Christmas. There, we said it. 🎄

We know what you’re thinking. It’s August. The children are still off school, the BBQ hasn’t quite been packed away and nobody needs to see a mince pie for at least another couple of months.

But hear us out…

If you’ve been thinking about moving home and would love to be putting up the Christmas tree somewhere new this year, then the C word might actually be worth mentioning now.

Because while Christmas might feel a long way off, when it comes to moving home, the next few weeks could be important.

Eyes on the autumn market

The latest Autumn 2026 Market Update from The Guild of Property Professionals paints an encouraging picture as we head towards September.

Despite wider economic uncertainty, the housing market has shown resilience over the summer, with transactions holding up and buyers still willing to make a move when the right home comes along.

UK house prices are 2.7% higher than a year ago, while property transactions have risen by 2.5% year-on-year. Gross mortgage lending has also increased by 15.1%, and although mortgage approvals are lower than this time last year, mortgage availability has improved.

Perhaps most importantly for anyone considering putting their home on the market, The Guild points to September as a traditionally important month for property activity.

After the distractions of the summer holidays, buyers tend to return to their searches with renewed focus. Children go back to school, routines return and those conversations about “maybe we should move…” suddenly become a little more serious.

In other words, autumn can bring a fresh wave of motivated buyers — including plenty who have one particular deadline in mind.

Christmas.

Could you really move before Christmas?

Potentially, yes.

But this is where mentioning Christmas in August suddenly doesn’t seem quite so ridiculous.

Moving home isn’t one single event. Before somebody hands you the keys, there are quite a few pieces that need to fall into place.

Your home needs to be valued and prepared for the market. Photographs and marketing need to be arranged. Your property needs to launch, viewings need to take place and an offer needs to be agreed.

And that’s before solicitors, searches, surveys, mortgages and the rest of the sales process get involved.

So, if your dream is to wake up on Christmas morning in your new home, getting the ball rolling now gives you the best opportunity to make that happen.

It doesn’t mean putting your house on the market tomorrow. It simply means starting the conversation.

What are buyers looking for this autumn?

The encouraging thing about the current market is that buyers haven’t disappeared.

The Guild’s latest figures suggest people are still prepared to move when the right property comes along. And as we head into the autumn market, motivated buyers will be keeping a close eye on new homes coming to market.

That makes good preparation particularly important.

Getting your asking price right from the outset, presenting your home at its best and launching with strong photography and marketing can all help you make the most of that renewed autumn interest.

And if you’re not quite ready yet? That’s okay too.

A valuation now can give you a clearer idea of what your property could be worth, what your budget might look like for your next home and what you could do over the coming weeks to prepare.

So… is it too early to mention the C word?

For Christmas shopping? Absolutely.

For decorations? Please, give it a while.

But for moving home? Maybe not.

September is approaching, buyers are beginning to turn their attention back to the property market and, before we know it, those darker evenings will be creeping in.

If you’ve been wondering whether this could be the year you celebrate Christmas somewhere new, now is a great time to find out what your options look like.

You don’t need to have the tree up just yet. But if you’d like to be putting it up somewhere new this Christmas, now might be the perfect time to get moving.

Thinking about making a move? Get in touch with our team to arrange a no-obligation valuation and start planning your next chapter.

Market statistics and commentary sourced from The Guild of Property Professionals, Autumn 2026 Market Update.