Choosing to sell a house can be for many reasons and the situations that lead people to that point are very varied. But there are a few things that are the same no matter why you are selling your home and they are the common questions everyone asks.
- How long will my house take to sell?
- When is the best time to sell a house?
- How long will my house be on the market?
- Is there a faster way to sell my house?
- Will I get the market value for my house?
These questions are common across nearly all house sales and for good reason. No one wants to spend the next 2 years showing people around their house hoping that each time will be the time they get the offer they want. At the same time everyone wants to know when the best time to sell is so they can get the very best offer possible.
The big question is undoubtedly “how long will my house take to sell?” though. The bottom line here is that there is no definitive answer. It depends on a number of factors; some of which you can control and some you cannot. Below are some of the factors involved in the time it takes to sell a home in the UK:
- Areas – in some areas the demand for property is higher than others and this has a huge effect on the speed of a sale.
- Condition – if the house is in good condition then it is likely to generate offers faster and after the surveys it should still sell well.
- Price – an obvious point but if you put your house on for a price you think it’s worth without doing your research you may be waiting a long time.
Average Property Sale Times in the UK
According to research done in 2016 the average time it takes to sell a home in the UK is 91 days. The research was done by Post Office Money Mortgages. Although an average time was found it also showed the location had a huge effect on the speed a property sells.
One of the areas that has the lowest average house sale time is Bristol with just 51 days, Edinburgh is close with 53 days. Popular areas like Brighton saw an average of 71 days with London coming in at the lower end of the spectrum with 89 days. Liverpool sat at the bottom of the table with an average time of 108 days to sell a property. While average property prices in the areas differ there was no clear pattern between average price and speed of sale.
| City | Avg. Time to Sell (90 days to 15/09/16) | Median time on the market, % change YOY (09/16) | Avg. House Price, June 2016 |
| Bristol | 51 | +17.5% | £252,107 |
| Edinburgh | 53 | -25% | £240,978 |
| Glasgow | 56 | -24.1% | £117,795 |
| Southend | 65 | 0% | £249,141 |
| Portsmouth | 67 | -4.5% | £190,579 |
| Derby | 69 | -1.3% | £144,543 |
| Sheffield | 71 | +2.5% | £148,551 |
| Brighton | 72 | +23.6% | £342,959 |
| Norwich | 72 | +3.1% | £190,883 |
| Nottingham | 74 | -12.8% | £122,772 |
| Manchester | 77 | -22.7% | £149,722 |
| Leicester | 79 | -5.6% | £147,914 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 79 | +1.2% | £102,877 |
| Leeds | 80 | -5% | £166,303 |
| Birmingham | 80 | -15.5% | £159,732 |
| Plymouth | 80 | +7.9% | £165,442 |
| Cardiff | 87 | -3.4% | £189,419 |
| London | 89 | +20.3% | £472,204 |
| Newcastle | 96 | -0.9% | £154,477 |
| Belfast | 96 | +3.9% | £118,894 |
| Hull | 98 | -12% | £102,079 |
| Swansea | 100 | -8.7% | £133,458 |
| Liverpool | 108 | -10.7% | £119,933 |
The Answer?
Well there is no clear answer for your area but nationally 91 days is the average from 2016. Of course 2018 may well show very different stats but it is likely to follow a similar pattern.
Time
If time is the main factor in the sale of the house then using a home buying service like ours offers the perfect solution. We are able to remove the whole issue of how long it will take to sell by agreeing to buy it from you right away. This leaves you with the money you need to move forward be it with another purchase or moving into rented accommodation and the flexibility that affords.
If you would like to discuss your property with us then please get in touch today, our friendly team will be happy to talk you through the process and take away the worry about how long it will take your home to sell.