Property hotspots: the UK towns where properties sell the fastest
New research has revealed the UK's top 10 property hotspots... and the places where homes take over a year to sell.
The UK property market has had a great few years, but some areas are more popular than others. If you want to buy a home in Reading or Bristol you need to be fast, with homes selling in less than 11 weeks.
Quick Move Now, a property purchasing firm, has analysed the data and revealed the ten areas of the country with the biggest house price rises and fastest property markets to produce a list of Britain’s true property hotspots.
1. Reading
The top spot is occupied by Reading, a town loved by commuters wanting quick access to London thanks to excellent rail links and the M4. That means you can buy a house with a 30-minute commute to central London for a fraction of what it would cost to live within Greater London.
As a result houses here are currently selling within just 64 days on average.
2. Bristol
Another place with good links to London takes the runner-up spot in the countdown. Bristol has great transport links and a vibrant art and music scene which makes it a “desirable location for those craving city life, but for whom London prices are out of reach,” according to Quick Move Now. Homes here sell within 74 days on average.
3. Worthing
“Often sold as Brighton’s more stable and mature older brother,” Worthing appeals to people wanting to move out of crowded Brighton and Hove. Property takes an average of just 87 days to sell here.
4. Hove
Closer to Brighton lies Hove, which boasts a vibrant social scene and plenty of amenities. It is proving popular with young professionals commuting to London as its property is 38% cheaper than in the capital. A house here typically takes 87 days to sell.
5. Colchester
The UK’s oldest recorded town boasts beautiful buildings, good transport links and the kind of picturesque English countryside that many people dream about. That’s why property here sells within 88 days on average.
6. Rochester
Another London commuter town, Rochester has beautiful, historic high street and excellent rail links. A house here takes an average of 88 days to sell.
7. Edmonton
This area in north London is undergoing a vast regeneration that includes a £1.5 billion project by Meridian Water to create 5,000 new homes and 3,000 jobs. As a result it is a highly desirable up-and-coming area with homes spending just 89 days on the market.
8. Milton Keynes
Forget the concrete cows and endless roundabouts: Milton Keynes is thriving, with several multinational companies calling it home including Argos, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen AG. Property here typically sells within 90 days.
9. Swindon
Like Reading, Swindon’s position on the M4 makes it popular with London commuters. A property here is normally only on the market for 91 days.
10. Brighton
Its popularity doesn’t seem to wane thanks to its proximity to London, vibrant social scene and coastal position. House prices may be up 11% in just the past year, but people are still snapping them up within an average of 91 days.
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Property cold spots
It isn’t all good news though. There are many areas in the country that aren’t enjoying the buoyant property market. In the less popular parts of the country it can take up to a year to sell a home.
Here’s Quick Move Now’s rundown of the worst places to try to sell a home at the moment.
1. Wallasey
Found on the edge of the Wirral Peninsula, Wallasey doesn’t have a great history with a reputation for luring ships onto the rocks and sandbanks in order to raid their cargo in the past. Things have improved since the days of smuggling; the town is home to the first guide dog training school and the first passenger hovercraft service. But that doesn’t seem to be luring in the home buyers, a house here takes an average of 358 days to sell.
2. Paisley
The birthplace of Robert the Bruce is historically associated with the textile industry but today’s fashionistas aren’t interested. A house here takes an average of 321 days to sell.
3. Sunderland
This former coal and salt trading port was once the largest shipbuilding town in the world. Sadly, the last shipyard closed in the late 1980s. A house in the area takes an average of 315 days to sell.
4. Colwyn Bay
Beautiful beaches on the north coast of Wales aren’t enough to attract homebuyers to Colwyn Bay. It takes an average of 312 days to find a buyer for a property here.
5. Newtonabbey
This large town on the outskirts of Belfast fails to lure people from Northern Ireland’s capital. Houses typically sit on the market for 303 days.
6. Rochdale
It was once integral to the country’s woollen trade and it prospered in the industrial revolution thanks to the Rochdale Canal, but now properties languish on the housing market for an average of 293 days.
7. Scunthorpe
This is the UK’s largest steel processing centre, and was the close to the epicentre for one of the largest earthquakes the UK has ever experienced. But it has "struggled to thrive after the demise of heavy industries,” says Quick Buy Now. Houses take an average of 291 days to sell here.
8. Keighley
A West Yorkshire town with heritage steam railway links, Keighley also played a key role in the country’s old textiles industry, particularly cotton and wool processing. The town is also recognisable from numerous films and TV shows including The Railway Children, The Last of the Summer Wine and A Touch of Frost. However, homes here take an average of 289 days to find a buyer.
9. Bangor, Northern Ireland
This seaside resort in County Down was voted the most desirable place to live in Northern Ireland in 2007. It is a popular commuter town for Belfast but properties still sit on the market for an average of 288 days.
10. South Shields
Sitting on the mouth of the River Tyne, this coastal town is often overshadowed by nearby Newcastle on Tyne and Gateshead. Property here takes an average of 288 days to sell.
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