TwentyCi data: South East is most challenging region to sell while Scotland is the easiest

The South East is currently the most challenging region in the UK to sell a property, while Scotland ranks as the easiest, TwentyCi’s latest data has shown.

Covering the period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, the research, which appears in TwentyCi’s latest Property & Homemover Report ,highlights the UK postcodes where homes are both the hardest and easiest to sell.

TwentyCi used five criteria to rank the difficulty or ease of selling a property. In order of importance these were: price achieved compared to original asking price, whether the property is likely to sell, how fast it will sell , how likely a sale is to fall through and how likely a home is to have an asking price reduction.

All postcodes with at least 250 new instructions over the last year were examined, less than this means the data set is too small to be of value.

MOST CHALLENGING

The same research conducted in 2024 revealed Inner London was the most challenging place to sell but Scotland was again the easiest.

Currently in the South East, properties are achieving an average of 95.6% of their original asking price which is below the national average of 97%. They are also less likely to sell at all, with only 50% of listed homes going on to complete, compared with 55% nationally.

Additionally, 41% of listings in the region undergo at least one price reduction, versus 37% across the UK, and the fall-through rate stands at 26.5%, above the national average of 24%. While each property is taking on average 78 days to sell in the region, this is slightly faster than the national average of 84.

EASIEST REGION TO SELL

In contrast, Scotland stands out as the easiest region to sell. Properties here sell more quickly, on average around 49 days. They are more likely to sell with 78.6% going on to complete, and tend to achieve a higher proportion of the asking price of 105.4%, most likely due to the country’s ‘offers over’ system.

Price reductions are also less common with just 19.5% of listings experiencing at least one price reduction, and fall-throughs are significantly lower at just 13%, in part due to Scotland’s legal processes for property transactions.

It is important to note that these results do not consider the regional price. The average property listed for sale in Scotland in Q1 2025 was £232k, compared with £494k in the South East. In terms of asset worth, the South East is a more appealing place to own a property, despite the difficulties of selling.

AFFORDABILITY PRESSURES

Colin Bradshaw, CEO of TwentyCi, says: “Long known for its combination of economic opportunity and leafy towns and villages within easy reach of London, the South East has traditionally been one of the UK’s most attractive regions for homebuyers.

“While still desirable, it’s now the most challenging region in which to sell, likely due to mounting affordability pressures such as high mortgage rates that are making it harder for buyers to access the market.

“Over the past year, average asking prices in the region have dipped by 0.6% but sales agreed are up by over 8%. This demonstrates an active demand, but this growth lags behind other regions in England which have seen gains of over 14% in the same timeframe.”

UK: Top 10 most challenging postcodes to sell

South East: Top 10 most challenging postcodes to sell

London: Top 10 most challenging postcodes to sell

Scotland: Top 10 easiest postcodes to sell

England: Top 10 easiest postcodes to sell