Rachel Gardiner Estate Agents

02/10/2026

Legally completed this week congratulations

02/10/2026

Housing Market update

29/09/2026

From the Negotiator today

The number of property fall-throughs increased by almost 7% during the second quarter of 2026, new research has revealed.

Quick-buy brand House Buyer Bureau analysed the latest data from TwentyCi on the estimated volume of residential fall-throughs in the second quarter of 2026, along with the average cost of a failed transaction.

The analysis shows that an estimated 71,959 property transactions collapsed during the second quarter of the year, up 6.6% on the previous quarter.

Despite this quarterly increase, fall-through volumes remain 8.7% lower than this time last year.

The latest increase highlights just how fragile the process of buying and selling a home can remain.”

As a result of the quarterly increase in the number of failed transactions, the estimated total cost of fall-throughs to the housing market climbed from £239.7million in the first three months of 2026 to £257.9million in the second quarter of 2026. It is an increase of more than £18 million.

While the frequency of fall-throughs increased, the estimated average cost incurred by sellers also edged higher.

House Buyer Bureau’s analysis shows that the average cost of a fall-through stood at an estimated £3,584, up by 0.9% versus the previous quarter. It also remains 2.8% higher than the average cost recorded during the same period last year.

BAD QUARTER

The latest figures suggest that while the number of failed transactions remains below the levels seen a year ago, the financial impact of each individual fall-through continues to rise.

Combined with the quarterly increase in failed transactions, this has once again increased the overall financial burden placed on the housing market, says Chris Hodgkinson (pictured), Managing Director of House Buyer Bureau.

He adds: “It’s disappointing to see the number of collapsed transactions increase again during the second quarter of 2026, resulting in financial losses and stress for tens or thousands of homebuyers and sellers.

“While fall-through volumes remain notably lower than they were this time last year, the latest increase highlights just how fragile the process of buying and selling a home can remain. The fact that the average cost of a failed sale has also continued to rise means that every collapse carries a significant financial consequence for those involved.

“For sellers in particular, a fall-through can mean wasted time, additional costs and the uncertainty of having to put their property back on the market, often after they have already made plans based on their sale completing.

“The good news is that the number of fall-throughs remains below last year’s levels, but the latest figures demonstrate that there is still considerable scope to improve certainty within the transaction process. With affordability pressures, changing buyer circumstances, and wider economic uncertainty continuing to influence the market, reducing the risk of a sale collapsing should remain a priority for both homeowners and the industry as a whole.”

27/09/2026

First-time buyers: a new scheme has been announced

The government has announced Your First Home, a proposed scheme to help first-time buyers in England who are finding it hard to save a large deposit.

Here’s what’s been announced so far:

• It is expected to support buyers with a 2.5% deposit.
• The government would provide a 20% equity loan.
• It is intended for eligible buyers purchasing a new-build home from a developer taking part in the scheme.
• The loan is expected to have an initial interest-free period.
• Household income limits and local property price caps are expected, but the details are not available yet.

For example, on a £230,000 home, 2.5% would be £5,750 and 20% would be £46,000. This is an illustration only; eligibility and the final scheme rules still need to be confirmed.

The scheme is expected to be confirmed at next month’s Budget. It is not open for applications yet, so first-time buyers should wait for the full terms before making plans around it.

We’ll share an update when more details are released.

25/09/2026

In the last nine months, we’ve helped 27 buyers and sellers find their forever homes and legally complete on sales agreed

Thank you to everyone who has left us a five-star review. Here’s what sets us apart: when you instruct Rachel Gardiner Estate Agents, you deal with me, Rachel—the owner of the business. I’m involved from the first conversation until completion. I won’t pass your sale to an associate you’ve never met.

Let’s be blunt: too many agents think their job is done when they’ve agreed a sale. It isn’t. Getting a property sold takes more than putting it on the market and celebrating an offer. You need someone who understands how to progress a sale, speak to solicitors and lenders, chase answers and tackle problems before they derail the deal.

A sale agreed is not a sale completed. I know the difference because I’ve spent 36 years learning how to get sales over the line.

If your agent disappears once the offer is accepted, who’s fighting to get your move completed?

With us, you know exactly who’s doing that job: me.

25/09/2026

What to do before your property goes on the market

22/09/2026

PROPERTIES FOR SALE

Take a look at some of the fantastic properties we currently have available across Bristol and the surrounding areas.

From apartments and family homes to substantial country properties, there is something here for a range of buyers and budgets.

If a property in the video catches your eye, contact us for further details or to arrange a viewing.

Rachel Gardiner Estate Agents
Open seven days a week, 9am-6pm

Rachel Gardiner: 07530 022200
Email: [email protected]

Properties available on Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket.

22/09/2026

THE HOUSING MARKET HAS CHANGED — SELLERS NEED TO CHANGE WITH IT

There are currently more properties for sale than at any point in the past 12 years, while the number of buyers making enquiries is 9% lower than this time last year.

Sales agreed are also down 9% annually, and Propertymark reports that there were approximately two viewings for every available property during summer 2026. In early 2022, that figure was more than six.

Rightmove says four in every ten properties coming to market currently fail to find a buyer. In 2021, it was only one in four.

That does not mean properties are not selling. They are — but buyers now have far more choice and will overlook homes that are overpriced or poorly marketed.

In this market, sellers need:

• An honest and realistic valuation
• The correct asking price from day one
• strong marketing
• An agent who follows up every enquiry and viewing
• Regular reviews based on genuine buyer feedback

Overvaluing a property simply to win the instruction is a poor strategy. Repeated reductions make a property look stale and can ultimately result in the seller accepting less than they might have achieved with the correct price from the outset.

The market is moving, but simply listing a property is no longer enough. Choosing the right estate agent has never been more important.

If you are thinking of selling, contact me for straightforward, experienced advice based on the market as it is — not the price you would like to hear.

Rachel Gardiner Estate Agents
35 years of property experience
Open seven days a week
07530 022200

19/09/2026

IF YOUR ESTATE AGENT STARTED IN THE ’90s…

Would you expect someone who entered estate agency five years ago to have the same experience?

Of course not.

I started selling homes in 1993, when the housing market was still recovering from one of Britain’s toughest property crashes.

Since then, I have worked through three further recessions, the 2008 financial crisis, Brexit, Covid and 40 Bank Rate increases.

I have experienced booming markets, falling markets, difficult lending conditions, broken chains and transactions that required far more than uploading photographs and waiting for an offer.

Experience cannot be fast-tracked.

When everything is straightforward, many agents can sell a property. It is when the survey raises problems, the chain starts wobbling, the buyer loses confidence or the solicitors stop communicating that experience really matters.

This isn’t about how long an agency has existed. A new agency can still be led by an experienced professional.

The question you should ask is:

How long has the person actually responsible for selling and progressing my home worked in the property industry?

I have been doing it since 1993.

Rachel Gardiner Estate Agents
07530 022200
[email protected]

19/09/2026