How is autumn shaping up for home movers?

Traditionally, the perception is that the housing market is more active spring and summer. Sales and mortgage approvals data reveals a more even spread of activity throughout the year.

In the 5 years pre-pandemic, summer (27%) and autumn (26%) recorded the highest proportion of sale completions. The lag between exchange and completion suggests peak in market activity would have been spring / summer.

Autumn (26%) and winter (22%) are certainly not sleepy times for the sales market. Mortgage approvals also suggest a very constant spread of demand.

Policy changes and incentives, such as Stamp Duty changes, can artificially influence the seasonality of the sales of homes.

Source: Dataloft, HMRC, Bank of England