Swindon and Strood the best locations for sellers, research reveals

New data released by Quick Move Now and Home.co.uk has revealed that Swindon and Strood are the best places to sell a property in England or Wales, based on the fact that properties here have the lowest average time on the market.

Properties in both towns see homes sell in an average of just 101 days. By contrast, London is home to all ten locations with the longest average time on market, with homes taking an average of 363 days to sell in plush Knightsbridge and almost a year in Prime Central London hotspot Mayfair (354 days).

All of the locations in the list of the top 10 worst places to sell a property can, in fact, be found in prime parts of the capital, with homes also taking a long time to come off the market in Chelsea, Soho, Marylebone and Belgravia.

On the other hand, the list of the top 10 best places to sell a property is dominated by London commuter towns such as Ashford, Rainham and Basingstoke, as well as popular Midlands locations like Coventry, Tamworth and Northampton.

“It is clear from these results that it is now taking longer to sell a property. When we looked at the best and worst places to sell a property in 2017, the top spot, Bedford, had an average time on market of just 76 days,” Danny Luke, Quick Move Now’s managing director, said.

“That figure is 25 days less than the current top spot held by Swindon and Strood. At the slower end of the market, in 2017 Sunderland took the top spot with 295 days; 68 days less than Knightsbridge's current average time on market of 363 days."

He added that even in the best areas to sell a property it is now taking longer, with homes now on the market for an average of well over three months.

“For comparison, in March 2017, properties in Swindon spent an average of 81 days on the market. By July last year that figure had risen to 89 days, and today it stands at 101 days.”

Despite this, Luke offered up some advice on how to successfully secure a buyer for those hoping to sell their property in the current market.

“Firstly, make sure your property is competitively priced; it's a buyer's market, so you need to ensure your home stands out against the competition,” he advised.

“You also need to ensure your property is looking its best and that you choose an estate agent with a good reputation who will proactively market your property. If you're still struggling to sell, or if you can't afford to wait to sell your property through an estate agent, don't be afraid to consider alternative ways to sell your property. Property auctions and genuine cash home buyers can both provide quicker alternatives to the open property market and can be a great option if you are working to a deadline.”

The best and worst places to sell a property and their mean number of days on the market can be seen below.

Best places to sell a property:

Worst places to sell a property: