Landlords are doing the maths — and many are selling now
Landlords across the UK are quietly working through the same question: is holding on for a slightly better sale price worth the risk of a bigger tax bill by the time contracts complete?
We’re David and Jason — landlords ourselves — so we understand the pull of waiting for the perfect figure. But right now, three forces are lining up that make “wait and see” a riskier bet than usual. Here’s the plain-English version.
”Beating the CGT changes” is now landlords’ top reason to sell
In Property118’s latest landlord sentiment survey, realising gains before capital gains tax changes has become landlords’ single biggest reason for selling — running neck and neck with high interest rates, and ahead of every other factor (Property118, July 2026). A third of landlords (34%) also expect to remortgage within the next 12 months — a sign of how many portfolios are under pressure to move one way or another.
It’s not just tax — the calendar and the market are pushing too
Property expert Jonathan Rolande has pointed straight at the diary, noting landlords are rushing to sell ahead of possible changes at the Autumn Budget, with mortgage approvals falling to their lowest level since January 2024 — down 15% year-on-year (West Wales Chronicle, Sept 2026). Fewer approvals means a smaller pool of mortgaged buyers competing for each property — exactly the wrong backdrop for holding out for top price.
And top price is getting harder to find
Nationally, asking prices fell 2.0% in a single month this August — the steepest August drop since 2018 (Rightmove, Aug 2026). Buyers also have less to spend: average mortgage rates have climbed from under 4% in January to around 4.8%, cutting the typical buyer’s borrowing power by roughly 9% (PropertyReporter, Aug 2026).
Why “wait for a better offer” is a gamble right now
Put those together and the maths behind holding on starts to look shaky:
- A softer market means longer to find a buyer.
- A tighter mortgage market means more chains that wobble or collapse before completion.
- An uncertain Budget means the tax treatment of your gain on the day you finally complete isn’t guaranteed to match what you’re planning around today.
Every extra month on the open market is a month exposed to all three at once — with no guarantee the eventual price makes up for it.
Take the timing risk off the table
Selling to House Buyers Wales removes those unknowns in one move: no mortgage-dependent buyer to fall through, no chain to collapse, and no waiting to see what fresh legislation does to your numbers. We agree a price and move to completion in a matter of weeks — not the months a chain-dependent sale on a slowing market can take — so you know exactly where you stand well before Budget day, not after it.
We buy tenanted or vacant rentals across South Wales — single properties or whole portfolios, even with arrears — so you don’t need to evict anyone or wait out a void first. (Here’s how selling with tenants in situ works.)
This article is general information, not tax or financial advice. Every landlord’s capital gains position is different — speak to your accountant or a qualified tax adviser about your own circumstances before deciding.
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