The best and worst places to sell your home over the last year

March 13, 2020

The latest data release from estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has revealed where has been the best markets for UK home sellers over the last year based on the percentage of asking price achieved.

GetAgent pulls data from all of the major property listing portals which are then cross-referenced with the Land Registry using their proprietary algorithms and input from partner agents to see where has enjoyed the best property sale performance, as well as where has endured the worst.

The research shows that across the UK as a whole, the nation’s home sellers were forced to readjust their price expectations by -4% overall achieving an average sold price just 96% of the average asking price their homes were listed at.

The best performers

But it hasn’t all been doom and gloom over the last year and in fact, some areas have seen home sellers achieving above asking price despite the wider backdrop of Brexit uncertainty.

The best place to have sold a home in the last year? Preston, where home sellers achieved an average sold price of £214,325, 121% of the average asking price of £177,177.

Kingston Upon Hull was also home to an average sold price of some 120.9% of the average asking price of £118,857.

Sheffield (120.4%), Southampton (119.3%), Barking and Dagenham (111.3%), Northampton (110.9%), Newham (110%), Sunderland (108.6%) and Wigan (108.3%) also saw the average sold price achieved in the last year exceed the average asking price.

Within the capital and in addition to Barking and Newham, Haringey, Islington, Hammersmith and Fulham, Tower Hamlets, Ealing, Hillingdon, Brent, Bexley, Sutton, Lewisham and Waltham Forest all saw the average sold price exceed the average asking price.  

The worst performers

Of course, it hasn’t been above asking price sales for everyone and Copeland ranks as the worst place to have sold in the UK with sellers achieving just 72.7% of asking price. Pendle (74%), Pembrokeshire (74.3%) and Burnley (75.1%) are also amongst the worst performers.

In London, the City of London sits bottom with just 78.9% of asking price achieved along with Camden (81.9%) and Westminster (84.8%).

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

“A very tough year for the UK property market was always going to bring an underachievement where sold price to asking price performance was concerned and the extent of the damage caused by an uncertain Brexit backdrop is very clear in a large number of areas.

However, what’s perhaps more impressive is the vast number of areas that have defied wider market conditions to see sold prices climb beyond the average asking price.

Not only does this demonstrate the resilience of the market but it shows that in areas where marginal top-line price declines amounted to very little on the average house price, a realistic business as usual attitude from both buyers and sellers kept things moving and in many cases ensured sellers exceeded their asking price expectations.”

Nationally
Location
Average asking price (2019)
Average Sold Price (2019)
Difference % (sold to ask)
United Kingdom
£352,552
£339,064
96%
Rankings – 10 Best sold price to asking difference (%)
Location
Average asking price (2019)
Average Sold Price (2019)
Difference % (sold to ask)
Preston
£177,177
£214,325
121.0%
Kingston upon Hull
£118,857
£143,669
120.9%
Sheffield
£197,727
£237,991
120.4%
Southampton
£249,757
£297,917
119.3%
Bournemouth
£263,002
£309,791
117.8%
Barking and Dagenham
£316,800
£352,515
111.3%
Northampton
£254,079
£281,703
110.9%
Newham
£431,554
£474,635
110.0%
Sunderland
£148,077
£160,824
108.6%
Wigan
£185,093
£200,457
108.3%
Rankings – 10 Worst sold price to asking difference (%)
Location
Average asking price (2019)
Average Sold Price (2019)
Difference % (sold to ask)
Copeland
£206,067
£149,871
72.7%
Pendle
£175,042
£129,582
74.0%
Pembrokeshire
£264,211
£196,301
74.3%
Burnley
£145,906
£109,546
75.1%
North Warwickshire
£347,461
£262,389
75.5%
North Dorset
£422,022
£318,850
75.6%
Denbighshire
£268,044
£202,733
75.6%
Wealden
£495,378
£374,847
75.7%
Mid Devon
£366,455
£277,531
75.7%
Powys
£285,468
£216,494
75.8%
Rankings – Sold price to asking difference (%) by London borough
Location
Average asking price (2019)
Average Sold Price (2019)
Difference % (sold to ask)
Barking and Dagenham
£316,800
£352,515
111.3%
Newham
£431,554
£474,635
110.0%
Haringey
£571,258
£612,564
107.2%
Islington
£829,807
£884,487
106.6%
Hammersmith and Fulham
£1,163,019
£1,237,886
106.4%
Tower Hamlets
£690,754
£734,172
106.3%
Ealing
£558,223
£591,129
105.9%
Hillingdon
£488,044
£515,466
105.6%
Brent
£705,670
£737,146
104.5%
Bexley
£403,843
£412,437
102.1%
Sutton
£453,213
£459,538
101.4%
Lewisham
£481,786
£484,742
100.6%
Waltham Forest
£499,244
£500,435
100.2%
Croydon
£488,865
£484,823
99.2%
Harrow
£555,411
£543,734
97.9%
Enfield
£500,342
£484,528
96.8%
Southwark
£576,149
£552,924
96.0%
Kensington and Chelsea
£2,143,016
£2,051,604
95.7%
Lambeth
£754,020
£721,802
95.7%
Greenwich
£477,517
£457,040
95.7%
Redbridge
£495,376
£466,188
94.1%
Richmond upon Thames
£1,007,845
£939,269
93.2%
Havering
£481,338
£446,219
92.7%
Merton
£709,640
£636,161
89.7%
Wandsworth
£885,072
£786,567
88.9%
Hounslow
£548,467
£483,408
88.1%
Barnet
£811,126
£713,979
88.0%
Kingston upon Thames
£682,143
£599,649
87.9%
Bromley
£587,789
£511,944
87.1%
Hackney
£814,872
£703,962
86.4%
Westminster
£2,559,362
£2,169,725
84.8%
Camden
£1,631,240
£1,336,488
81.9%
City of London
£1,201,651
£947,739
78.9%

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