February has been identified as the optimal month to list your home for sale, as per data from Rightmove. A recent study on house sales indicates that 68.9% of homes listed in February successfully secured a buyer. Following closely behind were January and March, with both months seeing 68.8% of listed homes finding buyers on average. April ranked third at 68.7%, followed by May at 67.7%.
Contrastingly, October ranked lowest on the list, with 65.4% of listed homes eventually being sold. On average, it takes about seven months to find a buyer and complete a sale transaction for a property. The analysis by Rightmove examined millions of properties listed for sale from 2014 to 2024, excluding 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic, and 2025 to account for properties listed later in the year still awaiting buyers.
January emerged as the quickest month to secure a buyer, averaging a mere 47 days, closely followed by February at 48 days. March stood out as the month with the highest number of newly listed properties and the most overall sales agreements on average.
Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert, highlighted February as the prime month for home sales, emphasizing its competitiveness and the upcoming active Spring home-moving season. She advised prospective sellers considering a move in 2026 to act promptly to capitalize on heightened buyer interest.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the need for a smoother buying and selling process to reduce stress and transaction failures. John Baybut, Managing Director at Berkeley Shaw Real Estate, highlighted the current strength of the UK property market due to decreased interest rates and the long-term value growth of properties.
Mike Sharman, Group Managing Director at Sharman Quinney, noted the bustling activity in January, February, and March, attributing it to vendors gearing up for the year ahead and the onset of spring driving new property listings. He advised serious buyers to be prepared with finances and contracts in place to secure their desired properties swiftly.