What is the best time to sell your house?

Spring has long been the popular season to place property on the market. There have been several reasons for this including quicker property sales and the achievement of higher prices. Since Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Stamp Duty Holiday ended on 30 June 2021, the UK property market has remained very buoyant, leaving sellers with the question -  so what is the best time to sell your house? 

Traditionally the spring months of March – June and the autumn months of September and October are deemed as the best periods in which to sell your house. House Advisory cites that March is the best month of all for selling properties fast because on average, houses take just 59 days to go ’under offer’. This compares with the average time of 79 days in the low months of October/ November. The less time your property is on the market, the higher the price you are more likely to secure.

On the flip side, the worse months for selling properties are August when many people are away on holiday and December, because who wants to be house hunting when there are Christmas presents to buy!

Another important factor in when to put your house on the market is ‘supply and demand’. To ensure a swift sale at top price, ideally, the demand needs to be high and supply low. If there are few similar properties on the market and they are much- sought after, this drives up their value.  This is the current situation in many parts of the UK where for a third consecutive month, houses have sold for more than their asking price. In June, an incredible 40% of houses were sold for higher prices. 

The best time of year to sell does vary, depending on the type of property that you own, its location and the type of buyer who will be interested in it. If you have a flat that appeals to couples and first-time buyers, January and February are the ideal months to put it on the market- or in early autumn, as people like to be settled in their new home for Christmas. The best months to sell a family home are different, as they are closely linked to school holidays! It is best to check school holiday dates first and avoid putting your house on the market during any of these times. If your home is a bungalow or suitable for retired couples, the best selling period will be the spring and summer months to avoid the cold weather. 

In all cases, springtime remains overall the best period to sell. As well as being a good time because the market is upbeat, with many new buyers searching for properties, it is the time when strong competition will ensure you get a good price for your property. Properties look at their best in the spring sunshine with well-tended gardens. The mild weather encourages potential buyers to get out and about house hunting. Certainly with current trends, house sellers can trigger a bidding war over their property by launching it on the market at a competitive price. With the knowledge of what the best times of year are to sell your house; do you know which day is best too? Numerous studies have been made to establish the best day to launch the sale of your house and Sunday has been proven to be the best day to go to market! 

As we approach the autumn and the second best selling period for many types of property (September and the first half of October), maybe you are tempted to sell, knowing that you could get a really good price as the market is so upbeat. Whilst this sounds appealing, maybe the thought of putting your house on the market and being inundated with visits by your estate agent and prospective buyers is daunting. 

An increasing number of house sellers are now using national home buyers as these cash property buying companies make house selling a much quicker and more straightforward procedure. Many property owners like the idea that they will know exactly what money they have to buy a new home and will have a large cash amount to put down on a property. National Homebuyer is the UK’s largest cash property buying company and has an excellent reputation for safe house sales that are guaranteed and professionally done.

Certainly, the UK property market looks as though it will remain buoyant for many weeks to come so a swift house sale could well be worth considerising.

 Food for thought indeed