Featured property – Shepherds Way, Liphook – Four bedroomed family home in desirable location.
Clarke Gammon – Estate Agents in Guildford, Haslemere & Liphook
Why realistic pricing is helping the market keep moving
The latest housing market figures have generated some attention, with Rightmove reporting the largest August fall in new seller asking prices since 2018. On the surface, that may sound concerning. However, as is often the case with property data, the detail matters far more than the headline.
Rightmove’s August House Price Index shows that the average asking price of a newly listed property fell by 2.0% this month, down £7,360 to £364,999. That is a larger fall than we would usually expect at this time of year, even allowing for the normal summer slowdown.
However, it is important to be clear about what this figure actually measures. Rightmove is tracking asking prices of homes coming newly to market. It is not measuring final agreed sale prices, and it is not saying that every home has fallen in value by 2.0%.
In my view, the more useful interpretation is that many sellers are becoming more realistic at the point of launch. After a period of higher mortgage rates, increased choice for buyers and a quieter summer market, sellers are recognising that the best way to attract attention is to come to market at a sensible, competitive price from day one.
That is not a negative message. In many ways, it is a healthier one.
A market correction, not a market collapse
There is a clear difference between a market correction and a wholesale fall in values. What we are seeing now is not a market where buyers have disappeared or where good homes are failing to sell. It is a market where buyers have choice, are better informed, and are less willing to engage with over-optimistic asking prices.
Across Guildford, Haslemere and Liphook, there remains strong buyer activity for the right homes. The difference is that buyers are more disciplined than they were in the post-pandemic years. They are looking carefully at value, presentation, running costs, mortgage repayments and local comparable evidence.
That is particularly true in our part of the market, where property values are often above regional and national averages. Affordability matters. Buyers still want to move, but they need confidence that the price is right.
Rightmove’s data supports this. While average asking prices have fallen, buyer demand has reportedly risen by 5% since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister in July. That suggests confidence has not disappeared. In fact, there are signs that some buyers are returning to the market as political uncertainty begins to settle and the autumn market approaches.
Guildford: buyers remain active, but selective
Guildford remains one of Surrey’s most consistently desirable towns. Its appeal is underpinned by strong schools, good rail links, the town centre, the university, the hospital, and easy access to countryside.
There is still demand around Merrow, Burpham, Onslow Village, Pewley Hill, St Catherine’s, Charlotteville and roads within reach of the station. Family homes close to good schools and green spaces continue to attract interest, particularly when they are well presented and accurately priced.
The latest ONS figures show that the average house price in Guildford was £522,000 in May 2026, down 5.6% from May 2025. That tells us that Guildford has become more price-sensitive, but not undesirable. There is an important difference.
Where sellers have adjusted to current conditions, homes are selling. Where sellers are relying on last year’s expectations or trying to test the market too high, buyers are taking longer to respond.
Haslemere: lifestyle demand remains a real strength
Haslemere has always had a slightly different character. Buyers are often motivated by lifestyle as much as by convenience: countryside, schools, independent shops, the station, the Surrey Hills, and access towards Blackdown and the South Downs.
Areas such as Grayswood, Shottermill, Camelsdale, Hindhead, Wey Hill and the roads towards Blackdown continue to appeal to families and lifestyle movers who are making longer-term decisions.
The ONS recorded the average house price in Waverley, which includes Haslemere, at £567,000 in May 2026, up 2.1% year-on-year. That is a useful reminder that national and even regional figures do not tell the whole story. Some local markets are proving more resilient than others, particularly where the lifestyle appeal is strong and supply of certain property types remains limited.
Even so, pricing still matters. A character home, a village property or a family house with a good garden can still generate strong interest, but buyers will compare carefully before committing.
Liphook: practical value continues to support activity
Liphook continues to attract buyers who want space, rail links, access to the A3, schools and countryside, while often seeing better relative value than some surrounding Surrey towns.
Around Station Road, Headley Road, Longmoor Road and nearby villages, demand remains practical and family-led. Buyers are often moving for space, schooling, work patterns or quality of life rather than short-term speculation.
ONS figures for East Hampshire show an average house price of £440,000 in May 2026, broadly in line with the previous year. That points to a market that is steady rather than dramatic.
This matters because Liphook can offer exactly what many buyers are looking for in the current climate: sensible value, good connectivity and a strong local environment.
Why a sensible launch price can benefit onward movers
One of the most important points for sellers to understand is that a market-adjusted price usually works both ways.
If you are selling and buying in the same market, any adjustment to your sale price is likely to be reflected in the property you are purchasing. In fact, for those moving up the ladder, the benefit can often be greater.
For example, a seller moving from a £600,000 home to an £850,000 home may be concerned about accepting a more realistic figure on their own sale. But if the market has also adjusted on the property they are buying, the saving on the onward purchase can be larger in cash terms.
That is why it can be misleading to focus only on the price achieved for the property being sold. The more important figure is the cost of the move overall.
For second steppers, upsizers and family movers, a more balanced market can actually create opportunity. If the gap between the property you are selling and the property you are buying narrows, the move may become more achievable, not less.
This is a key point that is often missed in market commentary.
Correct pricing is not underselling
Rightmove has also highlighted a very important statistic: nearly three-quarters of homes that have successfully sold and completed this year did so without needing an asking price reduction.
That tells us something very clear. The most successful sellers are not necessarily those who start high and reduce later. They are the sellers who enter the market correctly priced from the beginning.
This is not about underselling. It is about creating momentum.
A property that launches at a sensible price attracts more attention in the crucial early weeks. It appears credible. It compares well against similar homes. It encourages viewings and can lead to stronger competition.
By contrast, a home that launches too high may sit on the market, lose freshness, and then require a reduction later. Once that early momentum has gone, it can be harder to regain.
In today’s market, the first price is one of the most important decisions a seller will make.
Mortgage rates and buyer confidence
Rightmove’s mortgage tracker shows that the average two-year fixed mortgage rate is now 5.09%, up from 4.95% last month. That is clearly still a consideration for buyers.
However, lenders remain active, and the mortgage market remains competitive. This is not a market where finance has disappeared. Rather, buyers are adjusting to a higher-rate environment and making more careful decisions.
That stability is important. Even where rates remain above the levels many would like, buyers can still plan when mortgage pricing is relatively predictable.
For many movers, the decision is no longer whether rates will return to the ultra-low levels of the past, but whether the right home, at the right price, is available now.
Our advice to sellers
For sellers across Guildford, Haslemere and Liphook, the message is positive but clear.
There are buyers in the market. Property is selling. But buyers are selective, and they have choice.
The sellers achieving the best results are those who:
launch at a realistic price,
present their home properly,
use strong photography and marketing,
prepare legal paperwork early,
and listen carefully to local market advice.
Preparation is especially important in a more considered market. Title information, planning permissions, building regulation certificates, guarantees, leasehold documents and management packs can all delay a sale if they are not ready when needed.
A good buyer can lose confidence if a transaction drifts. Momentum matters.
Our advice to buyers
For buyers, current conditions can be encouraging.
There is more choice than in recent years, and some sellers are being more realistic from the outset. That does not mean every property will be heavily negotiable, but it does mean that buyers who are prepared and informed may find opportunities.
If the right property comes up – whether that is a family home in Onslow Village, a character house in Haslemere, or a practical home in Liphook – buyers should still be ready to act.
The best homes, correctly priced, continue to sell.
Our view
The market across Guildford, Haslemere and Liphook is not weak. It is more balanced, more selective and more dependent on accurate pricing.
A fall in asking prices should not be read as a collapse in the value of good local homes. It is better understood as sellers adjusting to a market where buyers are active, but careful.
For many movers, particularly those buying upwards, this market may offer more opportunity than they realise. A realistic sale price on one side can be offset – and sometimes more than offset – by a more sensible purchase price on the other.
The key is to look at the whole move, not one figure in isolation.
As always, good local advice is essential. National data provides useful background, but Guildford, Haslemere and Liphook each have their own micro-markets, buyer profiles and pricing sensitivities.
Property is still selling. Buyers are still looking. The opportunity remains.
But in this market, realism is not a compromise. It is the route to success.
Please feel free to contact any of our offices for an informal chat or to book a market appraisal. Why not try our instant online valuation tool to get started?
Steve Cook FNAEA Senior Consultant – Clarke Gammon
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