Housing market activity is getting underway earlier than usual in 2026, according to early January data from home-moving comparison site reallymoving. Registrations for conveyancing, survey and removals quotes jumped 58% in the first half of the month, compared with the same period last year.

Conveyancing registrations – often seen as a marker of serious intent to move – rose 74% year-on-year, suggesting sellers are pushing ahead with plans that were delayed toward the end of 2025. With the Autumn Budget absorbed, a December interest rate cut in place and greater certainty around housing costs and taxation, movers appear more decisive as the year gets underway.

Rob Houghton, founder and CEO of reallymoving, said, “Rather than signalling a broad resurgence in market confidence, the figures indicate that pent-up demand from the autumn is now feeding through. This goes well beyond the casual browsing of property portals – these are committed movers taking purposeful steps to progress a transaction.

“Conveyancing registrations in particular show that buyers and sellers are lining up professional services now they have more certainty, rather than waiting until spring. For many movers it isn’t about timing the market perfectly, it’s about life circumstances – and needs-based moves to accommodate a new job or a growing family can only be put off for so long.”

First-time buyers are particularly proactive in their New Year house hunting, accounting for nearly six in ten (59%) of all conveyancing registrations on reallymoving in early January. Despite continued affordability challenges, the availability of cheaper mortgage deals and a desire to secure discounts from fatigued sellers while it remains a buyer’s market has spurred many First Time Buyers into action.

Upsizers accounted for 18% of movers, while downsizer activity remains strikingly low, accounting for just 4% of all movers in the market. With agents reporting that larger, higher-value homes are taking longer to sell and subject to fiercer price negotiation, downsizers appear to be sitting tight for now in the hope the market will strengthen in time and they can maximise the value of their home.

Houghton added: “The data suggests downsizers are delaying moves until they feel confident they can achieve good value for their existing home – particularly as many will be relying on the lump sum generated by the sale to help fund retirement. For them it’s a once-in-a-lifetime equity event and the timing is key.”