The best time to sell your home in the UK
New research from Rightmove highlights an unexpected frontrunner for the best time to list a property: February. The data, which is based on an in-depth analysis of millions of homes sold over a decade, shows February tops the charts for the highest likelihood of successfully finding a buyer.
The study, covering listings from 2014 to 2024 (excluding the pandemic-disrupted 2020 and incomplete 2025 data), shows that 68.9% of homes first listed in February went on to secure a buyer – edging out other months in a closely fought contest. January and March tied for second place, each with 68.8% of listed homes finding buyers, while the traditional spring favourites April (68.7%) and May (67.7%) followed closely behind.
Even the lowest-ranked month, October, still saw 65.4% of listings succeed – underscoring that motivated buyers exist year-round, though timing can make a meaningful difference.
Rightmove’s data also revealed that January stands out for speed, with homes listed that month finding a buyer in an average of 47 days – just one day ahead of February’s 48 days. March emerges as the busiest overall, boasting the highest volume of new listings, buyer enquiries, and agreed sales.
“It’s a tight contest, but on average, February is the best month to get your home sold, followed by further strong months during the upcoming and very important Spring home-moving season.
“Sellers who are yet to act but are considering a 2026 move might consider coming to market soon to take advantage of the increase in home-buyer activity,” said Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert.
Broader changes coming for UK homebuying
The findings arrive amid broader reforms to the homebuying process. Late last year, the government consulted on measures to digitise transactions, mandate qualifications for estate agents, and boost transparency – changes projected to shave around four weeks off completion times, particularly for first-time buyers. Industry voices echoed the optimism.
“Selling a home is often about a fresh start – a bigger place, a growing family, or a new chapter – but too often the process makes it far harder than it needs to be. We’re making changes to the buying and selling process to get the system moving more quickly, stop transactions falling through, and remove all that unnecessary stress during what should be a really exciting next step towards their dream home,” said Steve Reed, Housing Secretary.
“Outside of the usual seasonality of the UK property market, conditions are strong due to lowering interest rates. Despite rhetoric around the economy, the UK market has consistently performed well for decades, and property continues to grow in value well over the long term.
“February is usually one of the busiest months of the year with lots of new listings for sale, so serious buyers need to be ready, with mortgages in place and their own homes sold subject to contract to be first in line for the choice of homes available,” said John Baybut, Managing Director at Berkeley Shaw Real Estate in Liverpool.
