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When Is The Best Time to Sell Your House?

Martha Lott

Written by Reviewed by Graham Norwood

1st Jun 2020 (Last updated on 13th Mar 2024) 7 minute read

The best time to sell a house is in Spring with March being the best time of year.

The time it takes to sell your property depends on a variety of factors. These include your location, property type, and the state of the housing market. When the market is ‘hot’ and demand outstrips supply, homes sell fast. This is the case if they are well-priced. If the market is ‘cold’ and supply is plentiful, homes take longer to sell…and some do not sell at all.

At Compare My Move, we work with property industry experts to bring you the best articles on moving house. This guide looks into the best time to sell a house in 2024.

  1. Is it a Good Time to Sell a House?
  2. How Long Does It Take To Sell A House?
  3. What Month is the Best Time to Sell a House?
  4. What Is The Worst Month To Sell A House?
  5. What Is The Best Day To Sell A House?
  6. Do Different Regions Make A Difference?
  7. Which Property Types Sell Best At Different Times Of Year?
  8. Selling a House Out of Peak Season
  9. Can I Take My House Off the Market at Any Time?
  10. Next Steps of Selling a House

Is it a Good Time to Sell a House?

2022 is a good time to sell your home. According to the UK government, house prices have increased by 12.4% over the year to April 2022. This increase is due to the pandemic’s impact on the supply and demand for housing transactions.

Regardless of house prices and keen buyers, you should never rush a house sale. There are many fees for selling a house involved that could put you out of pocket if you haven't prepared.

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How Long Does It Take To Sell A House?

It can take anywhere between 2 to 6 months to sell your property. The total amount of time depends on factors such as your personal circumstances and your buyer’s circumstances.

Compared to 2019, the average time it takes for a property to sell is 50 days longer. This is because there is a backlog in the conveyancing process due to the pandemic. This means that this portion of the selling process can be delayed.

Make sure that you compare solicitor quotes before making your final decision.

What Month is the Best Time to Sell a House?

Traditional trends point to March as the best month of the year to sell a home, according to data from Rightmove. The spring months are known as the peak season for both buyers and sellers. Following the slowdown in the market during the winter, people view the spring months as a new start and look to buy a new property.

Buyer demand is at its highest during March. Despite this high demand, it also sees the highest amount of new listings, making it the strongest month to sell.

April and May are the second and third best months to sell a property, respectively.

What Is The Worst Month To Sell A House?

There are two periods in the year that are seen as “off-season” for sellers. The first is December and January as people do not want to think about moving house during the Christmas period. However, buyers may begin their research around this time of year. This may mean that interest in your property may increase but the buyers won’t necessarily be ready to confirm the transaction.

The other month of the year that is not as popular for sellers is August. This is because buyers may be focused on the summer holidays and do not want to undergo a stressful move during the hot months.

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What Is The Best Day To Sell A House?

The most popular day to move house is Friday, according to our data. Of the 95,000 UK movers that used Compare My Move last year, almost 34% arranged to move to a new house on a Friday.

When it comes to selling properties, property portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla receive millions of views every day. Rightmove receives an average of over 150 million visits per month and Zoopla receives over 60 million visits per month.

The least popular day to move is Sunday, with only 2.69% of people opting to move at this time. Sunday is out of hours for conveyancing solicitors and estate agents, banks, and a whole range of other services. This means Sunday is the day you should not move house.

Do Different Regions Make A Difference?

There is a 5-6 month delay in the conveyancing process in England and Wales due to a backlog. This means that selling a house in England and Wales takes considerably longer than those looking to sell in Scotland.

Although the below is just an average, it can take a shorter or longer amount of time. It is dependent on your personal circumstances and your buyer’s circumstances. Every area is different, and some property types may sell quicker or be in more demand in certain locations of the UK.

Scotland boasts the shortest selling time at 47 days, while properties in London and the East of England take a selling average of 297 days.

It’s worth taking a closer look at your area and its selling history as there will likely be a regional difference. Below we look at the average time to sell a house in each region of the UK, along with the June 2022 house price and the most popular month for moving:

RegionAvg. Time to SellBuyers' Favourite Month to MoveAvg. House Price

Scotland

47 days

May

£187,517

North East

288 days

October

£153,592

North West

269 days

January

£205,783

Yorkshire & Humber

253 days

October

£204,835

East Midlands

262 days

July

£244,060

West Midlands

253 days

October

£247,162

Wales

273 days

July

£212,414

East of England

297 days

August

£353,574

Greater London

297 days

August

£526,183

South East

264 days

August

£388,531

South West

285 days

August

£323,418

Data taken from The Negotiator and Land Registry House Price Index. Buyer's favourite month to move taken from Compare My Move's data.

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Which Property Types Sell Best At Different Times Of Year?

Some property types will sell better at different times of the year. Certain property types will always be in demand such as detached or semi-detached homes, whilst others will be in demand at certain time periods - small flats and terraced houses are usually more popular at the start of a university term.

Below we’ve listed certain property types along with their popular time of year to sell, according to The Advisory data:

Property TypeBest Time of Year to Sell

1-2 bed flats and terraced houses

January, February, and September

3-4 bed houses

Outside of any school holidays

Bungalows

Between the warmer months of June-September

Selling a House Out of Peak Season

Whether you need to sell immediately or personal circumstances require you to delay putting your home on the market, you shouldn’t be discouraged by having to put your house up for sale out of 'peak season'. There can still be advantages to selling your home during the least popular months.

When selling a property during ‘off-season’, there will likely be less competition within your local area. There will still be potential buyers looking to view a variety of properties and so your home may stand out within the small number still up for sale. The buyers who search for homes during the ‘off-season’ are often less picky and much more motivated to buy.

Another possible advantage is that many conveyancing solicitors, surveyors, and mortgage lenders will be less busy. This means they will likely be more available to you and focus more of their attention on your property, possibly resulting in a fast conveyancing.

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Can I Take My House Off the Market at Any Time?

Wanting to sell your home during the peak season may mean a premature sale. If you’re still unsure whether you want to sell your property, you should wait until the time comes that you’re completely happy and ready to sell.

However, if you do put your house on the market only to want to take it off further down the line, know that it is usually possible to do so in the UK. No party is legally bound to the transaction until the contracts are signed and exchanged. Both the seller and buyer can walk away before this stage. You will likely lose out on any money spent on marketing but you should be able to easily take the advertisements down.

If you’ve accepted an offer and have signed the contract, you are legally bound to the sale and will be expected to transfer ownership. If you still try to pull out, you may face serious consequences and perhaps a fine.

Next Steps of Selling a House

This article has been part of our selling a house guide. Once you have an idea of when you'd like to list your house for sale, it is important to understand how long it takes to sell your house. To read more see: How Long Does it Take to Sell a House?

Martha Lott

Written by Martha Lott

Having guest authored for many property websites, Martha now researches and writes articles for everything moving house related, from remortgages to conveyancing costs.

Graham Norwood

Reviewed by Graham Norwood

Editor, Letting Agent Today and Landlord Today

With over 20 years of experience in residential property journalism, Graham is currently the editor for both Letting Agent Today and Landlord Today.