February has been identified as the prime month to list your home for sale, as per data from Rightmove. Research indicates that 68.9% of homes put up for sale in February successfully find a buyer. Following closely behind are January and March, with 68.8% of listed homes finding buyers on average. April and May secured the third and fourth positions with 68.7% and 67.7% success rates, respectively.
Contrarily, October ranked lowest on the list, with 65.4% of listed homes eventually being sold. On average, it takes about seven months to secure a buyer for a home and complete the sale transaction. The analysis by Rightmove focused on millions of properties listed for sale from 2014 to 2024, excluding the year 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic and 2025 to account for homes listed later in the year still awaiting buyers.
In terms of speed, January emerged as the quickest month to find a buyer, taking an average of 47 days, closely followed by February at 48 days. March stood out for the highest number of newly listed properties and the most overall sales agreements on average.
Colleen Babcock, a property expert at Rightmove, highlighted February as the optimal month for selling homes, emphasizing the upcoming Spring season as another opportune period for home sales. Steve Reed, the Housing Secretary, expressed intentions to streamline the buying and selling process to reduce delays and alleviate stress for individuals transitioning to their new homes.
John Baybut, Managing Director at Berkeley Shaw Real Estate, noted favorable market conditions in the UK property sector, driven by declining interest rates. He advised serious buyers to be well-prepared with finances and prior property sales to capitalize on the surge in listings during February, one of the busiest months of the year.
Mike Sharman, Group Managing Director at Sharman Quinney, highlighted the bustling nature of the January market, with vendors gearing up for the year ahead. He pointed out February and March as key months for new property listings, driven by the onset of spring and the readiness of vendors who have thoroughly assessed the market and committed to selling their properties.