Plenty of choice for buyers: How sellers stand out in the run-up to Christmas
Rightmove’s House Price Index for September 2026, published on 21 September, contains both an encouraging signal and a significant challenge for sellers. The encouraging signal is that average newly-listed asking prices rose by 0.7% in September to £367,440, the first monthly increase since May and a rise above the typical seasonal average for this time of year. The challenge is the context around it: the number of homes available to buy is at a 12-year high, buyer activity is still 9% lower than a year ago, and the average time from listing to completion is now around seven months. Sellers who understand both sides of this picture are in a materially stronger position than those who act on the headline number alone.

The market sellers are entering
The autumn bounce in activity is real but modest. Buyers are returning from the summer with renewed focus, and the seasonal improvement is visible in enquiry data. However, the fundamentals for sellers are more demanding than at any point since 2014 in terms of the competition they face. With the total stock of homes available to purchase at a 12-year seasonal high and 3% fewer new listings than a year ago, the pool of properties buyers are choosing from has expanded significantly while the pool of active buyers has not.

Sales agreed are 9% lower annually, a figure that reflects both affordability pressure and buyer caution. The average two-year fixed mortgage rate reached 5.29% in mid-September, up from 5.09% the previous month and materially above the 4.25% level that prevailed before the conflict in Iran began to push energy prices and inflation expectations upward in late February. Each rate increase reduces the effective purchasing power of the buyers looking at your property.

The 61% completion rate: what it means
Across Great Britain, around 61% of homes that come to market currently find a buyer. This compares to 74% in 2021. The regional picture varies widely: the North West, where price levels support affordability, sees 71% of homes sell. The South East records 56%. London, where affordability is most stretched and supply most plentiful relative to demand, sits at just 42%.

The practical message for sellers is that market success is not automatic even for well-located properties. The sellers whose homes are in the 61% are typically those who priced accurately at launch. Rightmove’s analysis of 2026 transactions found that 74% of homes that have sold this year did so without a subsequent asking price reduction. The ones that required a reduction had already lost momentum during the period before the adjustment, because buyers move on quickly from listings that appear to have sat on the market.

The Christmas timeline: what is possible
Sellers entering the market now should plan around realistic timelines. On average it takes 64 days to find a buyer after listing, and a further 150 days to complete the transaction. The total process therefore takes approximately seven months from listing to moving. Sellers who come to market in mid-October are, on average, looking at completions in the early to mid-spring of 2027. Those who come to market now in October and price well may beat this average, but counting on a Christmas completion from a new listing is not the most reliable plan. For sellers who are already under offer, a completion before Christmas remains achievable.

What makes a seller stand out
The conditions described above are not a reason not to sell. They are the reason pricing and presentation matter more than they did in 2021. Three things consistently separate the homes that sell from the ones that do not in this market.

The first is pricing accuracy. An asking price grounded in comparable recently sold prices in the immediate area, rather than in the asking prices of current listings or in what the property achieved at a previous high, generates the buyer interest needed in the first two to three weeks on the market. That window is when most eventual offers come in. Miss it and the recovery is slow.

The second is presentation quality. With buyers having considerable choice, the first impression from photographs and the in-person viewing experience determines whether a buyer continues to engage or moves to the next option. A well-presented home at a fair price is the most effective combination available in the current market.

The third is responsiveness. Sellers who work closely with their agent, act on market feedback quickly, and are available for viewings create a transaction environment that motivates buyers to proceed rather than wait.

Talk to our team about selling your home this autumn