Q4 the busiest time for home sales

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The likelihood of completing a property sale is highest in the last three months of the year, research from estate agent Homesimple shows.

An analysis of Land Registry home sale completion figures by Housesimple over the past five years reveals October to be the best month for completions, with an average of 81,974 home sales tied up.

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

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.”