The 20 UK locations where homes sell the fastest

Where do homes sell like hot cakes? Our latest research has the answer and also shows that three-bedroom houses sell faster than any other property type.

We’ve analysed our portal data to find the locations in Britain where homes sell most quickly. Our research identified 20 regions where properties sell in around 30 days or faster.

Falkirk in Scotland is the UK’s fastest-moving location with listings there taking an average of just 20 days to go from “for sale” to “sold subject to contract”.

Bridgend, Wales and Waltham Forest, East London were the joint second speediest markets, with offers being accepted on homes in both locations just 24 days after they were first listed.

The Midlands dominated our top 20, accounting for eight of the locations where homes sell in the shortest time frame.

By contrast, the South of England hardly featured on the list, with only three regions (just one of which was in London) earning a spot among the top 20.

What’s driving fast sales?

Pent up demand following the first Covid-19 lockdown has led to a surge in the UK property sales pipeline which is 50% bigger than this time last year

Tom Parker, our consumer spokesperson, said: “With a potential saving of up to £15,000, the rush from buyers to benefit from the stamp duty holiday is very much on.

“Of course there is still a significant amount of work to be done once a property is under offer, but properties being snapped up quickly by eager buyers is the first hurdle to leap if you want to make that saving.

“We’d urge buyers to act quickly and decisively in their hunt for a perfect property. Any delay can not only mean you miss out on your dream home but could hit you in the pocket too.”

UK locations where homes sell the fastest

Falkirk, Waltham Forest and Bridgend are the three fastest-moving locations.

The top five is completed by Liverpool and Salford, Greater Manchester where homes take an average of 25 days and 26 days to sell respectively.

Sheffield is the fastest-moving market in Yorkshire and the Humber, with homes typically listed for 27 days before they are sold.

* Days on the market rounded to the nearest whole number. Calculated as a rolling six months average from 1st May to 31st October.

Midlands dominates with majority of speediest markets

Markets in the East and West Midlands featured heavily on the list, particularly towns within a 40-minute drive of Birmingham.

Redditch, Worcestershire came in seventh place, with properties there taking an average of just 27 days to sell, followed by Bromsgrove and Walsall, both in the West Midlands, and Stoke-on-Trent in the East Midlands all at 28 days.

Also in the East Midlands, properties in Nottingham spent an average 30 days on the market before finding a buyer, while those in Gedling and Mansfield are on the market for an average of 31 days each.

The fastest-selling borough in London

Only one London borough features in our list of fastest-moving markets, Waltham Forest in East London.

Properties in this borough, which spans Walthamstow, Leytonstone, Highams Park and Chingford, typically sell in 24 days.

In line with London house prices, the fastest moving price band here is £400,000-£450,000, noticeably higher than the other fastest-moving markets in our top 20.

What about the rest of the South?

The South of England hardly features on our list of fastest-moving markets with only two regions outside London ranking.

Bristol is the only location in the South West to feature. It is in 12th place with properties taking an average of 29 days to sell. A two-bedroom terraced house is the fastest moving property type, while when it comes to price band, the speediest is £150,000-£200,000.

Meanwhile, Dartford in Kent is the only South East location to feature (apart from Waltham Forest). Dartford is a firm favourite with London commuters and comes in joint 13th place with average properties taking 30 days to sell. A three-bed terraced house is the fastest moving property type in this region and the fastest moving price band here is higher, coming in at a £250,000-£300,000

What are the fastest-selling property types?

Three-bedroom semi-detached homes were the quickest to sell in 12 of the top 20 fastest-moving markets, followed by two-bedroom terraced homes in five locations and one-bedroom flats in two places.

Cheaper properties also found buyers more quickly, with homes in the £100,000 to £150,000 price bracket leading the way in 11 markets, followed by those in the £150,000 to £200,000 range in five markets.

Waltham Forest and Dartford had the highest price bands for fast sales, followed by Trafford at £200,000 to £250,000.