New survey reveals it now takes over 200 days to sell a home in the UK
The average number of days to sell your home in the UK now stands at 205 – the first time the 200-day mark has been broken.
The longest time to sell is in inner London and the South-East at 222 days, closely followed by outer London at 221 days. The North-East is the best performing region in England and Wales at 177 days while Scotland records the shortest time at an average of 145 days.
The research was carried out by TwentyEA, the property market data experts, on behalf of Cavendish, a leading estate and lettings agent in Cheshire and North Wales.
The 205-day average breaks down as 80 days from instructing an agent to achieving Sold Subject to Contract (SSTC) and a further 125 days from SSTC to completion. This is an increase of 10 days when comparing January to May 2025 with the same timeframe in 2024.
David Adams, Managing Director of Cavendish, said: “In pretty much every region of the UK, the time to sell your home has gone up with the UK average increasing from 195 days in 2024 to 205 days in 2025.
“This data demonstrates more than ever the importance of being as prepared as possible before you launch your property on to the market.
“Based on an average time of 205 days, most people hoping to give themselves a present of a new home by Christmas will probably have to think again.
“Having said that, there are lots of ways in which home sellers can put themselves in pole position to beat the national average, but they need to put the hard yards in well before listing. You need to treat selling your home like a military operation.
“Speed to market does not equal speed to sale. Far better delaying for a couple of weeks to get everything in order rather than rushing to get online within hours of you instructing your estate agent.
“Crucially, when choosing your estate agent to sell your home, make sure to ask them what their selling record is. What percentage of homes do they successfully sell, how many go for asking price or better and how long on average to sell.”
Cavendish’s top tips for giving yourself the best shot at selling before the end of 2025 include:
- Get your asking price right at the outset – price logically not emotionally. Properties that reduce their asking price are 20% less likely to sell than those that do not and take 3 times longer to sell. Also don’t treat your home like a bag of sweets – e.g. better to price it at £500,000 than £499,950. Buyers with a budget above £500,000 will typically search for properties at or above this price point. Properties priced at the correct price point get 11% more detailed views.
- Ensure your photos have the wow factor and say yes to a video or virtual tour. Properties with video or a tour receive 6% more enquiries than those without.
- Tell your story – property descriptions including personal stories about living in your home or your favourite room pack a greater punch than just the basic property details.
- Get legally ready – don’t wait until you have an offer; instead have your solicitor lined up, a digital box file of all the key documents and fill out your Fixtures & Fittings paperwork in advance. Get your EPC certificate sorted.
- Avoid bad odours – make sure your house smells fresh and airy to avoid getting off on the wrong foot with viewings.
- Check out your estate agent – only 52.7% of properties will actually sell so picking the right agent could make all the difference. Do they have a dedicated in-house sales progression team which can speed up the process?
- Don’t rush to market – far better to take a couple of weeks touching up paint chippings, tidying the garage, mowing the lawn and weeding the patio. First impressions really do count!
- Stage your home – homes that are staged typically sell for 8% more than those that aren’t. This could be as simple as putting flowers and house plants around your home and having fresh towels and hand wash in the bathrooms, while some go further and commission professional home stagers who bring furniture, artwork and other props with them.
- Consider your own purchase – how clean is the chain and how liable is it to collapse?
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