Average time to sell breaks 200-day barrier for first time
It now takes a record 205 days to sell the average UK home, according independent estate agency boss David Adams.
It is taking so long to sell properties that it is already too late for sellers to be in a new home before Christmas, according to research carried out by property market data experts, TwentyEA for Cheshire and North Wales independent estate agency, Cavendish.
Longest delays in London
At 205 days, it’s the first time the average time to sell a home has broken through the 200-day barrier. However, it’s in inner London and the South-East where the wait is the longest at 222 days, closely followed by outer London at 221 days. The North-East is the best performer of all the English and Welsh regions at 177 days, while Scotland has the shortest time at an average of 145 days.
According to the data, the 205-day period breaks down to an average of 80 days between instructing an agent and Sold Subject to Contract (SSTC) and a further 125 days from SSTC to completion. That is an increase of 10 days compared to the same period the previous year.
It is the time between the initial instruction to SSTC, though, that has seen the biggest increase. It is now taking around 10% longer than it did in 2024, compared to an additional 5% from there to completion.
In pretty much every region of the UK, the time to sell your home has gone up.”
Adams says: “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.”
He adds: “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.”
There are now just 182 days left between now (June 26th) and December 25th. And with a rising number of properties being listed, there is increased competition between sellers, and those timescales are likely to get even longer.
