20 best and worst places to sell a property
New figures released by Quick Move Now and Home.co.uk have revealed the best and worst places to sell a property in the UK, based on how long properties sit on the market.
Scotland tops the list, with Glasgow and Edinburgh taking first and second place, whilst many areas of London continue to see a slower-moving market.
Best places to sell a property:
| Position | Location | Typical time on market | Median asking price |
| 1 | Glasgow | 36 days | £205,000 |
| 2 | Edinburgh | 53 days | £328,000 |
| 3 | Belfast | 57 days | £175,000 |
| 4 | Royal Leamington Spa | 57 days | £350,000 |
| 5 | Bristol | 58 days | £360,000 |
| 6 | Crawley | 61 days | £375,000 |
| 7 | West Ealing | 61.5 days | £550,000 |
| 8 | Ealing | 62 days | £607,625 |
| 9 | Dagenham | 62 days | £375,000 |
| 10 | Rainham | 63 days | £350,000 |
| 11 | Swindon | 65 days | £290,000 |
| 12 | Reading | 66 days | £385,000 |
| 13 | Cambridge | 66 days | £465,000 |
| 14 | Mansfield | 66 days | £240,000 |
| 15 | Derby | 67 days | £250,000 |
| 16 | St Helens | 67 days | £167,475 |
| 17 | Basingstoke | 67.5 days | £350,000 |
| 18 | Coulsdon | 68 days | £550,000 |
| 19 | Rochester | 68 days | £280,000 |
| 20 | Ashton-Under-Lyne | 68 days | £225,000 |
Worst places to sell a property:
| Position | Location | Typical time on market | Median asking price |
| 1 | Soho | 210 | £2,149,500 |
| 2 | Mayfair | 209.5 | £2,325,000 |
| 3 | Marylebone | 199 | £1,723,200 |
| 4 | Regents Park | 194 | £1,750,000 |
| 5 | Bloomsbury | 173 | £1,400,000 |
| 6 | Charing Cross | 173 | £1,524,500 |
| 7 | Broadgate | 170 | £950,000 |
| 8 | Knightsbridge | 167 | £2,600,000 |
| 9 | Strand | 167 | £1,300,000 |
| 10 | Vauxhall | 166.5 | £1,000,000 |
| 11 | Fenchurch Street | 163.5 | £900,000 |
| 12 | Shoreditch | 163 | £850,000 |
| 13 | Belgravia | 159 | £1,800,000 |
| 14 | St Lukes | 154 | £960,000 |
| 15 | Westminster | 154 | £1,250,000 |
| 16 | Holborn | 152 | £1,150,000 |
| 17 | Lambeth | 151 | £895,000 |
| 18 | Chelsea | 151 | £1,600,000 |
| 19 | South Kensington | 150.5 | £1,750,000 |
| 20 | Poplar | 150 | £558,000 |
Danny Luke, Quick Move Now’s managing director, commented: “The figures, predictably, show a general slowing of the property market. In March of this year, the best place to sell had a typical time on market of just 11 days. Now, that figure stands at 36 days.
“We can also see the market slowing in specific locations. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belgravia and Chelsea all featured on the best and worst places to sell lists 6 months ago, and now have a significantly longer typical time on market. In March, Glasgow had a typical time on market of just 17 days – now that figure has risen to 36 days. Edinburgh had a typical time on market of 24 days – now that has risen to 53 days. From the worst places to sell list, Belgravia currently has a typical time on market of 159 days – up from 132 days in March, and Chelsea has a typical time on market of 151 days – up from 132 days in March.
“What’s really important to keep in mind is that, despite typical time on market being notably longer than it was six months ago, it is still significantly quicker than pre-pandemic levels for both the best and worst places to sell. In March 2020, before the first Covid lockdown, the best place to sell a property had a typical time on market of 46 days, whilst the worst place to sell stood at 249 days. The figures are now 10 days quicker and 39 days quicker respectively. The post-pandemic, over-heated market was something of an anomaly, both in terms of speed of agreeing a sale and price growth. What we’re seeing now is much more a return to ‘normal’. Market conditions in 2021 and early 2022 were never going to be sustainable long-term.
“Rising mortgage interest rates and inflation have inevitably had an impact on the volume of sales and on buyer’s budgets, but with the Bank of England suggesting that interest rates are coming towards their peak, we’re expecting to see the market level out in 2024.
“For those who need a quick sale in the coming months, it’s important to familiarise yourself with activity in your local property market. Be realistic about what’s achievable and price your property attractively.
“It’s also important to remember that these figures relate to how long a property is on the market, not how long it takes for a sale to complete. New figures suggest that in England and Wales it currently takes an average of five months from the point of accepting an offer to sale completion, so selling a property is not a quick process. It’s also very unpredictable, with around one-in-four property sales falling through before completion. For this reason, chain-break services and quicker alternatives such as property auctions and quick sale companies are likely to become more popular with those who are working to tight timescales.”
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- Tips for a quick house sale in 2024
- Homeowners more ‘house-proud’ since pandemic
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- Market conditions returning to ‘normal’ in all but two regions
- Average number of viewings to sell a house
- 35% of house sales fell through in 2023
- Homeowners overvaluing in declining market
- 250% rise in non-proceedable buyers
- 20 best and worst places to sell a property