market, so we
are trying to prepare those clients as
best as we can.”
Indeed, first-time buyers in
particular are making their presence
known throughout the region.
“We are seeing a lot of first-time
buyer enquiries at the moment,”
Dupree observes, aributing this to
a growing confidence in the market
as interest rates appear to stabilise:
“Buyers are buoyed by the long-term
predictions of steady interest rates and
realising that now is as good a time as
any to take the plunge!”
Lender options
In Gloucester’s diverse mortgage
market, lender choice is also becoming
increasingly varied. As Dupree puts it,
“the idea of ‘main lenders’ is becoming
less and less relevant – which makes
using a broker even more essential
than ever.”
While high street stalwarts like
Halifax and Nationwide still feature
prominently – “not a day goes by that
we aren’t submiing applications to
[them],” he adds – it is the growing
complexity of borrower circumstances
that has brought a wider range of
lenders into the spotlight.
Dupree says smaller and more
specialist names such as Bank of
Ireland, Skipton, Accord, and
Kensington are gaining traction
for their “individual approaches to
underwriting, nuanced criteria and
innovative schemes.”
Housing development
Building on the growing need
for flexible lenders and tailored
solutions, Gloucester is also seeing
tangible transformation in its
physical landscape. New-builds in the
Gloucester postcode area currently
command an average price of
£390,000 – slightly above the £377,000
figure for established homes.
While annual new-build sales
totalled 307, most transacted in the
£300,000 to £400,000 range, with GL3
1 emerging as a hotspot.
“We are spoilt for choice for new
developments in the area at the
moment,” says Dupree, citing the
popularity of sites like Winnycro
in Matson and the well-established
Kingsway and Hunts Grove schemes
in Quedgeley.
