Sellers are waiting between 114 and 247 days on average to sell their home, depending on what research you believe.

Two separate reports have tried to put a figure on the average time it takes to “sell” a property.

Analysis of listings data on Home.co.uk across 66 major UK cities by Post Office Money and the Centre for Economics and Business Research found it takes 114 days to sell on average.

The research is based on different “selling” criteria: the time taken from when a property is advertised for sale and until it is listed as under offer; or sold subject to contract (SSTC); or sold or removed.

This is up from the 102 days recorded last year.

The data is based on activity in the 90 days up to the end of September.

Sellers in Oxford are facing the longest wait, with an average selling time of 152 days, followed by 151 in Aberdeen.

Edinburgh and Glasgow had the fastest rates of sale at 45 and 47 days respectively.

This research has its limits as there is no guarantee that a removed property or one listed as SSTC has actually sold.

Slowest rate of sale

Fastest rate of sale

Source: Post Office Money

In contrast, agency comparison website GetAgent has looked at data from the major portals and cross-referenced with the Land Registry sold data for the whole of 2019 and claims the average figure is 247 days.

It ranks the City of London as the slowest market, taking 409 days to sell, followed by 402 days in Islington.

Eden in Cumbria is the slowest market outside of the London bubble where homes are also taking more than 400 days to sell.

Across London as a whole, it’s taking even longer to sell a home with an average time of 286 days.

However, the research does not appear to take account of the time lag between the sale and registration at the Land Registry.

Average time to sell based on the first listing online to the point the property is marked sold by the Land Registry. Great Britain – All Location Average Time To Sell (days) City of London 409 Islington 402 Eden 401 Copeland 394 Ceredigion 392 Pembrokeshire 350 Bournemouth 324 East Devon 319 Merthyr Tydfil 316 Carmarthenshire 315 Barnet 313 Lambeth 307 Richmond upon Thames 305 Kensington and Chelsea 305 Tower Hamlets 301 Enfield 299 Gravesham 296 Hammersmith and Fulham 296 Epping Forest 295 Kingston upon Thames 293 Great Britain 247

Source: GetAgent