When to put on the market if I want to move between June and Sept?

[LoveRules]

Hi all

I've got a four bed, three bathroomed modern (2019) detached house - nicely finished, all mod cons. I bought it early 2022 and now need to move next year after my youngest finishes GCSEs in May but before she starts 6th form in the new location.

We can't work out when we would be best to go live with marketing. I've bought and sold several times and each time there has been a chain breakdown with someone pulling out often very late in the sales process which has meant the entire chain has had to remarket etc.

I think Jan is a terrible time to market and would mean putting people off by telling them we couldn't move out before June but would add contingency into the timelines. A late Feb or March marketing would be better if all goes well but little time to remarket if it goes belly up.

I am porting my mortgage so can't go into rented to help with the chain situation.

Any thoughts about a prolonged marketing starting in Jan or a more targeted in Feb/March gratefully received

We bought and sold in Jan of this year and didn’t move until June. This was a simple chain with 4 parties involved. With all of the extra affordability checks etc going on now, I think this is a really normal timeframe!

Our offer was accepted end of Feb, we moved end of July - 3 house chain. But honestly I would prepare for the worst case, house sales are delayed all the time.

I wouldn’t market it any earlier than February or March & be upfront with any interested buyers that you can’t move out until June as it would be too disruptive in the middle of exams.

If you are realistic with the price and tell the EA you want it priced to sell not priced to see the maximum you could possibly get if you are very lucky, that should help to get offers quicker. Of course the chain can still break down and things get delayed, there is nothing you can do to 100% ensure a sale reaches completion within a set timeframe.

I bought a new build. (Built and ready to move in), mortgage in place, and it still took nearly 4 months from offer to completion. I'd market in Jan for sure.

**no chain

We're in a similar situation, same 4 bed 3 bath we aren't looking to move til March/April but the EA have advised the market has slowed quite a lot for houses of the size/price and advised us to put it on now.

Thanks all. The shiny shirted barely out of school estate agent seemed surprised at anyone thinking it would take longer to complete a sale for June than an April start date. I made a note not to use that agent!!!

Ok @moominzoomin that's super useful intel so a good 6 months ahead of completion.

Tbh an EAs answer is always “list it with us immediately “ regardless of the question.

You do need to take their advice with a pinch of salt.

I would put on market end of January

@Twiglets1 of course, they just want your house on their books. I have been watching rightmove for over 3 years in 2 areas and can see a drastic difference in the speed 4+ bed houses are selling compared to even last year though.

Loads of factors putting people off buying at the moment and with how long the actual process takes after accepting an offer we think their advice is sensible.

Hi @LoveRules we're in a very similar position for a relocation to another part of the country which at least means our chain will end with us as we're going to go into rented at the other end to make things easier.

As Easter is early this year (end of March) we were planning mid March.

I made an offer on a house on Feb and we completed August. In fairness we were In no hurry and chain free so just let it drift along until the vendors were ready but there were two collapses further up the chain and then it took ages for someone to get an indemnity. Trouble is that it’s really really unpredictable.

I was told January is a good time to put a house on the market - lots of people making new year’s resolutions and looking for a fresh start at that time of year.

We marketed August because we wanted to move by Christmas. We moved the following July due to a bunch of arseholes people pulling out at various parts of the chain. Sadly you just can’t reliably plan these things 😢.

I guess my next Q to ask myself is what price to list it at - same price as I bought it for given i bought it last year I think. The agent seemed to think I'd be mad not to raise the price but I think in order to get a quickish sale I should be realistic in pricing not over ambitious/greedy

That's sobering @Surelyitscoffeetime and similar to my own story last house sale - put on in July. Wankers buying my house pulled out the day of exchange of contracts in late October so we had to go from fully packed to remarketing. Took 3 weeks to get new buyers (in the meantime lost the house I was buying and had spent £££ on solicitors fees) who in the end lost their buyer along the way too but bless them were wealthy and smitten enough to take out a bridging loan by which time the sellers of the house I'd lost came back to me cap in hand as they'd lost their buyers!!!!
We finally completed in March last year 9 months after listing the house with the agents.

It's such a flawed process but with the solicitors profiting from all the rework it probably won't ever change!

I guess being on the market sooner rather than later gives us more chance to find a house we want to buy too.

I think it would be sensible of you not to raise the price from what you bought it for last year. Being realistic gives you a better chance of a sale without having to reduce after a few weeks on the market.

April. Most sales take up to 3 months.

We listed in late March/early April and only just moved in...

However, our previous neighbours (chain free) listed and completed in the space of 11 weeks!

January, unless you expect it to go super quick then March, but no later than that! Conveyancing can easily take three to four months.

I would put it up as soon as possible in this market.

I viewed my new property in November, had my offer accepted finally in January and still didn't complete until May and there wasn't a chain either side and I was pushing for completion. I even threatened to pull out due to sheer frustration.

I'd probably go for January too. People are always looking after Christmas. We put ours on the market in early February and moved in early September. It seemed to drag on and on and on, and this was after a few failed sales a few months earlier. I hate the process.

Prices have gone down since early 2022. Have you done significant work to it?