Westminster is the slowest-selling borough in London, with homes taking an average of 63 days to sell, while Waltham Forest is the fastest at 33 days, according to property website Zoopla. The figures, based on data from July 2026, reveal significant regional disparities across the capital and the rest of the UK.
London's Fastest and Slowest Markets
Zoopla's analysis shows that Waltham Forest, which includes areas like Chingford, Walthamstow, Leyton, and Leytonstone, has the quickest home sales in London, with an average of 33 days. In contrast, Westminster takes 63 days on average to sell a home, making it the slowest local authority in the capital. Tower Hamlets is also among the slowest nationally, with homes taking 60 days to sell.
While the average time to sell across London remains unchanged at 42 days in the year to July, this stability masks a widening gap between faster local markets and weaker areas, according to Zoopla. The website noted that around half of the 363 local authorities analyzed (180) saw an increase in the average number of days taken to sell a property over the past year.
National Trends and Regional Variations
Nationally, Melton in the East Midlands recorded the slowest average selling time at 76 days, a 21-day increase compared with July 2025. In contrast, Falkirk in Scotland was the fastest-selling area, with homes taking just 11 days on average. Other fast-selling areas include Renfrewshire and North Lanarkshire at 13 days each.
Zoopla attributed the lengthening time to sell in many regions to higher average mortgage rates, which have led to a “wait and see” approach among buyers. This has increased the time it takes to find a buyer across many regional and local housing markets.
Expert Insight and Advice for Sellers
Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, commented: “While the national time to sell has barely moved, that stability is masking a real divide opening up between local markets. In areas like Melton in Leicestershire, homes are taking noticeably longer to sell than a year ago, while markets just a short drive away are speeding up.”
He advised sellers in slower markets: “If you’re selling in a slower market, don’t take a ‘wait and see’ approach – talk to a local agent who knows what’s happening street by street, and make sure your home is priced right from day one.”
Data and Methodology
Zoopla's “time to sell” research tracked the period from homes being first listed on the market to estate agents reporting sales agreed. Some local authorities were excluded from the research due to small sample sizes. The data for July 2026 highlights the fastest and slowest selling locations across nations and regions, including the East Midlands, East of England, London, North East, North West, Scotland, South East, South West, Wales, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber.
Among the fastest selling hotspots, Falkirk topped the list at 11 days, followed by Renfrewshire and North Lanarkshire at 13 days. The slowest selling local areas included Melton at 76 days, Westminster and Teignbridge at 63 days, and Torridge at 61 days. These figures reflect the ongoing divergence in the UK housing market, with some areas seeing homes sell in under two weeks while others take over two months.
