It may feel far too early to think about Christmas, but moving home takes longer than many sellers expect. Starting in July can make the journey calmer and more controlled.

There is an interesting statistic in the Shepperton property market that, on the face of it, doesn't seem to make much sense. The average Shepperton home currently takes 64 days to sell, compared with a national average of 75 days.

If moving is starting to feel more realistic, September is a useful time to prepare. Understanding your budget, priorities and local property search now could make things much easier when the right home appears.

Every few weeks, another headline appears warning that house prices are about to crash. The reason changes each time. One month it is mortgage rates. The next it is inflation. More recently, geopolitical tensions and uncertainty in the Middle East have been blamed for higher borrowing costs and weaker buyer confidence