Forget turkey and tinsel, it’s time to talk house hunting! If you dream of spending Christmas in a brand new home, you’d better get moving, because the clock is ticking.

According to the experts at My Home Move Conveyancing, the average house sale takes a whopping 146 days! That means if you want to be settled in before Christmas, you need to list your house by July 18th. Yes, you read that right, summer’s just begun and you’ve got just over a month left to get your property ready for the market.

A Regional Race Against Time

But hold on, it’s not all doom and gloom. While the average sale time applies to most of the UK, some regions are a little faster or a lot slower.

Those with the shortest amount of time to sell include:

• Wales: The slowest region in the UK. With an average sale time of 167 days, Welsh sellers need to list their homes by June 27th. Yikes, that’s almost now!
• London: The Big Smoke’s busy market means sellers have until July 1st to get their properties listed.
• East Midlands: This region has a deadline of July 3rd.
• East & South East: These regions have the slightly later deadline of July 7th.

Those with a bit more time:

• Scotland: With an average sale time of 94 days, sellers in Scotland have until September 8th to list their properties.
• North East: The North East has a sale time of 132 days, giving sellers until August 1st to list.

What’s The Catch?

Why is selling a house taking so long these days? Well, there are a few culprits:

• The search: Finding the right buyer takes time, especially in a competitive market.
• Surveys: Getting your property surveyed can take weeks.
• Mortgages: Waiting for mortgage approval can be a drag.

What Can Sellers Do?

“It’s all about preparation,” says Alistair Singer, Director of My Home Move Conveyancing. He advises sellers to:

• Understand your home’s unique features. This helps you find the right buyer.
• Choose a conveyancer who’s a good fit.
• Get your ducks in a row for each stage of the sale. This helps you avoid delays.

The bottom line? Don’t wait! Get your house listed ASAP if you want to be enjoying Christmas in a new home.