It is now taking an average of 55 days to find a house buyer, up from just 33 days a year ago as the economy and housing market cool.

Figures from Rightmove show that the time to identify a buyer is still quicker than the 67 days before the Covid pandemic.

Across Great Britain, it is currently taking 55 days to attract a buyer, and a further 165 days to complete a sale.

Terraced houses are currently finding buyers fastest at 48 days, while detached houses are taking the longest to sell at 65 days.

It’s taking longer to find the right buyer in areas near the coast compared with a year ago, while it is homes in city commuter belts that are finding a buyer more quickly.

Quickest

Seven of the top 10 quickest locations to find a buyer are in Scotland, where homes typically find a buyer more quickly, though these areas are taking longer to find a buyer than a year ago.

The average time to find a buyer in Scotland is now 34 days, compared with 22 days last year. Scotland is the quickest market in Great Britain, while London takes the longest to find a buyer on average (65 days).

Falkirk in Stirlingshire is Britain’s quickest market at just 22 days to find a buyer, with Broxburn in West Lothian second and Renfrew in Renfrewshire in third.

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s property data expert, says: “The current market conditions will suit more measured movers, who were perhaps put off by the frenetic market conditions of this time last year, when the average time to find a buyer was near a record low.

“Despite what will feel like calmer conditions, the market is still moving more quickly than before the pandemic started.”