The best time of the year to sell your house

It's bad news for people looking to move who haven't yet found a buyer: the autumn term has started, and your home is much less likely to sell.

It's no surprise that most families like to minimise the disruption to their kids by moving during the school holidays. But did you know that this can have a big effect on house prices?

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According to online estate agent eMoov.co.uk, most homes are actually sold during the school terms, which are, of course, longer than the holidays.

But the average sale price for these homes is a lot lower: £296,128, compared with £308,150 for the school holidays. And worst of all is the autumn term that's just beginning, with an average sale price of just £271,028.

The best time of year to complete on your sale, says eMoov, is the Easter holidays, with the average price paid reaching £398,041. The spring term leading up to Easter is the second highest at £324,632, with the spring half term, the autumn half term and the Christmas holidays providing other windows for a higher price.

"As we wave goodbye to summer and finally see the kids return to school many will pause for a breath and a well-deserved cup of tea. However, for those of us with a property sale forthcoming, our attention will soon be drawn to when to sell with an eye on completing before Christmas," says founder and CEO of eMoov.co.uk, Russell Quirk.

"Whilst the Christmas break offers an opportunity to get a sale over the line, and for a marginally higher sold price, when combined with the additional stress of the festive period it can be a tough ask."

There is, though, another good opportunity to get a higher price: the autumn half term, just seven weeks away. People who sell then get on average 12% more than those who sell now.

Given that it generally takes around two months to sell, according to Rightmove, this means that people who get a move on can still get a good price for their home - after all, even if you miss the half-term window, it's not long until Christmas.

"As this research shows, the best window to aim for, albeit a smaller one, is the autumn half term," says Quirk.

"Of course, you can never say for sure how long a sale will take as each is individual, but as a good rule of thumb, getting the preparation of floor plans and photos out of the way now, puts you in a very good position once the market picks up mid-term and continues to do so right up until Christmas."

Sold prices during term times and holidays

Summer holiday: £294,370
Autumn term 1: £271,028
Autumn half term: £303,003
Autumn term 2: £297,691
Christmas Holiday: £300,367
Spring term 1: £293,220
Spring half term: £323,052
Spring term 2: £324,632
Easter holiday: £398,041
Summer term 1: £294,991
Summer half term: £266,637
Summer term 2: £293,817
Term time (all): £296,128
Holidays (all) £308,150