February and March are typically the best months to list a home for sale, based on the likelihood that the home goes on to sell successfully, latest analysis from Rightmove reveals.
The portal looked at millions of properties listed for sale since 2012, excluding 2020 due to the pandemic.
Nearly seven in 10 homes (66.3%) listed for sale in February and March since 2012 go on to complete a sale, the most out of any month.
February also has the joint quickest time to find a buyer on average historically, alongside January, at 51 days for a typical home to find a buyer, closely followed by March and April at 52 days.
INCREASED CHANCES
In good news for those who have already come to market or are perhaps thinking about coming to market a little later this year, April and January are just fractionally behind February and March as the best months to list a home based on the likelihood to complete.
It has been an encouraging start to the year for buyer activity, which is positive news for sellers considering coming to market.
After the first full month of the year, the number of potential buyers contacting agents about homes for sale is up by 8% compared with the same period last year, and the number of sales being agreed is up by 15%.
POSITIVE YEAR
Steve Pimblett, Chief Data Officer at Rightmove, says: “These insights should make for encouraging reading for anyone thinking of listing their home for sale soon, as well as anyone who has already come to market this year.
“The Spring Selling season is traditionally one of the busiest periods of the year for agents, and the signs of buyer activity we’ve been seeing are setting the scene for a positive one this year.”
PRESENTATION IS KEY
Ben Hudson, Managing Director at Hudson Moody in York, says: “To give yourself the best chance of a successful sale, it’s really important to present your home at its best. It may sound obvious, but clean up, de-clutter and make sure any obvious defects are put right before the photos are taken and viewers start coming round.
“Curb appeal is very important as when people arrive to view your property, and walk past it on the street or drive past it in a car they will form some kind of impression of your home. The more attractive you can make it look on the outside, the more likely people are to want to come inside.
“Small touches like tidying up the front garden and mowing the lawn can send out the message that your home is easy to maintain and well-kept, which will delight some buyers who might not have the time to spend on household chores.
“The obvious things such as putting on lights to show the house well, putting the heating on, and making sure it smells fresh and clean is also important for comfortable viewings, leaving potential buyers with the right impression.”
ACTIVITY SPIKE
Toby Leek, NAEA Propertymark President, says: “2025 is defying usual seasonal trends as we see a spike in activity across the board.
“People will likely be pushing to complete before rises in stamp duty commence in April across England and Northern Ireland; however, anyone who hasn’t already started the home buying and selling process may find it very difficult to do so as the average time taken to complete on a property stands at around 15 weeks.”
STAMP DUTY CONCERNS
And Stuart Collar-Brown, President of NAVA Propertymark, Propertymark’s auctioneering arm, adds: “It is encouraging to see that February and March 2025 are likely to be two exceptionally busy months for the housing market in line with trends that have persisted since 2012. Let us hope that this lays the foundation for what should be a fantastic year for the housing market.
“However, for those who have not considered auctioning their homes, now is a potentially great time to do so. The stamp duty threshold will increase from April across England and Northern Ireland and considering this option can help progress a completed sale quickly, auctioning your home can help avoid paying hefty Stamp Duty fines from spring onwards due to the speed of the process.”
