Dartford named as fastest selling property hotspot

Dartford in Kent has become the fastest place to sell a property across Great Britain, according to new Rightmove data.

Dartford homes are taking just 16 days on average to secure a buyer, down from the average of 49 days in January 2015, it has been reported.

This is dramatically shorter than the UK national average of 79 days.

The data includes all properties that were changed to Sold Subject to Contract (SSTC) by agents during January 2015, and measures the interval of time since they were first listed for sale on Rightmove.

The top ten fastest selling hotspots outside London are dominated by the capital commuter counties of Kent, Essex and Hertfordshire.

Grays in Essex came in at second place behind Dartford, taking 26 days to sell property on average, half the time it took in 2015.

Properties are selling much faster due to increasing demand, which has led to higher prices. In Dartford, house prices have jumped 17% in the past year.

Northern towns such as Warrington, Crewe, Middlesbrough and Bury have also recently become selling hotspots, with all locations cutting their selling time by 30 days or more.

Clacton-on-sea has also been deemed as an up-and-coming area, where homes are now selling in 50 days on average, down from 90.

Miles Shipside, Rightmove analyst and Director, commented: “Homes in Dartford selling in just over two weeks shows just how in-demand the places within easy commuting distance to London have become over the past year.  The average asking price of a property in Dartford is under £300,000, so it’s not hard to see why it’s so sought after compared to average prices being more than double that in London.”