February stands out as the prime time to list your home for sale, as per data from Rightmove. An analysis of house sales indicates that 68.9% of properties listed in February successfully secure a buyer. January and March share the second spot, with 68.8% of homes finding buyers on average. April and May follow closely at 68.7% and 67.7%, respectively.
Contrastingly, October ranks lowest on the list, yet 65.4% of homes listed in this month still sell. On average, it takes about seven months to finalize a sale after listing a property.
The study by Rightmove assessed millions of properties listed between 2014 and 2024, excluding data from 2020 due to the pandemic. The analysis also omitted data from 2025 to account for homes listed later in the year that are still seeking buyers.
In terms of speed, January takes the lead with an average of 47 days to find a buyer, closely followed by February at 48 days. March sees the highest number of newly listed properties and the most overall sales agreements on average.
Colleen Babcock, a property expert at Rightmove, suggests that February is the optimal month to sell a home, with the upcoming Spring season also showing promise for sellers. She advises potential sellers considering a move in 2026 to act promptly to leverage the heightened buyer activity.
Highlighting efforts to streamline the buying and selling process, Housing Secretary Steve Reed aims to expedite transactions, reduce fall-through rates, and alleviate stress for buyers and sellers. John Baybut, Managing Director at Berkeley Shaw Real Estate, notes the current robust market conditions driven by decreasing interest rates and the consistent long-term growth of UK property values.
Mike Sharman, Group Managing Director at Sharman Quinney, emphasizes the bustling market in February, with a surge in new property listings. He advises serious buyers to be prepared with financing in place and their own properties lined up for sale to secure their preferred choice from the available listings.