Buyer demand has rebounded this month after a temporary slowdown caused by May’s record-breaking heatwave and the half-term school holiday, according to new analysis from property website Rightmove.
The property platform found that demand from prospective homebuyers dipped by 8% during the week-long heatwave that began on 22 May. The fall is thought to be down to people putting house-hunting on hold to soak up the sunshine or seek relief from the high temperatures.
However, the dip proved short-lived. As temperatures eased, buyer activity began to recover from 1st June, with demand climbing steadily. By 6th June, the number of enquiries from potential buyers had risen above pre-heatwave levels.
Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert says: “It’s not unusual for short-term external events like a heatwave or school holidays to have a temporary impact on home-moving activity, and this time we had both at the same time, so it isn’t surprising that some buyers paused their searches or delayed viewings for a few days. What’s more telling is how quickly demand tends to bounce back, as we’re now seeing, with underlying market activity remaining consistent with what we’ve seen in 2026 so far.”
While the number of enquiries being sent to estate agents remains lower than at the same point last year, Rightmove said activity is broadly in line with the trends seen throughout 2026 so far.
Its data also reveals how other events affect homebuyer demand. Recently the site saw a sharp uptick in searches for homes in Corfu following the broadcast of Amanda & Alan’s ‘Greek Job’, the television series featuring Amanda Holden and Alan Carr renovating properties overseas.
Ms Babcock said: “We regularly see patterns like this in our real-time data, whether it’s seasonal shifts, major events like the World Cup, or even cultural moments influencing behaviour, which is a reminder as to the scale of the Rightmove platform.”
