selling
Best time to sell a house in the UK: what the index shows month by month
Best time to sell a house in the UK?
- 4 min read
- Last reviewed 4 November 2026
- By Your Property Check team
Key answer
Part 1 of 6
What we measured
General information, not advice. We used the monthly UK House Price Index (UK HPI) series for England, from HM Land Registry and the Office for National Statistics, held in our data files up to August 2026. For each calendar month we worked out the average change on the previous month, and counted the years in which the index went up. The series is the unadjusted index, so it still contains the seasonal pattern. GOV.UK says seasonally adjusted series are also calculated at regional and national level, and those remove it.
We looked at two windows: 2011 to 2019, before the pandemic years, and 2011 to 2025, which includes them.
| Month | Average change, 2011 to 2019 | Years up (of 9) | Average change, 2011 to 2025 | Years up (of 15) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -0.40% | 1 | -0.26% | 3 |
| February | 0.17% | 6 | 0.07% | 9 |
| March | 0.05% | 4 | 0.19% | 8 |
| April | 1.12% | 9 | 0.34% | 12 |
| May | 0.55% | 8 | 0.65% | 13 |
| June | 0.67% | 9 | 1.07% | 15 |
| July | 1.21% | 9 | 0.70% | 14 |
| August | 0.51% | 9 | 0.83% | 15 |
| September | -0.01% | 4 | 0.24% | 8 |
| October | -0.35% | 1 | -0.40% | 3 |
| November | 0.07% | 4 | 0.20% | 7 |
| December | 0.27% | 6 | 0.13% | 9 |
Each figure is the change in the index from the month before. Source: UK HPI full file, August 2026, England; our calculation.
Part 2 of 6
What the pattern says
The index tends to rise from April to August and to fall in October and January. In the 2011 to 2019 window, April, June, July and August rose in all nine years. In the longer window June and August rose in all 15. That fits the common view that spring and summer are the stronger months, and the data back it up as a pattern in averages.
It does not say that a house sold in June sells for more than the same house in January. The index measures price movement across all registered sales in the month, which includes a different mix of homes each month. Larger family homes, for instance, may sell more in some seasons than others. We have not tested that, so we do not claim it.
Part 3 of 6
Why the month in the data is not the month you list
The UK HPI is built from sales that have been registered. GOV.UK says the gap between sale and registration typically ranges from 2 weeks to 2 months, and that some registrations take longer. A home put on the market in March, with an offer agreed in April, may complete and register in the summer. So the index month is later than the month you start selling in. The Price Paid Data on GOV.UK is organised the same way: by the date each transaction was received by HM Land Registry for registration.
This is also why the newest figures are the least settled. GOV.UK says the revision period is normally 12 months.
Part 4 of 6
Is winter a bad time to sell?
The index fell in January and October in most years, and by up to 0.40% on average a month. Those are small changes next to the 17% to 20% falls seen in the 2007 to 2009 market (see our page on house price falls since 1995). A month of weak seasonal movement is a smaller effect than the state of the market in the year you sell. We cannot show how many homes sell each month because our files hold no month-level count of sales, so we do not claim that fewer buyers are around in winter.
Part 5 of 6
What matters more than the month
- Your home and your price. Recent sales near you are better evidence than a national seasonal average. Use the sold prices tool or a free house value check.
- Local prices. Our page on where prices are falling shows that places differ.
- Timing. Selling takes weeks to months from listing to completion; see how long it takes to sell a house.
- Your own deadline. If you have a move date, mortgage end or probate timetable, those usually matter more than the season.
Part 6 of 6
How reliable is this?
It is a measured pattern for England over named years. It is not a forecast, and any year can differ. The long window includes the pandemic years, which may have shifted the pattern. The regional pattern may differ from England's, and we have not shown it.
This page is general information, not advice.
Our take
Treat the seasons as a pattern, not a plan
England's index rose in June and August in all 15 years from 2011 to 2025, which is a real pattern. But we would not time a sale around it. Registered sales lag completion by weeks, the mix of homes changes by month, and your own deadline and your local prices usually matter more than the calendar.
What Your Property Check adds is the local picture. Our free house value check gives an honest range from real HM Land Registry sold prices in your postcode, with the comparable sales and the working shown, and no email or phone number is needed. Start there before you pick a month.
Our opinion, drawn from the facts on this page: not advice and not a forecast. We earn from OfferCheck reports and from introducing sellers to cash buyers, so weigh it with that in mind (see our disclosure). We are not authorised or regulated by the FCA.
Questions, answered
Frequently asked questions
What is the best month to sell a house?
Do prices really peak in spring?
Is winter a bad time to sell?
How reliable is seasonality data?
Does this apply to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Where this comes from
Sources
- GOV.UK: About the UK House Price Index
- GOV.UK: UK House Price Index reports
- GOV.UK: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data downloads
Last reviewed 4 November 2026 by the Your Property Check team. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For your own situation, speak to a conveyancing solicitor or another qualified professional.