It took the average home seller 256 days to sell in 2019 – here’s where the best and worst spots were across the nation

The latest research by leading estate agent comparison website, GetAgent.co.uk, has looked at the time it took to sell a home in 2019 and where was home to the longest home selling process in the midst of Brexit induced market uncertainty.

GetAgent.co.uk pulls data from all of the major portals which they then cross-reference with the Land Registry using proprietary algorithms to create a comprehensive record of what is selling, where, for how much and how long it’s taking.

The latest data looks at the total average time to sell a home throughout 2019, from the first day it was listed on the property portals until the day it is marked sold by the Land Registry.

The research shows that on average across the nation, homesellers were seeing their home take 256 days to sell from first listing it online, until the point the sale completed, climbing to 295 in the capital.

This average time increased throughout the year, with it taking 250 days during the first quarter of 2019, having increased 8.5% to 271 days by the final quarter, up 3.3% between Q3 and Q4 alone.

The pocket of the nation that endured the biggest market slowdown was Eden, where the average property sale took 393 days to complete! Westminster was home to the second-longest selling time and worst in London, taking 390 days to complete.

Ceredigion ranks as the slowest market in Wales with the average sale dragging out for 388 days, while homeowners in Islington (373), Camden (333), Copeland (332) and Richmond (331) also saw their sale take longer than 330 days.

Other areas to make the list of top 20 longest house sales of 2019 include Gwynedd, Kensington and Chelsea, Bournemouth, Lambeth and Malvern Hills.

But it’s not all bad news for UK homeowners and as always, some areas of the market defied wider market conditions to enjoy much shorter selling times.

The best in the nation was Nuneaton and Bedworth, where the average property took just 191 days from first listing online to complete. Torfaen was the best performing market in Wales with homes selling in 193 days on average, while Bromsgrove in the Midlands ranked third at 197 days.

Other areas to see the time to sell sit below 210 days include Trafford, Bolsover, North East Lincolnshire, Stockport, Walsall, Charnwood, Wellingborough, Mansfield, Redditch and Coventry.

In London, Bexley (230), Barking and Dagenham (235) and Newham (247) were home to the quickest home sales of 2019.

Founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, Colby Short, commented:

“It’s clear that the ongoing market uncertainty surrounding Brexit had a direct impact on selling times across the nation over 2019, increasing almost consistently throughout the year and culminating with the longest selling times seen all year, due to a combination of pre-election angst and a seasonal market slowdown in the final quarter of the year.

However, as always, the UK property market is a patchwork quilt constructed of many different markets, all acting independently with their own levels of demand and rates of house price growth. So while the average home seller had no choice but to twiddle their thumbs for almost eight and a half months before completing, for many, this happened much quicker.

Looking ahead, it’s now clear that December’s election result has spurred an almost immediate market revival and with high levels of activity returning on both the buyer and seller side of the fence, growing momentum should see the time taking to sell reduce substantially over the coming year.”

National and London Average
Location
Average Time to Sell (days)
England & Wales
256
London
295
England and Wales (2019)
2019
Average Time to Sell (days)
Quarterly Change
Change Q1-Q4
Q1
250
8.5%
Q2
248
-0.8%
Q3
263
5.9%
Q4
271
3.3%

 

National Rankings – by fastest time to sell
Location
Average Time to Sell (days)
Nuneaton & Bedworth
191
Torfaen
193
Bromsgrove
197
Trafford
203
Bolsover
204
North East Lincolnshire
204
Stockport
205
Walsall
206
Charnwood
208
Wellingborough
208
Mansfield
209
Redditch
209
Coventry
209
South Staffordshire
211
Wyre Forest
212
South Gloucestershire
212
Tamworth
213
Sedgemoor
213
Broxtowe
213
Harrogate
213
National Rankings – by slowest time to sell
Location
Average Time to Sell (days)
Eden
393
Westminster
390
Ceredigion
388
Islington
373
Camden
333
Copeland
332
Richmond upon Thames
331
Gwynedd
329
Pembrokeshire
324
Kensington and Chelsea
323
Epsom and Ewell
323
Hammersmith and Fulham
322
Barnet
321
Bournemouth
319
Elmbridge
319
Wandsworth
319
Lambeth
315
Haringey
310
Melton
310
Malvern Hills
309
London Rankings – Quickest to Slowest Boroughs
Location
Average Time to Sell (days)
Bexley
230
Barking and Dagenham
235
Newham
247
Havering
258
City of London
268
Waltham Forest
271
Hounslow
274
Hillingdon
274
Ealing
274
Redbridge
276
Hackney
282
Bromley
283
Croydon
284
Enfield
287
Merton
288
Kingston upon Thames
289
Sutton
289
Harrow
291
Greenwich
291
Brent
294
Tower Hamlets
302
Lewisham
303
Southwark
305
Haringey
310
Lambeth
315
Wandsworth
319
Barnet
321
Hammersmith and Fulham
322
Kensington and Chelsea
323
Richmond upon Thames
331
Camden
333
Islington
373
Westminster
390

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