It now takes a shocking 205 days on average to sell a property in the UK – the first time the 200-day mark has been breached.

The data, compiled by property consultancy TwentyEA for the Cavendish estate agency, shows a 10-day increase in the average selling time when comparing the period from January to May 2025 with the same months in 2024.

David Adams, managing director of Cavendish, says: “In pretty much every region of the UK, the time to sell your home has gone up with the UK average increasing from 195 days in 2024 to 205 days in 2025. This data demonstrates more than ever the importance of being as prepared as possible before you launch your property on to the market.

“Based on an average time of 205 days, most people hoping to give themselves a present of a new home by Christmas will probably have to think again.”

The glacial timeline breaks down into two key stages: 80 days from instructing an agent to reaching ‘sold subject to contract’ (SSTC), and a further 125 days from SSTC to completion.

The slowest sales are in inner London and the South East, where it takes an average of 222 days. Then come outer London at 221 days. The North East is the fastest region in England and Wales at 177 days, while Scotland records the shortest average at just 145 days.

Adams con tinues: “There are lots of ways in which home sellers can put themselves in pole position to beat the national average, but they need to put the hard yards in well before listing. You need to treat selling your home like a military operation.

“Speed to market does not equal speed to sale. Far better delaying for a couple of weeks to get everything in order rather than rushing to get online within hours of you instructing your estate agent.”

Adams adds that vendors should also be asking their agent what their selling record is, what percentage of homes do they successfully sell and how many go for asking price or better.