Budget Blues.

It’s mid September, and this time in 2024 I’d already shot and completed 27 jobs for various clients. As of today, I’m running at…….Ten.

Part of that is due to losing one big client at the end of last year obviously, but even without that, there’s definitely a massive downturn in properties being marketed. Figures from various estate agencies report a small drop in asking prices, and a hesitation in pulling the trigger until after the budget when the implications of any new tax legislation with regards to property ownership will become apparent.

People will always want to move home, so there’s no point in worrying about short-term trends. I suspect there’ll be a temporary hiatus, then things will gather pace again before the natural winter dip in sales.

Weathering these storms is all part of freelancing in this genre of photography, and I’ve had my fair share of umbrellas going up over the years. The lack of holiday-let shoots is a little bit concerning, as these tend to pop up in significant numbers straight after the summer school holidays. I’m shooting holiday house sales every week now, so hopefully once the budget is over, those shoots will begin to appear as well.

In the meantime it’s back to self-imposed austerity in the home, and in the business. Every penny counts when levels of business drop, and keeping things tight will get me through the coming winter - hopefully with a prosperous 2026 ahead.