The shift to shorter days in autumn affects the UK housing market. Moverly’s research highlights extended selling times for homes as daylight diminishes.
- Between September and November, homes take, on average, 73.3 days to sell—the lengthiest time across all seasons.
- October and November, with 75 days on average, mark the months with the highest selling durations.
- Daylight Saving Time offers quicker sales at an average of 63.1 days, due to longer daylight hours.
- Shorter evenings result in fewer weekday property viewings, extending the selling process further.
The transition into the colder months in the United Kingdom presents a significant challenge for home sellers, particularly as the days grow shorter. Moverly’s research has highlighted a notable extension in the time required to sell a property during the autumn months, with September, October, and November showing an average selling period of 73.3 days. This period represents the longest selling time throughout the year, indicating potential difficulties for those intending to move before winter intensifies.
Analyzing the data further, October and November emerge as the specific months where selling a home becomes most protracted, averaging 75 days. This increase is attributed to fewer daylight hours, which inherently limits the time potential buyers have for property viewings. As Gemma Young, the CEO of Moverly, explains, reduced daylight directly impacts the availability of viewing times, thus delaying transactions.
During British Daylight Saving Time, from late March to late October, the average time to sell a home decreases to 63.1 days. This is due to extended daylight, peaking in June when sunsets occur around 9:21 PM. These longer evenings afford buyers ample opportunity to visit properties after work, thereby facilitating quicker sales.
However, as the clocks roll back at the end of October, the average sunset time promptly shortens, dropping to 4:12 PM by November. The ensuing lack of evening light compels most viewings to be scheduled for the weekends, inherently extending the entire selling process. This shift results in an average increase in selling time to 66.2 days post-Daylight Saving Time.
Young also suggests that while this reduction in daylight presents challenges, it coincides with potentially favourable market conditions as falling interest rates could spur greater activity. Agents may face increased workloads due to heightened buyer interest yet constrained daylight hours. She recommends leveraging technology to streamline processes, particularly in conveyancing, to mitigate these temporal limitations.
The seasonal reduction in daylight significantly impacts the home selling timeline, underscoring the need for strategic planning.
