Homeowners looking to sell by Christmas are being urged to list their property by October 20 in order to complete in time.

Research by HomeOwners Alliance, which runs the Estateagent4me comparison tool, shows that over the past six years, properties listed in October take an average of nine weeks or 64 days to sell.

This means that homeowners who want a sale agreed this side of Christmas should be looking to list their house for sale by Wednesday October 20 at the latest. 

Looking at each year since 2015, the average amount of time it has taken to sell has fluctuated between 58 and 73 days. 

Despite the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, the data shows the average length of time to sell a property has remained relatively constant.

Sales took longer to complete in early stages of the pandemic between April and July as during some of that time there were tougher restrictions on home moves.

However, the average speed of sales accelerated towards the end of 2020 once the housing market reopened and the time-limited stamp duty holiday was introduced.

The New Year remains the best time to list your property for a speedy sale, with homes listed in January selling the fastest.  

HomeOwners Alliance chief executive Paula Higgins says: “2021 has been a chaotic year for buying and selling homes. 

“The rush to buy before the end of the stamp duty holiday deadline in June congested and slowed the home buying process. 

“This wasn’t helped by the pingdemic which caused further disruption across the sector.  

“Thankfully, this Autumn will see things return to normal for home movers. “Looking back on six years of data, we can see that if you want to sell by Christmas, then you need to get on and do so before 20 October.“