Plan to sell by summer? You have 26 days

Planning to sell your home by the summer? You have 26 days, according to one estate agent.

Research from Move With Us reveals that homeowners who want to sell their house by the start of the school summer holidays should put it on the market by 22 March. 

While the date may sound like a long way ahead of the sunny months, the gap will give them a chance of moving into their next home before the start of the new academic year. Indeed, a study of the market - in association with Home.co.uk - shows that the average time it takes to sell a home between putting it on the market and accepting an offer currently stands at 111 days: over three months.

Acting now will therefore give sellers the best chance of completing a transaction before schools break up for holidays in mid-July.

Simon King, Director, Move with Us, says: "While selling property isn’t an exact science, getting your house on the market before 22 Marchwill give you a much better chance of selling your home before the start of the school summer holidays. This also represents a fantastic opportunity for sellers, as buyers are also likely to be looking for a quick purchase in order to move before the summer holidays too."

Homeowners in Greater London can take their time, says Move With Us, thanks to the slowdown of the market in Greater London. Indeed, the average selling time is now 72 days, so should put their property up for sale on or before 30th April. 

Regional data, though, shows that homeowners in the North East should put their house on the market immediately, with an average selling time requiring their property on the market by 9th February.