Every home listed on Ostrich is owned by someone who plans to sell at some point, although not everyone is on the same timeline. Some owners are actively thinking about selling soon, while others might only be tempted if the right offer comes along. And then there are those who aren’t planning to move for a year or more.
What is the sale timeline?
To help set expectations, each home has a sale timeline based on what the homeowner has told us:
- 0–12 months These owners are more likely to be thinking about selling and open to hosting viewings.
- 12+ months These owners aren't planning to sell for at least a year and are much less likely to be ready to host viewings.
Homeowners can add a note with more details about their sale timeline. If they’ve shared anything, you’ll see it before submitting a viewing request, so you can get a clearer idea of where they are in their journey.
You can request a viewing on any property, no matter the timeline. Your request goes directly to the owner who can either invite you to view or let you know it’s not the right time.
For properties with a 12+ month timeline, while viewings aren’t likely to happen right away, your interest is registered with the owner. That way, they can reach out in the future when they’re closer to selling and are ready to host viewings.
What if I’m looking to move now?
If you're looking to move sooner rather than later, we recommend making sure you only have "Selling soon" selected when you're browsing properties. This means you'll only see homes with a 0–12 month sale timeline. It’s the easiest way to connect with owners that are more likely to be ready for viewings and moving within the next year.
If you'd like to get a sense of what's available on a longer timeline you can select "Selling later" to include homes with a 12+ sale timeline.
We know this is different from traditional property websites where everything’s for sale "right now". But by letting owners list earlier and stay in control, we can give you a richer view of what might be coming soon, and access to homes you can’t find on Rightmove or Zoopla.