Spring is the king for selling your home, but autumn has its charms

First published in The Scotsman.

As the leaves begin to turn, fringe performers return to their day jobs, and the Gallagher brothers return from South America still on good terms, the autumn market beckons. Every year around this time many Edinburgh homeowners find themselves asking the perennial question: is now the right time to sell, or should they wait until the fresh optimism of the new year? Traditionally, both spring and autumn saw strong performances by property sales in the capital, but in recent years activity has been markedly higher earlier in the year. Is this just a temporary blip or a permanent change in the rules of the game?

Let’s take a closer look.

First Half vs Second Half: The Numbers Game

Usually, Edinburgh’s residential property market is most active from March until May. The longer days help sellers to show off their properties, the warmer weather makes the viewing experience more pleasant for buyers, and families that are planning moves want to get everything completed before the next school year begins. The trend was maintained this year. According to ESPC data, properties listed in March 2025 achieved an average of 103.1% of their Home Report valuation, with April and May close behind at 102.8% and 101.5%, respectively.

The market tends to slow down in June, July and August, and then – historically, at least – September brings the ’autumn bounce’. In recent years, however, that bounce has been at best a gentle hop, and it looks likely that that will be the case this year too.

This trend is shown not just in prices but also in time on the market. In September 2024, 27 days was the average, whereas in March this year the figure was 20 days. March also saw the highest volume of buyer enquiries in five years.

There are probably many reasons for autumn’s underperformance in recent years, but we can be sure that one of the most significant is the Covid pandemic. This dramatically changed buyers’ priorities: space, gardens, and home offices became must-haves, and the spring months offer sellers the best chance to showcase these features in their best light. Virtual tours and professional photography have become standard, but nothing beats natural light and blooming gardens for attracting competitive offers.

So should sellers give up on the autumn season? Not quite. Spring is clearly now peak season, with a better chance of a short selling time and more aggressive bidding, but autumn still has a lot going for it. Sellers in September can still achieve strong results, especially if their property is located in a high-demand area such as Stockbridge, Morningside or Leith.

If your property is ready now, and you’re not reliant on a chain, putting it on the market in September can be a smart move. As always, preparation is key: a well-presented home, priced accurately and marketed professionally, can win in any season.

But if you’re aiming to attract multiple offers and maximise your sale price, waiting until early 2026 may be the better strategy, especially if you are downsizing. If, on the other hand, you are planning to purchase a significantly more expensive property, then if house prices go up over the next six months the gap between your sale price and your purchase price will widen. In this scenario, it would clearly be better to push the button now.

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