3 Costly Mistakes When Moving House in 2025 (And How to Avoid Them)
In a shifting market, small errors no longer stay small. One misstep, overpricing, weak marketing, or poor financial prep, can cost you £10,000+ or derail your entire move.
In a shifting market, small errors no longer stay small. One misstep, overpricing, weak marketing, or poor financial prep, can cost you £10,000+ or derail your entire move.
Whether you're buying, selling, or doing both, this article lays out the top three mistakes we still see clients make and exactly how you can avoid them with precision and confidence.
❌ Mistake 1: Overpricing at Launch, Then Chasing the Market
One of the most common and expensive mistakes is launching too ambitiously. In a cooling or stabilising market, buyers quickly tune out listings that appear overvalued.
- Overpriced homes linger. As days on market increase, buyers assume there’s a hidden problem (rightly or wrongly).
- Agents then cut the price, but the perceived value has already declined in buyer minds.
- In many cases, homes that start 5–10% too high end up selling for 8–12% less than they could have if launched smartly.
Source Insight: Survey data from property portals shows that price reductions have increased in 2025, especially in the top tiers where sellers try to chase peak pricing. (See commentary on high-end listings decline) The Times
How to avoid it:
- Demand a data‑driven valuation (not guesswork)
- Benchmark against closed sales, not just asking prices
- Build in a strategic buffer, not a wishful price
- Be ready to act fast on strong offers in week one
❌ Mistake 2: Underwhelming Marketing. “If You Build it, They Won’t Come”
In today’s property landscape, unremarkable listings underperform, period. Many sellers believe “just putting it online is enough.” It’s not.
Common marketing missteps:
- Minimal or no video tours, drone shots, or floorplans
- Poor photography (lighting, composition)
- Lack of staging in key rooms (kitchen, garden)
- Vague descriptions lacking the emotional pull and value cues
Market context: The buyer of 2025 is more discerning. They’re browsing on mobile, comparing dozens of homes, filtering out anything that doesn’t captivate. Great marketing doesn’t just sell, it commands attention and higher offers.
How to avoid it:
- Stage your home to showcase flow, light, purpose
- Use video walk-throughs, drone angles, and aerial gardens
- Lead with outdoor space, kitchen connection, light-filled rooms
- Write emotional + factual copy (e.g. “imagine summer dinners here…” + room dimensions)
❌ Mistake 3: Ignoring Financial Contingencies & Move Costs
Too many buyers and sellers prepare only for the “big numbers”, deposit, sale price, mortgage. They forget everything else: legal fees, surveys, remortgaging, moving, interim rent. These hidden costs often become deal breakers.
- Many failed moves hinge on unexpected legal or survey delays
- Some buyers underestimate completion costs, bridging interest or overlap
- Sellers sometimes assume their home will sell instantly and miscalculate their next purchase timing
- Reports show over 500,000 UK transactions fail every year partly because of process complexity and hidden cost exposure Financial Times+1
How to avoid it:
- Build a contingency buffer (5–10% over your estimated move budget)
- Understand your mortgage redemption figure and associated costs
- Use bridging or delayed completion clauses cautiously but smartly
- Always read the small print on legal fees, stamp duty, surveys
- Plan your cash flow for January–March when many costs hit
🧠 How These Mistakes Compound
Each of these errors alone can damage your outcome but combined, they often cascade.
For example:
- Starting overpriced + weak marketing = longer time on market
- That leads to price drops, which then makes buyers negotiate harder
- And unplanned costs make buyers and sellers more aggressive in renegotiations
Mitigation is about strategy, not reaction.
🔗 Final Thought & Next Move
Avoiding these three mistakes gives you a much higher chance of a smooth, profitable move, whether you're buyer, seller, or both.
Here’s your next step: