Thinking About Moving Next Spring? Your Move Starts Now
Spring might feel months away, but the homeowners best prepared to move in 2027 will not necessarily wait until 2027 to start. From understanding your home's value to getting financially and legally ready, autumn is the perfect time to quietly get ahead.
There is a familiar sentence we hear from homeowners at this time of year:
“We're thinking about moving next spring.”
It sounds sensible.
Enjoy Christmas. Wait for January. Start looking properly when the weather improves.
But there is one problem.
Moving home takes considerably longer than most people think.
And if spring 2027 is when you want to be moving, spring 2027 probably should not be when you start preparing.
Work Backwards From The Move You Actually Want
Imagine you would like to be in your next home by April 2027.
Before you get the keys, you need to complete.
Before completion, you need to exchange.
Before exchange comes conveyancing, searches, surveys, mortgage applications, enquiries and potentially an entire property chain.
And before any of that?
You need to find a buyer.
Rightmove's latest House Price Index shows it is currently taking sellers an average of 64 days just to secure a buyer.
That is more than 2 months before the legal process has even finished.
Suddenly, spring does not feel quite so far away.
Source: Rightmove House Price Index
Autumn Is Actually A Brilliant Time To Do The Boring Stuff
And we mean that as a compliment.
You do not need photographs taken tomorrow.
You do not need a For Sale board outside.
You certainly do not need to spend Christmas explaining to every relative why you are moving.
Instead, use the next few months to quietly answer the questions that can otherwise derail a move later.
What could our home realistically sell for?
How much equity do we have?
What could we comfortably afford next?
Where would we actually move to?
What needs doing to the house before photography?
Which solicitor would we use?
What documents are we going to need?
None of this commits you to selling.
It simply means that when you decide to move, you are starting from a plan rather than from zero.
There Is Another Reason To Start Looking Now
The market is giving buyers plenty to explore.
Rightmove currently records an average of 65 homes available per estate agency branch, the highest level for September in 12 years.
At the same time, September has brought buyers back into the market.
Buyer demand jumped 5% in the opening week of September, compared with an average increase of just 0.4% during the equivalent period over the previous 5 years.
Here in the West Midlands, the increase was even stronger at 7%.
So even if you are not buying yet, now is an excellent time to start learning.
Watch asking prices.
Save properties.
Visit areas.
Understand what sells quickly.
See what your budget actually buys.
And perhaps most importantly, work out what you are not willing to compromise on.
But Don't Make This Mistake...
You spend the next 6 months browsing.
Then one Sunday evening you see it.
The one.
Right road.
Right garden.
Right number of bedrooms.
Right school catchment.
You book the viewing.
You love it.
And then the agent asks:
“What's your position?”
Your house has not been valued.
You are not on the market.
You do not have a buyer.
You have not spoken to a mortgage adviser.
Meanwhile, another interested buyer already has their property sold subject to contract.
That is a frustrating way to discover that preparation matters.
Get Yourself Into Position Before You Need To Be
There is a big difference between being on the market and being ready for the market.
You can prepare without launching.
Have your home valued.
Understand the likely strategy.
Know what needs improving and what does not.
Speak to your mortgage adviser.
Choose your solicitor.
Start monitoring the areas you want to move to.
Then when the moment feels right, you can move quickly.
If spring is already being discussed in your house, this is probably the most useful thing you can do next:
Find out what your current home could realistically be worth.
What If You Can't Find The Home You Want?
This is another reason we encourage people to speak to us before they are ready to move.
Your property search does not have to begin and end with repeatedly refreshing a portal.
Tell us what you are trying to find.
The location.
The type of home.
Your non negotiables.
Your budget.
And what would make you move.
Our Search and Secure Service is built around proactively helping buyers find the right property rather than simply waiting for it to appear in their search results.
You can also register for our Heads Up Property Alerts so you are ready when suitable opportunities become available.
The Avenue View
Do not confuse waiting to move with waiting to prepare.
If you are perfectly happy where you are, enjoy your home.
But if you and your partner have already had that conversation...
“We could do with another bedroom.”
“The garden isn't big enough.”
“I'd love to be closer to the school.”
“Maybe next year?”
...then you have already started your move.
You just have not put a sign outside yet.
Autumn gives you time to understand the numbers, explore the market and get everything lined up without pressure.
Then when 2027 arrives, you can decide whether to press the button.
Preparation does not commit you to moving. It gives you the ability to move when you want to.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start preparing if I want to move in spring 2027?
There is no requirement to put your home on the market immediately, but starting several months beforehand gives you time to understand your value, finances, onward search and selling strategy.
How long is it currently taking to find a buyer?
Rightmove reports an average of 64 days nationally based on its August 2026 data. Actual times vary considerably by property, price and local market.
Can I have my property valued even if I am not ready to sell?
Yes. Understanding your home's realistic market value can help establish your equity and onward purchasing budget without requiring you to immediately list the property.
Should I start looking for my next home before selling mine?
You can start researching at any time. Understanding locations, prices and availability early can be extremely useful. However, your position as a buyer may become stronger once your own property sale is underway.
Can The Avenue help me prepare now and launch later?
Yes. Speaking to your local partner early allows you to understand your position and develop a plan without needing to immediately put your home on the market.
MOVING IN 2027?
Then your first step does not need to be putting your home up for sale.
It can simply be finding out what is possible.