January is best month to sell fast

Looking for a speedy property sale? Then it might pay to put your home on the market now, as recent research finds that homes listed in January sell faster than in any other month of the year.

The data from the HomeOwners Alliance estate agent comparison tool, estateagent4me, finds that over the last five years, homes listed in January take an average of 58 days to sell, compared to the overall speed of sale in 2019 at 69 days.

Paula Higgins, chief executive of HomeOwners Alliance, which runs estateagent4me, said: “With the general election and Christmas now behind us and children back at school, people are starting to put into action their plans for the year.

“Traditionally people wait for spring to sell their homes, but if you’re looking to get moving, then there’s no better time to put your house on the market than this month.”

“The first step is to find the best performing estate agent in your area and a good starting point is estateagent4me, which ranks local agents by how rapidly they sell and how often they secure the asking price.”

The HomeOwners Alliance has three tips for achieving a speedy sale:

W Boost your home’s kerb appeal.

Our recent survey found that 68 per cent of buyers found kerb appeal to be important when they bought their home.

The features that matter most to home buyers are windows being in good condition and a roof that doesn’t need repair.

W Make sure the price is right.

Too high and you won’t get any viewings, too low and you’ll miss out on getting what your house is worth

Speak to your estate agent about your pricing strategy.

One helpful source of information is what houses in your area sold for which can be viewed on the Land Registry site landregistry.data.gov.uk/app/ppd/

W Find a conveyancing solicitor.

As soon as you have put your house on the market, find and compare quotes from conveyancing firms. Instruct your preferred firm and start to pull together the information you will be asked for.