Homes in some parts of Britain sell in around two weeks or less on average, while other areas take nearly seven times longer, according to property website Zoopla. In Falkirk, Scotland, the average time to sell a home is 11 days – one day less than a year earlier. In Melton, East Midlands, it takes 76 days on average, a 21-day increase compared with July 2025.
National average unchanged but gaps widen
The average time to sell across Britain has remained unchanged at 42 days in the year to July, but this masks a widening gap between faster local markets and weaker areas, Zoopla said. Around half (180 of 363) of the local authorities analysed saw an increase in the average number of days taken to sell a property in the past year.
Higher average mortgage rates have led to a “wait and see” approach for more buyers, lengthening the time it takes to find a buyer across many regional and local housing markets, according to Zoopla.
Scottish markets lead the way
Many of the faster markets are in Scotland. Zoopla said the speed reflects the Scottish sales market working differently to the rest of Britain, with homes generally being relatively affordable. Homes in Scotland are typically marketed as “offers over” a price, with a valuation and home survey available, the website added.
Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, said: “While the national time to sell has barely moved, that stability is masking a real divide opening up between local markets.” He added: “In areas like Melton in Leicestershire, homes are taking noticeably longer to sell than a year ago, while markets just a short drive away are speeding up.”
Regional hotspots and slow spots
Barnsley and Newcastle-under-Lyme are among the areas selling much faster than last year, with Barnsley sellers seeing an average speed increase of 13 days and those in Newcastle-under-Lyme an average 11-day increase. The slowest-selling local areas include Westminster and Teignbridge at 63 days, and Torridge at 61 days.
Zoopla’s “time to sell” research tracked the period from homes being first listed on the market to estate agents reporting sales agreed. Some local authorities were excluded due to small sample sizes.
