A Zoopla survey has looked at the property market in 50 cities and large towns outside London to discover the average time between putting a home on the market and the moment it was registered on the website as being under offer.Northampton came out top, with homes there taking an average of only 27 days to go under offer. By comparison, properties in Wales were taking more than twice as long to sell.The survey was published as data from the Office for National Statistics and showed that working Britons were now paying a new high of 7.6 times average annual earnings to buy a property.In the Zoopla survey, Milton Keynes came in second on the list with an average selling period of 29 days, followed by the London commuter belt town of Croydon (30 days), Edinburgh (32) and Glasgow (33).

Timing impossible to predict

Lawrence Hall, a spokesman for Zoopla, said, “Whether you’re a first time or seasoned property seller, one thing that is impossible to predict is the timing of the first offer on your home. “The national average period between listing a home for sale and achieving an offer is well under two months at 47 days, while sellers in Northampton can expect an offer in an average of just 27 days. “Regardless of where you are selling, giving your home a bit of TLC and enlisting the help of a good estate agent with knowledge of the local market, is likely to help your sale.”Among London boroughs, Zoopla found that homes in less than fashionable suburbs had become the fastest-selling areas in the capital. Homes in Sutton were going under offer after an average of 28 days, while it was taking just a day longer in Havering and Bexley.

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Shift in interest to the suburbs

Jonathan Hopper, managing director of the buying agents Garrington Property Finders, said, “The past year has seen a real shift in momentum from central London to the suburbs. Boroughs like Havering are enjoying a surge in interest. Regeneration and the prospect of better transport connections mean that areas like this can offer both good value and the potential for strong growth.”Zoopla said, “We are seeing outer London continuing to grow and central London stalling.” In the prime property markets of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, homes are now taking 83 and 70 days respectively to sell.

Zoopla’s top 10 (average days to sell and average property price):

1. Northampton, 27, £245,2882. Milton Keynes, 29, £299,0793. Croydon, 30, £374,3424. Edinburgh, 32, £266,1465. Glasgow, 33, £175,552=6. Bristol, 34, £309,807=6. Southampton, 34, £279,7698. Coventry, 35, £191,658=9. Salford, 36, £152,784=9. Ipswich, 36, £259,844

Regional averages and prices:

=1. South East England, 42, £400,054=1. East of England, 42, £345,5543. East Midlands, 44, £205,4374. West Midlands, 45, £213,772=5. Scotland, 46, £180,374=5. London, 46, £659,6277. South West England, 50, £285,406=8. Yorkshire and the Humber, 55, £170,841=8. North West England, 55, £184,96010. North East England, 61, £184,27511. Wales, 66, £179,890 For related news and features, visit our Residential property section.Access hundreds of global services and suppliers in our Online Directory

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