When is the Best Time to Sell a House?

Anyone looking to sell their house will be keen to know when the best time of year to sell is. Whilst each neighbourhood and home are different, the property market tends to follow a similar pattern across all areas.   

In this article, we explain everything you need to know about the best time of year to sell a house and provide further useful information to help inform you to make the best decision on the most favourable time to put your property on the market. 

When is the Best Time to Sell a House? 

Traditionally, Spring is considered the best time of year to sell a house. Even in the modern digital age, spring is the most favourable time of year to sell. This is when most houses go up for sale and interest from potential buyers is strongest. Specifically, March is considered the best month to put properties on the market in the UK.

Selling by Season 

There are seasonal differences when it comes to selling a house, and the property market tends to follow these trends every year.  

You may wish to read more about how long it takes to sell a house in the UK. 

Now let’s go into some more detail about the different seasons. 

Spring 

As alluded to above, spring is a great time to sell property and is indeed the most popular time to buy and sell. The enthusiasm from the New Year is still in swing, and the thought of settling in a new home in the summer can be extremely attractive for buyers.  

There are lots of practical aspects to spring as well which make it a good time to sell. Potential buyers won’t be away on summer holidays, and there won’t be the busyness of Christmas to contend with too.  

Also, there are many national holidays in the UK in spring with the Easter weekend as well as the early May bank holiday and spring bank holiday, potentially providing buyers with more opportunities to search for and view properties. 

Properties will always view better as daylight gets longer too. spring is a great time of year to present your property in the best possible light, particularly in outdoor spaces and gardens.  

Summer 

In summer, there is typically a downturn in activity in the property market, as people turn their attention towards summer holidays and making the most of the longer evenings. Sellers will also need to factor in that young families are likely to be busy and preoccupied during the school holidays, and less inclined to be looking to move.  

Autumn 

Autumn tends to be a relatively good time to sell at the beginning of the season, but not so much towards the end of the season. There is potential for autumn to be a good time to sell when you consider that people are back from summer holidays and might be keen to move into a new home in time for Christmas. Also, particularly in the earlier days of the season, properties can still look attractive on the outside, and may even be more charming with the autumn colours.  

However, by November, demand for property can significantly decrease, so it would be advisable to consider your options at this time of year. 

Winter 

Winter is, perhaps unsurprisingly, generally the worst time of year to sell a house. With Christmas preparations in full swing and the dark nights, it can be difficult to attract buyers. Properties tend to view less favourably in comparison to the warmer months too. There is simply less interest from buyers during most of the winter, with the small exception of those perhaps looking for a bargain in time for Christmas.  

If you will not have your home ready to go on the market before December, it is worth considering waiting until the New Year. That is because the New Year tends to bring renewed interest from buyers. 

You may wish to read our article on how to sell your home in winter.

Regardless of the time of year, Chancellors estate agents can support you throughout the process of selling a house. To find out more about our selling services, please get in touch. 

What About Supply and Demand? 

There is no denying that many factors come into play when selling a house. One of the biggest of these is supply versus demand. The bottom line is that if there isn’t much demand from buyers, it will be more difficult to sell a house regardless of the time of year. 

Whilst there are certain times of year which are generally more favourable for selling, ultimately, the best time to sell a house is when the demand for property is highest and the supply is lowest.  

The truth is that it can be difficult to ascertain exactly when demand will be high. Still, there are some resources out there which can help. The Propertymark produces monthly Housing Insight Reports which detail housing supply and they can be useful to determine trends in the housing market.  

Interestingly, data from Google shows that people search most to buy a house in the period just after New Year, followed by a slight drop in February and then relatively similar search interest from March onwards and through the summer, before a drop in interest through the autumn. Data collected by Rightmove has shown similar trends too. 

Considering this data, a savvy seller may consider the New Year as a good time to put their property on the market, even if other times of year are considered more favourable for selling. 

When Are You Likely to Get the Best Price for Your Property? 

Naturally, anyone selling a property will want to sell for the highest possible price. Typically, the highest selling prices are in the summer, whilst the lowest are in Winter. It is important to keep in mind that properties sold in the summer may have been listed for sale in the spring or even Winter.   

Regardless, the variations in selling prices by season are not substantial. Generally, differences of around 1% in selling price might be expected. Also, in a volatile market, seasonal variations in selling prices could be completely nulled.  

When is the Worst Time to Sell a House? 

Generally, the worst time to sell a house is from the end of October through to December. Interest in property tends to wane towards the end of October and remains low until after Christmas.  

If you are very keen to sell your property towards the end of the year, you may be able to take advantage of a common spike in interest in buying in September. You could list your property for sale at the beginning of September and benefit from this spike of interest.   

However, if you are struggling to sell and November is approaching, it would be prudent to withdraw your property from the market and look to list it again in the New Year. 

Are There Regional Differences? 

The seasonal variations in selling are generally seen throughout the different regions of the UK. It is still worth checking with estate agents around your local area though to establish the current property market trends.  

Make Sure You Are Ready to Sell 

It goes without saying that putting your property on the market before it is ready is not a wise choice. You might be tempted to get your home on the market during a favourable time of year, but if your property does not look well presented, you may not even attract much interest from buyers, particularly if there is considerable supply available. 

Take the time to ensure that your property is looking at its best before you list it on the market. You don’t need to undertake significant renovations and improvements to the property but taking care of the little details both inside and outside the property can make a huge difference and influence potential buyer’s feelings towards a property.  

For more information on this subject, check out our article on what not to fix when selling a house. 

Should l Ever Wait to Put My Property on the Market? 

Even if your home is looking great and is ready to go on the market, it is always worth asking yourself whether you might be better served waiting before listing it on the market.  

For instance, if it is approaching Christmas or it’s in the middle of the summer, it might be worth waiting until a more favourable time of year to ensure you get the interest on your property that it deserves. 

It is also worth considering that if you do list your property on the market at a time of year when interest is low, potential buyers in later months may ask themselves why your property has been on the market for so long and assume there is an issue which is dissuading people from buying.  

When Should I Sell My Property? 

There are many issues to consider when selling a property. Ultimately, when you sell your property should be dependent on your personal circumstances. You may be in a situation where you need to sell up quickly in which case, it would be better to sell your house quickly, regardless of the time of year.  

If you do not have any need to sell quickly or at a particular time, it would be best to time listing your property with a rise in buyer interest. There are certain times of year which are typically more advantageous to attract buyers, and these are in the New Year, in March and at the beginning of September. 

It is also important to consider the wider questions around selling. Are you looking to buy a house before selling, or have you already bought a new property? Do you need to make home improvements to add value to your house? Do you have all the certificates you need to sell your house? These are all serious questions to consider. 

We Can Help You Sell Your Property 

If you are thinking about selling your property, Chancellors estate agents is here to support you every step of the way. We offer a range of specialist services to sellers in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Surrey, London, Herefordshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire and Mid Wales. 

Let us help you to sell your home and begin a new chapter in your life. Contact us at one of our branches today for more information.