Could you still sell now and be moved by Christmas?

Every September, almost without fail, we hear a version of the same question.

The summer holidays are finished. Schools are back. Routine returns. Someone who has spent the last few months thinking about moving suddenly decides it’s time to do something about it.

Then comes the question:

“If we put the house on the market now, could we still be moved by Christmas?”

The answer is yes.

But September sellers need to understand one thing from the outset: there isn’t much time to waste.

A Christmas completion is achievable, but only if the early stages of your sale happen quickly and the rest of the transaction runs relatively smoothly.

That makes the decisions you make before your home even launches particularly important.

Why is September a good time to sell a house?

September tends to bring renewed energy to the property market.

The holidays are largely over, children are back at school and buyers who spent August casually checking Rightmove often become considerably more active.

There’s also an important psychological difference.

A buyer searching seriously in September may have a clear reason for wanting to move.

They might want to be settled before winter, complete before Christmas, secure a school move or simply stop carrying their plans into another year.

Around Thetford, Brandon and Breckland, that can create a useful autumn window for sellers.

The challenge isn’t necessarily finding motivated buyers.

It’s the calendar.

How long does it actually take to sell a house?

This is where sellers need to think about two separate timelines.

The first is the time between launching your property and agreeing a sale.

Rightmove reported that the national average time to find a buyer was 62 days in June 2026.

Then the second clock starts.

Once an offer is accepted, the transaction needs to pass through conveyancing before contracts can be exchanged and the move can complete.

According to the HomeOwners Alliance, conveyancing typically takes around 12 to 16 weeks from offer accepted to completion.

Put those averages together and a seller could realistically be looking at around five or six months from launching onto the market to handing over the keys.

If everything followed those averages, a property launched in September might therefore complete in February or March rather than December.

But averages don’t tell the whole story.

Pricing correctly at launch can transform the timeline

This is perhaps the most useful statistic for anyone hoping to move before Christmas.

Rightmove’s July 2026 House Price Index found that properties which sold without needing an asking-price reduction took an average of 36 days to find a buyer.

Properties which needed their asking price reduced took an average of 127 days.

That’s an enormous difference.

Thirty-six days from an early September launch could mean accepting an offer around the middle of October.

If the legal work then proceeds efficiently and completes towards the quicker end of the 12-to-16-week range, Christmas becomes a realistic possibility, albeit a tight one.

By comparison, 127 days takes an early-September seller into January before they’ve even found their buyer.

And Rightmove’s data offers some encouragement: 74% of properties that sold and completed during 2026 did so without first needing a price reduction.

Does that mean sellers should price cheaply?

No.

This distinction matters.

Pricing correctly isn’t about putting your house on the market for less than it’s worth.

It’s about understanding what buyers are genuinely prepared to pay now, using evidence from recent sales, competing properties and current demand.

An asking price should help create interest and competition.

Starting deliberately too high in the hope of “trying it for a few weeks” can have the opposite effect.

Those first few weeks are when a new property normally attracts its greatest level of attention.

If the market tells you the asking price is wrong and you eventually reduce it, you can’t recreate that original launch.

For a September seller hoping to complete before Christmas, losing six or eight weeks testing an ambitious price can effectively end the Christmas plan before it has properly begun.

Five things September sellers can do now

If Christmas matters to you, there are several things worth doing before the first viewing even takes place.

1. Base your asking price on today’s market

Look at properties that have actually sold or agreed sales recently, rather than simply comparing your home with optimistic asking prices online.

The aim should be to position your property so motivated buyers act.

2. Start gathering paperwork immediately

Planning permissions, building regulations certificates, guarantees, warranties and documentation relating to work carried out on the property can all be useful later.

Finding something now is much easier than desperately searching for it when your solicitor asks in November.

3. Choose your conveyancer before you find a buyer

You don’t have to wait until you’ve accepted an offer.

Having your solicitor ready means legal paperwork can start moving quickly once your sale is agreed.

4. Think realistically about your onward move

Finding your buyer is only one part of the equation if you also need to buy somewhere.

If your next move depends on finding the perfect property, allow for that when thinking about Christmas.

Sometimes the delay isn’t your sale at all. It’s building the rest of the chain.

5. Make viewings easy

September to Christmas isn’t a particularly generous window.

The buyer who wants Tuesday evening because they work late or Sunday morning because that’s their only free slot could be the buyer you need.

Flexibility helps.

What if you don’t complete before Christmas?

Nothing disastrous happens.

A good sale agreed in November that completes in January or February is still a good sale.

Christmas is a target, not a measure of whether your move has succeeded.

Where sellers can lose out is by allowing the deadline to drive poor decisions.

For example, starting too high in September, receiving little interest through October and November, reducing after Christmas and eventually accepting a lower figure months later isn’t necessarily the cautious strategy it first appeared to be.

Sometimes an unrealistic asking price costs both time and money.

Thinking about selling in Thetford or Breckland this September?

If your aim is to move before Christmas, we’d rather have a realistic conversation with you now than promise something the calendar can’t deliver.

We’ll look at recent evidence, current competition, likely buyer demand and your own circumstances before recommending a strategy.

Because getting your asking price right isn’t about selling your home cheaply.

It’s about giving the right buyers a reason to act while time is still on your side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is September a good month to sell a house in Thetford?

It can be. September often brings increased buyer activity after the summer holidays, with people returning to their moving plans and looking to secure a property before winter. Thetford and Breckland sellers still need to price appropriately for current local market conditions.

If I list my house in September 2026, can I move before Christmas?

It’s possible, but the timescale is tight. Your chances improve considerably if you find a buyer quickly, have your solicitor instructed early and avoid unnecessary delays during conveyancing. A short or simple property chain will also help.

How quickly does a correctly priced property find a buyer?

According to Rightmove’s July 2026 House Price Index, homes that sold without requiring a price reduction took an average of 36 days to find a buyer, compared with 127 days for properties that needed their asking price reduced.

How long does conveyancing normally take after accepting an offer?

The HomeOwners Alliance suggests a typical conveyancing period of around 12 to 16 weeks from accepting an offer to completion. Individual transactions can be quicker or slower depending on mortgages, searches, surveys, legal enquiries and the property chain.

Should I start with a higher asking price and reduce it later?

That strategy can carry a significant time penalty. Rightmove’s 2026 figures suggest properties requiring a reduction took much longer to find buyers than those priced successfully from the beginning. The right approach is to use current market evidence rather than deliberately overpricing.

When should I instruct a solicitor if I want to move before Christmas?

Ideally before or as soon as your property goes onto the market. Having a solicitor ready means the legal process can begin promptly once you’ve accepted an offer rather than losing valuable time choosing one afterwards.

What happens if my house sells but I haven’t found anywhere to buy?

Your sale can still be agreed, but the wider chain may need to wait until you’ve secured an onward property. If moving before Christmas is particularly important, discuss your onward plans with your estate agent at the beginning so the whole strategy can be considered.

Is October too late to put my house on the market for a Christmas move?

Not impossible, but increasingly difficult. A buyer would need to be found quickly and the legal process would need to progress efficiently. For many October sellers, a January or February completion is the more realistic target.

Sources

• Rightmove House Price Index, 20 July 2026: average of 36 days to find a buyer for properties sold without a price reduction, compared with 127 days where a reduction was required; 74% of 2026 completed sales had not required a reduction; June 2026 average time to find a buyer reported as 62 days.
• HomeOwners Alliance, 2026: conveyancing typically taking approximately 12 to 16 weeks from offer accepted to completion.

Article by Andrew Overman | Partner | Location Location East