Homeowners rush to complete sales before end of year

October is reportedly the best month for completions with an average of 81,974.

Homeowners rush to complete sales before end of year
The likelihood of completing a property sale in the last three months of the year is greater than any other quarter according to research by Housesimple. An analysis of Land Registry home sale completion figures over the past five years by Housesimple revealed that October to be the best month for completions, with an average of 81,974. The peak continues in November and December, with respective average sales completions of 79,266 and 79,873 in the final two months of the year.

This peak stands strong in November and December too, with respective average sale completions of79,266and 79,873 in the final two months of the year.

Sale completion data also revealed that, in general, less home sales complete in January (58,432), February (61,184) and April (60,236).

A spring bounce is regularly seen in March, where the average number of homes sales completing jumps to 79,876.

Sam Mitchell, chief executive at Housesimple, said: “There is no denying that timing plays a key role in selling a home and an uplift towards the end of the year is a clear sign of people looking to complete on their property before Christmas comes and a New Year begins.

"Expect to see a sudden rush in social media posts over the next couple of weeks as lots of people share photos of their new homes and the ‘key in front of the door’ shot, moving in with just enough time to get the decorations up for Christmas."

From a regional perspective, the best time for completion is mostly consistent across the regions with an uplift reported towards the end of the year and the greatest volume of completions commonly in October.

Regional differences include London, where March was revealed to be the best month for home completions and Wales, where December is the month with the highest volume of homes completed.

November just beats October in the North East, while in Yorkshire and Humber August appears to be the best month to complete.