February and March are the best months to list a home for sale, based on the likelihood of a transaction completing, according to analysis by a property website.
Around two (66.3%) in every three homes listed in February and March since 2012 have gone on to sell successfully, making the months the joint strongest of the year, Rightmove found.
Rightmove’s analysis looked at millions of properties listed for sale since 2012, excluding 2020 due to the distorting effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
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.
Rightmove also found that April and January are only just behind February and March, as the best months to list a home based on the likelihood to complete.
At the other end of the spectrum is the month of December, with 61.7% of homes listed in this month going on to complete a sale.
Would-be buyers are often distracted by Christmas.
Rightmove said it has been an encouraging start to the year for buyer activity.
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%, the website said.
However, stamp duty discounts are due to become less generous from April this year, with the “nil rate” band for first-time buyers reducing from £425,000 to £300,000. Stamp duty applies in England and Northern Ireland.
Steve Pimblett, chief data officer at Rightmove, said: “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.”
Ben Hudson, managing director at Hudson Moody in York said: “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.
“Kerb 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.”
Here are the average percentages of homes that have successfully completed a sale and the average number of days to find a buyer, according to Rightmove’s data:
January, 66.1%, 51
February, 66.3%, 51,
March, 66.3%, 52
April, 66.1%, 52
May, 65.4%, 54
June, 64.4%, 56
July, 63.8%, 57
August, 64.0%, 58
September, 63.0%, 59
October, 62.4%, 61
November, 62.2%, 61
December, 61.7%, 59
