It’s a common enough question but, unfortunately, it’s one that doesn’t always have any easy answers. The problem is that there are far too many variables.

Every house or flat sale is different, and so is every location. It doesn’t stop there either, it also depends on the time of year, the state of the economy and how many similar properties are on the market at the same time. Then there’s the biggest variable of all, price. If the property is priced competitively and in a desirable area, it is likely to spend less time on the market than a highly priced flat in a street full of similar properties.

If you wanted a truly accurate picture of how long the process should take, you would need average figures for every single variant. Clearly, that wouldn’t be practical. However, thanks to Rightmove’s data, here is a very rough guide to average times across the country over the last few months.

THE AVERAGE TIME ON THE MARKET (2025)
January – 77 days (national) 58 days (London). February – 51 days (national) 58 days (London). March – 64 days (national) 58 days (London).

Despite the economic challenges of the past few years, property is still selling faster in many regions than it was during previous market cycles.

THE AVERAGE TIME ON THE MARKET (2007)
January – 89 days (national) 88 days (London). Mar/Apr – 69 days (national) 63 days (London). August – 85 days (national) 77 days (London).

There are some quite large regional variations. According to Rightmove’s regional analysis (February 2025), Scotland continues to lead the pack with properties taking just 37 days to find a buyer. The West Midlands follows with properties taking around 50 days to secure a buyer.

London’s sales times vary by borough but average around 58 days according to the latest Rightmove data, which is better than the national average but slower than the standout regions. Wales has the slowest market, with properties taking 76 days on average to secure a buyer (Rightmove regional data, January 2025).

These figures do not take into account the time taken between exchange and completion, which typically adds another 1-2 weeks according to Rightmove’s transaction timeline analysis. It is also worth bearing in mind that, with property sales, you can encounter the odd unexpected complication such as a disappointing survey or a particularly long chain. The amount of time they add on to the sales process is normally directly related to their complexity.

To put this into context, it’s worth having a quick look at it from a buyer’s perspective. The average buying cycle takes much longer than the sales one, according to Rightmove’s buyer journey analysis:

THE AVERAGE BUYING TIMES 2025 (Rightmove Transaction Data) Beginning of the search to offer accepted: 12 weeks Obtaining a mortgage offer: + 4 weeks Exchange of contracts: + 4 weeks Completion: + 2 weeks Total: 22 weeks (154 days).

In 2025, the total process from listing to completion is taking around seven months (214 days) on average according to Rightmove’s latest transaction analysis – meaning sellers hoping to be in a new home for Christmas would need to list their property by May.

Wherever you may live, selling a house is seldom a swift process, and averages are just that, average. That’s to say, if the average in your area is 3 months, yours could take 4 months to sell, and someone else’s might take 2. The only person who has the kind of in-depth knowledge of the local area required for a more accurate forecast is your agent. Even they are sometimes reluctant to commit to a timeframe in the face of so many variables. However, if you’re in a hurry to sell, your agent can advise you on the best pricing strategy to achieve this, and he will normally be able to tell you how long it took to sell any similar properties in the area.

Data sources for this article include: Rightmove House Price Index (May 2025), Rightmove Regional Market Analysis (February-April 2025), Rightmove Transaction Timeline Data (April 2025), and Rightmove Historical Market Comparisons (2007-2025).