Property sell times rise to up to 76 days in England’s slowest markets
The average time taken to sell a property in England’s slowest local authorities has increased by as much as 38%, as higher mortgage rates prompt more buyers to adopt a “wait-and-see” approach, said Zoopla.
Melton in Leicestershire was the worst-performing local authority in July 2026, with homes taking an average of 76 days to sell.
Westminster and Teignbridge followed, with properties in both areas taking 63 days on average to find a buyer.
More broadly, homes in 180 of England’s 363 local authorities took longer to sell this summer, which Zoopla attributed to higher mortgage rates compared with the start of the year.
The property portal said rising mortgage costs had increased the overall cost of buying, causing more prospective purchasers to delay decisions and lengthening the time needed to secure a buyer in many local markets.
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Growing divide within regions
Despite national selling times remaining broadly unchanged, Zoopla said significant differences were opening up between neighbouring housing markets.
The nine slowest performing local authorities after Melton were all located in Southern England. Four of the nine were in Devon.
The gap is also evident within regions. In Scotland, homes in Aberdeenshire take an average of 45 days to sell, almost five weeks longer than in Falkirk, which boasted 11 days.
Similarly, properties in Melton take more than six weeks longer to sell than those in neighbouring North West Leicestershire.
Some markets, meanwhile, are becoming faster. Barnsley and Newcastle-under-Lyme recorded some of the biggest improvements compared with last year, with selling times shortening by nearly two weeks and 11 days respectively.
In London, Waltham Forest remained the capital’s fastest selling housing market, although homes there are still taking eight days longer to sell than a year ago.
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. 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.”
Zoopla said differences in local infrastructure and employment demand, as well as mortgage costs, were helping drive variations in selling times.
Scottish markets dominate fastest selling rankings
Scotland accounted for the UK’s 10 fastest selling housing markets, with properties taking between 11 and 16 days on average to secure a buyer.
It is not until 20th place in the rankings that a non-Scottish market appears, with Carlisle and Barnsley emerging as England’s fastest selling locations at 23 days.
Zoopla said Scotland’s stronger performance reflected generally lower housing costs and a different sales process. Properties are often marketed using an “offers over” system, while buyers typically have access to a valuation and home survey before agreeing a purchase, giving greater certainty earlier in the transaction.
The government’s proposed home buying reforms would bring the English purchasing process closer to the Scottish model.
