National Picture: 42 Days on Average, but a Widening Regional Divide
Half of Great Britain's housing markets are taking longer to sell homes than a year ago, according to data from property platform Zoopla. The national average time to sell has remained unchanged at 42 days, but Zoopla said this figure masks a growing divergence between fast-moving and sluggish local markets.
Of the 363 local authorities analysed across England, Scotland and Wales, 180 recorded an increase in the average number of days taken to sell a property over the past year. In contrast, 145 markets saw improvements. Eight local authorities now require 60 days or more to find a buyer.
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."
Local Contrasts: Melton's 76 Days vs Falkirk's 11 Days
The starkest example of this divide is in Melton, Leicestershire, where homes now take an average of 76 days to sell — a 21-day increase compared with July 2025. This is in sharp contrast to Falkirk in Scotland, where the average selling time is just 11 days, one day less than a year earlier.
Zoopla attributed the slower sale times in many areas to higher average mortgage rates, which have led to a "wait and see" approach among prospective buyers. The platform also noted that many of the faster markets are in Scotland, where the sales market operates differently. Homes there are typically marketed as "offers over" a price, with a valuation and home survey made available upfront, and properties tend to be relatively affordable.
The UK's 10 fastest-selling markets were all in Scotland, with the lowest average time to sell at just 11 days in Falkirk. Carlisle and Barnsley in England were the fastest non-Scottish markets, each with an average time to sell of 23 days. Elsewhere, Barnsley sellers saw an average speed increase of 13 days compared with a year earlier, while Newcastle-under-Lyme sellers saw an 11-day improvement. North West Leicestershire was the fastest-selling area in the East Midlands, with an average time to sell of 32 days.
Among the slowest markets, eight local authorities had an average time to sell of two months or more, led by Melton at 76 days, followed by Westminster in London and Teignbridge in the south-west.
Mortgage Rates: Volatility Persists Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty
The slowdown in some markets has been attributed to elevated mortgage rates relative to the start of the year, which have increased buying costs and encouraged a more cautious approach. According to Moneyfacts data cited by The Guardian, the average two-year fixed residential mortgage rate stood at 5.61% on Monday, significantly higher than the 4.83% recorded before the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East at the end of February. The rate peaked at close to 6% in April. The Guardian further reported that the war in the Middle East led many lenders to pull mortgage deals in March, with the cost of a typical home loan soaring amid fears that the conflict would reignite global inflationary pressures and force the Bank of England to raise interest rates.
The Guardian also noted that official figures due on Wednesday are expected to show UK inflation rose from 2.6% in June to 2.9% in July, while separate figures on Tuesday are expected to indicate a slowdown in the jobs market. Financial markets, it said, anticipate two quarter-point increases in the Bank of England's base rate from its current level of 3.75% before the end of next year.
David Hollingworth, associate director at L&C Mortgages, told Mortgage Introducer that borrowers are struggling to make informed decisions in an environment where too many variables remain unresolved. "I think some stability would be a massive help, and until we get that, it will be very hard for customers to see the wood for the trees," he said. He added that the geopolitical situation looks far from settled, making it difficult to predict what may happen to interest rates.
Advice for Sellers in Slower Markets
Zoopla's Richard Donnell advised homeowners in slower markets not to adopt a wait-and-see approach, urging them instead to talk to a local agent and ensure their home is priced correctly from the start. "If you're selling in a slower market, don't take a wait-and-see approach – talk to a local agent who knows what's happening street by street, and make sure your home is priced right from day one," he said. "That's still the biggest factor within a seller's control, whatever the local market is doing."