Sell your property in Christchurch
Selling a house, bungalow, retirement flat or harbour home in Christchurch with Flexie Estate Agents: a valuation based on the street and the lease, honest advice on timing, and marketing to the buyers this town attracts.
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Selling a home in Christchurch starts with knowing who will buy it. A bungalow near the High Street, a retirement flat, a family house in Burton and a cottage by the Quay each go to a different buyer, at a different pace. Flexie Estate Agents values and markets homes across BH23 and tells you plainly how yours is likely to sell. This page is the Christchurch detail behind our selling your property service.
Who buys in Christchurch
- Downsizers and retirees, often selling a larger home elsewhere. They want level living, parking and the shops on foot, and they are frequently chain-free.
- Second-home buyers, mainly from London and the Home Counties, for the Priory quarter, Mudeford and Highcliffe. At the time of writing they pay BCP Council's 100% council tax premium on a furnished second home, which some factor into the price.
- Families, for houses in Somerford, Jumpers and Burton, Twynham School and the station.
- Investors, for freehold houses that let well to long-staying tenants.
Retirement flats and leaseholds
Christchurch has many retirement blocks. A buyer must meet the age rule in the lease, the service charge covers a house manager and shared facilities, and some leases charge a fee on sale. We ask for the lease, the service charge accounts and the management pack early, because a missing document is the most common reason these sales stall. Flats by the Quay and on the cliff at Highcliffe raise the usual leasehold questions: lease length, ground rent and the management company. Our guide to selling a leasehold flat covers each.
Presenting a Christchurch home
Buyers here look closely at condition. Older bungalows benefit from a clear-out, a repaint and a tidy garden; a cottage by the Priory sells on its rooms and its light, so we photograph it on a bright day. Parking is the first question for any home in the old town, so say what there is. For a house near the river or the harbour, have the flood history and insurance details ready. Our guide to preparing your home for sale has the list.
How we market your home
Photographs and a floor plan, a description written for the likely buyer, the portals, and our register of buyers who have asked about Christchurch. We accompany viewings, qualify every buyer's position before an offer goes to you, and follow the sale through to completion with the solicitors. We do not list homes for sale on this site yet, so buyers register and hear from us when a match comes up.
Before you decide
A property valuation in Christchurch gives both the sale figure and what the home would let for. If letting looks better, letting agents in Christchurch, property management in Christchurch, long term lets in Christchurch and winter lets in Christchurch set out the options. The town is on our Christchurch area page, and we sell on the same terms in Bournemouth.
The Christchurch property market
Christchurch is the oldest and quietest of the three BCP towns, a market town built where the Avon and the Stour meet the harbour below the Priory. Houses and bungalows outnumber flats, the population is older than Bournemouth's, and demand comes from families, retirees, airport and hospital staff and second-home buyers drawn to the water.
Christchurch buyers are not one market. Downsizers and retirees want bungalows and level flats near the High Street or the water. Second-home buyers from London and the Home Counties want the Priory quarter, Mudeford and the cliff at Highcliffe. Families want three and four-bedroom houses in Somerford, Burton and Jumpers for Twynham School and the station. Investors look for freehold houses that let to long-staying tenants.
Three things move a Christchurch sale.
Retirement flats. Leases restrict buyers to a minimum age, service charges are higher and some leases carry an exit or transfer fee. The buyer pool is smaller and a sale takes longer.
The water. Homes within a walk of the Quay, the harbour or Avon Beach draw buyers from outside the area, and fewer of them come up.
Flood and leases. Buyers' solicitors ask about flood risk in a town where two rivers meet a harbour, and about the lease on any flat.
Who rents and buys in Christchurch
- Downsizers and retirees. The town's large retired population buys bungalows, retirement flats and homes near the water, often after selling a larger house elsewhere. That holds up sale prices for single-storey homes and gives landlords a market of older tenants who stay for years.
- Airport and engineering staff. The Aviation Business Park at Hurn brings engineers, contractors and new starters on contracts measured in months. They want a furnished house or flat with parking and a short drive to the airport, which suits Burton, Somerford and the north of the town.
- Hospital staff and visiting families. Christchurch Hospital and the Royal Bournemouth Hospital recruit staff on rotations, and relatives of older residents come to stay for weeks when a parent is in hospital or moving into care. Both groups look for furnished homes with level access and parking.
- Families and commuters. Twynham and Highcliffe schools, the station on the Waterloo line and freehold houses with gardens bring families who rent before they buy, and commuters who want the coast with a direct train.
- Second homes and the water. Buyers from London and the Home Counties pay a premium for the harbour, Mudeford Quay and the clifftop at Highcliffe. BCP Council's council tax premium on furnished second homes changes how those homes are held and let.
Selling your home in Christchurch, step by step
A free sales valuation
We look at the home, the street, the lease if there is one and what buyers in the area want, and give you a price range with the evidence.
Prepare and market
EPC and paperwork, photographs and a floor plan, then the portals and our registered buyers. We arrange and accompany viewings.
Offers to completion
We qualify every offer, agree the sale and progress it with both solicitors through searches, survey and exchange to completion.
Selling your property in Christchurch: questions
How do homes sell in Christchurch?
Through the portals, our own register of buyers and a clear description written for the likely buyer. A bungalow is marketed to downsizers, a family house to families, a harbour home to second-home buyers. We advise on the asking price after a visit, with the comparable sales we used.
Is a retirement flat harder to sell in Christchurch?
It takes longer, because the lease limits buyers by age and the service charge puts some off. Gather the lease, the service charge accounts, any exit or transfer fee terms and the management company's contact details before you list. That paperwork shortens the sale.
Do homes near the harbour or the Priory sell for more?
Generally yes, and they attract buyers from outside Dorset. We do not quote a premium as a percentage; the figure depends on the house, the view, parking and condition, and a valuation sets it out for your property.
When is the best time to sell in Christchurch?
Spring and early summer bring the most buyers, especially for homes near the water, which show best in good light. Family houses sell steadily through the year. The right time is also when your paperwork is ready and your next move is clear.
Do you have buyers registered for Christchurch?
We do not list homes for sale yet, so buyers register with us and are told when a home that fits comes up. We do not claim completed sales. Your home is also marketed on the portals so every buyer in the area sees it.
What will my solicitor need?
Proof of identity, the title, any lease and management information, certificates for work done, the EPC, guarantees and the property information forms. For a home near the rivers or the harbour, have any flood history and insurance details ready, because buyers will ask.
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Selling your property nearby
- Mudeford
- Highcliffe
- Burton
- Stanpit
- Friars Cliff
- Southbourne
- Bournemouth
- Poole
- Boscombe
- Westbourne
- Winton
- Charminster
- Selling your property: every area
Other services here: Letting agents in Christchurch, Long term lets in Christchurch, Property management in Christchurch, Property valuation in Christchurch, Winter lets in Christchurch
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