The latest research from OnTheMarket has revealed the country’s fastest and slowest paced markets, naming buyers and sellers in Plymouth the quickest movers with the waterfront city ranked the fastest location to sell a home last month.
The first edition of our Under Offer Index, released today, shows Plymouth’s average transaction time – measured from when a property first goes on the market to an offer being accepted or sold subject to contract (SSTC) – is a speedy 32 days.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne came a close second with homes taking on average 35 days to sell, followed by Luton and Bristol in joint third place (both 37 days). Last year’s fastest town, Swindon, slipped to fifth on the list, with the average sale taking 38 days this year compared with 30 a year ago.
Plymouth and Newcastle are the two locations with the largest proportion of homes selling within 30 days with 63% and 62% respectively, compared to 41% of homes in London.
| Rank | Location | Average transaction time (days) |
| 1 | Plymouth | 32 |
| 2 | Newcastle | 35 |
| 3 | Bristol | 37 |
| 4 | Luton | 37 |
| 5 | Swindon | 38 |
Above: Top 5 Fastest UK Sales Markets
Meanwhile, the seaside resort of Blackpool proved to be the slowest sales market with vendors taking on average 62 days, or just over two months, to sell, almost twice as long as in Plymouth. Slough is the second slowest at 54 days, with London and Rochdale in joint third (both taking 53 days on average), followed by Bournemouth (50 days). They all have the highest proportion of homes taking over 30 days to sell, ranging from 71% to 59% respectively.
| Rank | Location | Average transaction time (days) |
| 1 | Blackpool | 62 |
| 2 | Slough | 54 |
| 3 | London | 53 |
| 4 | Rochdale | 53 |
| 5 | Bournemouth | 50 |
Above: Top 5 Slowest UK Sales Markets
Even within a city there can be substantial differences. In London, known for its various ‘micro markets’, the fastest borough for sales is Bexley, with the average transaction taking 41 days, compared with 70 days in the City of Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea, the two slowest boroughs.
| Rank | Location | Average transaction time (Days) |
| 1 | Bexley | 35 |
| 2 | Sutton | 37 |
| 3 | Barking | 40 |
| 4 | Waltham Forest | 42 |
| 5 | Havering | 42 |
Above: Top 5 Fastest London Sales Markets
| Rank | Location | Average transaction time (days) |
| 1 | City & Westminster | 70 |
| 2 | Kensington & Chelsea | 70 |
| 3 | Wandsworth | 69 |
| 4 | Hammersmith & Fulham | 67 |
| 5 | The City | 65 |
Above: Top 5 Slowest London Sales Markets
Jason Tebb, President of OnTheMarket, comments: “With a good mix of southern and northern towns making up the fastest and slowest regions on our list, the north/south divide can’t be used to explain away varying transaction speeds. A combination of regional factors is coming into play including demand, available stock, number of applicants, competition and pricing.
“Unfortunately, sellers (and to a lesser extent) buyers can’t choose or avoid an area based on how fast (or long) it takes to sell a home. But if you are in an area where the market is moving at a relatively modest pace and you need to move quickly, you can help yourself as much as possible by taking the advice of an experienced local agent.
“From setting the price of the property correctly in the first instance to marketing it in the most advantageous way, a knowledgeable agent can make all the difference to the success and speed of a sale. Other factors to bear in mind include getting all your paperwork in order before listing your home or starting a property search, using a mortgage broker to sort out finance if required, hiring a good solicitor and responding to any enquiries on either side in a timely fashion.”
Gloucester the fastest moving market for rentals, while Middlesbrough lags
With significant demand for rental property across the country, OnTheMarket’s research also looks at the time it takes to rent a home. Some rental markets are moving much faster than others, with prospective tenants in Gloucester having to move the quickest as the average property was let within 14 days of being advertised last month, while it took 15 days in Crawley and Mansfield, and 16 days in Cambridge and Aldershot.
| Rank | Location | Average transaction Time (Days) |
| 1 | Gloucester | 14 |
| 2 | Mansfield | 15 |
| 3 | Crawley | 15 |
| 4 | Aldershot | 16 |
| 5 | Worthing | 16 |
Above: Top 5 Fastest UK Rental Markets
Meanwhile, the rental market is moving more slowly in Middlesbrough and Gloucester where tenants are taking twice as long to make a decision and properties are renting on average within 29 days. In Burnley and Blackburn it was 28 days, while Wigan and Leicester were both 27 days on average.
| Rank | Location | Average transaction time (days) |
| 1 | Middlesbrough | 29 |
| 2 | Burnley | 28 |
| 3 | Blackburn | 28 |
| 4 | Leicester | 27 |
| 5 | Wigan | 27 |
Above: Top 5 Slowest UK Rental Markets
In London, Bexley is not only the fastest borough in which to sell a property, it is also the quickest place to rent, taking an average of 16 days, the quickest across the city. Meanwhile, in the slowest borough, Kensington & Chelsea, it took twice as long – 32 days – with City of Westminster taking a slightly shorter 28 days.
| Rank | Location | Average transaction time (days) |
| 1 | Bexley | 16 |
| 2 | Waltham Forest | 17 |
| 3 | Sutton | 18 |
| 4 | Lambeth | 18 |
| 5 | Bromley | 19 |
Above: Top 5 Fastest London Rental Markets
| Rank | Location | Average transaction time (days) |
| 1 | Kensington & Chelsea | 32 |
| 2 | City of Westminster | 28 |
| 3 | Richmond Upon Thames | 26 |
| 4 | The City | 26 |
| 5 | Barnet | 25 |
Above: Top 5 Slowest London Rental Markets
Jason Tebb, President of OnTheMarket, comments: “The rental market remains highly competitive with some unlucky tenants finding they have very little time to make a decision, particularly if they want to secure a good property at a reasonable price. As with buyers and sellers, it pays to be organised, getting paperwork together in advance, making sure you have the funds for your deposit, and ensuring you can move quickly if you have to.
“With more flexibility when it comes to renting rather than buying, it may be worth tenants spreading their net a little further if they are really struggling to find a suitable option in one of the hottest boroughs. It is also good practice to get local letting agents on side so that when a property that suits you and is within budget becomes available you are at the front of the queue.”
