Homes here are agreeing fast and often above their guide, even with more choice than usual. Speed like this is built before launch, not after.

The Government's recent push to modernise the home moving process is aimed at one thing, cutting the delays and fall-throughs that make selling a home so stressful. For sellers in Hertfordshire, the practical answer to that is getting your home Contract Ready, having the information gathered up front rather than scrambling for it later.

The gap between asking and achieved looks alarming this month. Read it closely and it tells a quieter, more useful story.

Hitchin Town and its neighbourhoods of Benslow, Bearton, the Poets Estate, Walworth, Purwell and the nearby villages are seeing a busy market, with higher stock levels, realistic pricing and mixed price trends across different property types.