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

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

bank of england interest rate
Breaking News

Bank of England’s holds interest rates at 4%

With the Bank of England’s decision to hold interest rates at 4%, here are some thoughts from the Industry.   Matt Smith, Rightmove’s mortgage expert: “A Base Rate hold today had looked fairly nailed on, especially after yesterday’s news that inflation remains stuck at 3.8%. The later-than-usual Budget is very much on the horizon, and…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 18/09/25

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Exodus of Landlords – means lower supply and increased rents’ MPs have taken the Renters’ Rights Bill a major step closer to Royal Assent, confirming the scrapping of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions and the end of fixed-term tenancies, which will now convert into open-ended…
Read More
Breaking News

Energy Rules Without Power: Tenants and Landlords Both Question EPC Impact

New research from LRG reveals that both landlords and tenants are struggling to engage with the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) system, raising serious questions about whether it can deliver on its intended goals ahead of the government’s 2030 targets. While landlords overwhelmingly support the principle of improving energy efficiency, confidence in the system designed to…
Read More
New Builds 2020
Breaking News

New Build Home Enquiries Double in Summer 2025 

From June to August 2025, Compare My Move’s conveyancing data shows a 120% increase in new build home purchase enquiries compared to the same period in 2024.  This surge reflects not only more people looking to buy homes overall but also a higher share of buyers choosing new builds. On average, 12% of purchase enquiries in…
Read More
Breaking News

Residential Performance Dives, Dragging Entire Sector Down

Glenigan Review sees UK construction recovery put on pause as private housebuilding activity plummets Project starts decline by 22% during the Review period, 36% down compared to 2024 levels Main contract awards value slashed by 33% year-on-year, representing a 24% decrease relative to the prior three-month period Planning approvals nosedived 48% against the previous three…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

80% of maintenance calls happen out-of-hours

60% of landlords do not have out-of-hours management cover, despite 80% of maintenance calls coming out-of-hours The latest research by Adiuvo reveals the UK’s leading provider of 24/7 property management solutions, reveals that almost 60% of UK landlords do not have out-of-hours cover in place for maintenance, management, or emergencies. Adiuvo’s surveyed UK landlords* to…
Read More