Britain’s fastest and slowest markets revealed from Carluke to Chelsea 

Carluke (main picture) in Lanarkshire is Great Britain’s fastest-selling market this year, with sellers in the area finding a buyer in an average of 15 days, Rightmove’s Speed of Market Tracker reveals.

Giffnock in Glasgow is the second quickest market, with homes finding a buyer in 16 days, and Uddingston in Glasgow is third, taking 17 days on average. Both are in commuting distance to central Glasgow. 

The top 10 quickest locations across Great Britain to find a buyer are in Scotland, and all the current hotspots are selling faster than they did a year ago.  

The average time to find a buyer in Scotland is now 33 days, compared with 32 days last year. Scotland remains the quickest market in Great Britain, while the East Midlands takes the longest on average (67 days). 

Nine out of the 10 slowest markets to find a buyer are coastal towns, including Brixham in Devon and Minehead in Somerset. 

The quickest London markets are further out from the centre, with sellers in Walthamstow, Stoke Newington and Dagenham currently finding a buyer the quickest.  

Central London locations such as Knightsbridge, Chelsea and Victoria are the slowest London markets to find a buyer this year, with Knightsbridge slowing by 24 days compared to last year. Price is likely playing its part, as these areas are all premium locations in London with fewer mass market buyers. 

Across Great Britain, it is currently taking 60 days on average to find a buyer.  

Terraced houses are currently finding buyers fastest at 51 days, while detached houses are taking the longest to sell at 73 days. 

TOP-PERFORMING

Douglas Nicol, Nicol Estate Agents in GiffnockDouglas Nicol, director at Nicol Estate Agents in Giffnock, says: “The local market in Giffnock remains buoyant, with demand often outstripping supply.

“So when properties come onto the market, we are finding that they are snapped up very quickly. Giffnock is one of the most popular suburbs in Glasgow, with excellent local amenities, transport links and some of the top-performing schools in Scotland.”  

Tim Bannister, property expert at Rightmove, adds: “Carluke has taken the top spot again this year for the fastest market across Great Britain, underlining the continued speed of the market in this part of Scotland.

Tim Bannister, Rightmove“The Glasgow commuter towns of Giffnock and Uddingston are high on the list right now, suggesting buyers are looking for easy access to the city centre, whilst enjoying the increased space that being further out can bring.  

“In London, commuter areas such as Walthamstow and Dagenham are leading the way in finding buyers the quickest, likely driven by well-connected transport links and more affordable prices compared to central zones.

“By contrast, more exclusive central locations like Knightsbridge and Chelsea are taking longer to find buyers, as these high-end markets typically move at a different pace.”  

AMENDED LIFESTYLES

Toby Leek, NAEA Propertymark President, says: “There are many different reasons why some homes sell at a much quicker pace than others and some aspects are based on amended lifestyles since the pandemic.

“With homeworking much more of a normality, many people are choosing locations they may not have considered previously. People are also hunting down desired locations with advantageous transport links to metropolitan areas rather than living directly in those areas, as prices are typically lower which provides further flexibility in their affordability.

“This news demonstrates that Britain’s housing market remains extremely vibrant despite the many economic challenges over the last few years. We expect momentum to progress even further with lenders adjusting their range of mortgage offerings and some starting to offer sub-four per cent deals.”

Britain’s quickest markets  

Britain’s quickest markets outside of Scotland 

Britain’s slowest market  

London’s quickest markets 

London’s slowest markets 

Regional view