New build homebuyer activity set to spike as busiest time of the year approaches

December 5, 2019
new build homes essex uk

The latest research by new homes specialist, Stone Real Estate, has revealed that the level of new build properties being sold accelerates as we head into December, while sales across the regular market drop a gear in the run-up to Christmas.

Stone Real Estate looked at the number of transactions across each area of the market over the last five years, what percentage of total transactions they accounted for in each year, and how this compared to the previous months.

The research shows that on average over the last five years, the number of new build transactions in December accounts for 11.9% of total new build transactions for the year. In contrast, the number of existing homes sold during the last month of the year accounted for just 8.2% of all sales on average.

What’s more, December is the only other month of the year where new build sales hit double-digits as a percentage of total yearly sales along with June, with both months consistently ranking as the busiest in the new build calendar over the last five years.

There is also a clear trend whereby the number of new-build sales falls considerably following the June peak and then slowly gains momentum heading towards Christmas. On the other hand, existing property sales tend to see a gradual decline from August and September heading into the festive season.

Founder and CEO of Stone Real Estate, Michael Stone, commented:

“The new build sector doesn’t come under the same seasonal strain when it comes to sales transactions when compared to the existing sector. This is largely because new build sales involve one buyer and on the other side of the coin you have a professional entity that continues to work right up until the Christmas break to get a sale over the line.

This should be the case with any good estate agent, however, as there is no lengthy chain to deal with or any of the other complications that can come with an existing property sale, the process is all the quicker. As a result, when the December rush to complete before or just after Christmas hits, the new build sector is much better placed to facilitate a greater number of sales despite the shorter time frame.

One common misconception is that Christmas is a great time to find a homebuyer bargain and while true to an extent, historically new build house prices tend to stand firm, and in many cases sit higher than many previous months in the year. That said, developers will often include some festive incentives to persuade homebuyers to take the plunge and this, of course, all helps favourably towards their end of year figures.”

Five Year Look
Sector
December Sales as a Percentage of Annual Sales
New Build Average
11.90%
Existing Average
8.20%
Date/Month
New Build Sales as % of All Yearly Sales
Existing Sales as % of All Yearly Sales
2014
2014-01-01
5.1%
7.4%
2014-02-01
6.1%
7.2%
2014-03-01
8.3%
7.3%
2014-04-01
7.3%
7.8%
2014-05-01
8.3%
8.5%
2014-06-01
13.4%
8.4%
2014-07-01
7.2%
9.4%
2014-08-01
7.6%
9.8%
2014-09-01
8.3%
8.6%
2014-10-01
8.5%
9.5%
2014-11-01
7.9%
8.1%
2014-12-01
12.0%
8.1%
2015
2015-01-01
4.6%
6.5%
2015-02-01
5.3%
6.5%
2015-03-01
8.4%
7.2%
2015-04-01
7.6%
7.0%
2015-05-01
8.9%
8.0%
2015-06-01
14.1%
8.6%
2015-07-01
8.0%
10.3%
2015-08-01
7.8%
9.3%
2015-09-01
8.9%
8.9%
2015-10-01
8.4%
10.0%
2015-11-01
7.5%
9.0%
2015-12-01
10.5%
8.8%
2016
2016-01-01
4.5%
7.0%
2016-02-01
5.1%
7.5%
2016-03-01
9.2%
13.6%
2016-04-01
7.4%
5.8%
2016-05-01
7.5%
6.7%
2016-06-01
12.5%
7.8%
2016-07-01
7.3%
9.0%
2016-08-01
7.5%
9.1%
2016-09-01
8.8%
8.6%
2016-10-01
8.4%
8.0%
2016-11-01
8.7%
8.3%
2016-12-01
13.2%
8.4%
2017
2017-01-01
5.0%
6.7%
2017-02-01
5.7%
7.0%
2017-03-01
9.3%
8.4%
2017-04-01
7.1%
7.2%
2017-05-01
8.2%
7.9%
2017-06-01
13.2%
9.2%
2017-07-01
6.9%
9.0%
2017-08-01
6.9%
9.7%
2017-09-01
8.6%
9.0%
2017-10-01
8.1%
8.9%
2017-11-01
8.6%
8.8%
2017-12-01
12.3%
8.2%
2018
2018-01-01
5.2%
7.0%
2018-02-01
6.2%
6.9%
2018-03-01
9.0%
7.9%
2018-04-01
6.9%
7.0%
2018-05-01
7.7%
8.1%
2018-06-01
13.9%
8.7%
2018-07-01
6.9%
9.0%
2018-08-01
7.4%
10.4%
2018-09-01
8.1%
8.2%
2018-10-01
8.2%
9.2%
2018-11-01
8.8%
9.8%
2018-12-01
11.7%
7.7%

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Home and Living

FIVE food cupboard cleaning products that beat the branded – all under £1.50!

Use white wine vinegar to get rid of yellow pillow stains Many cleaning products Brits already have in their food cupboards Cleaning expert on five cleaning products that can help clean your bedroom From limescale to stubborn stains, many household messes can be tackled with items that are probably at the back of your food…
Read More →
Breaking News

Taxing times for bereaved families as IHT receipts hit a fresh record

Inheritance Tax receipts for April 2025 to March 2026 are £8.5 billion, which is £0.2 billion higher than the same period last year. This surpasses the £8.2 billion recorded the previous year and marks a fifth consecutive annual record. Rising receipts come amid intensified enforcement and public criticism that the inheritance tax system is unfairly…
Read More →
Breaking News

UK property management sector tops £37bn

The latest research from Property Inspect reveals that the UK property and facilities management sector grew by 4.1% in 2025, with annual revenue surpassing £37.7 billion. Forecasts suggest that 2026 will see this figure continue to rise. Property Inspect has analysed data on the estimated market size of the UK’s facilities and property management industry,…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

How Estate Agents in Cambridge Support First-Time Buyers

Buying your first home can feel both exciting and overwhelming. If you are doing it in a city like Cambridge, you can probably dial that terror up a few notches. It is a place where historic charm meets a high-octane tech economy, and that combination creates a property market that operates differently from many other…
Read More →
Breaking News

UK House Price Index for February 2026

The latest UK House Price Index for February 2026 shows that:   The average monthly rate of house price growth in February was +0.1%. Average UK house price annual inflation was 1.2% in the 12 months to February 2026. As a result, the average UK house price currently sits at £268,000.   Damien Jefferies, Founder…
Read More →
Breaking News

Ready or Not: How Prepared Are Landlords and Tenants for the Renters’ Rights Act?

44% of landlords and 64% of tenants say they are not confident about what will actually change when the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force. New research from LRG shows that while the Act is widely known about, what it means in practice is still unclear for many people on both sides of the tenancy.…
Read More →