1. The marketing stage alone can vary by three weeks
The gap between London and the North East is 21 days in Rightmove's regional data. That difference occurs before the post-offer legal and finance process is complete.
Seller Data Desk · Updated 15 September 2026
UK Seller Cost & Time Index 2026
A practical, source-backed snapshot of the two pressures sellers feel most: how long it may take to secure a buyer and how much a conventional sale can cost. The regional table below combines official HM Land Registry prices with Rightmove time-to-buyer data and clearly labels every assumption.
5 monthsAverage time to sell a home, according to GOV.UK.
63 daysLatest national time to secure a buyer shown by Rightmove (July 2026).
£4,164Illustrative 1.42% agent fee on the June 2026 England average property price.
21 daysGap between the fastest and slowest English regions in Rightmove's August buyer-time data.
Where sellers are waiting longest for a buyer
Rightmove's August 2026 regional data shows a meaningful spread across England. London averaged 73 days to find a buyer, compared with 52 days in the North East.
These are average days to find a buyer, not guaranteed completion times. Rightmove's latest national time-to-buyer figure displayed for July 2026 is 63 days; the regional map is labelled August 2026.
Regional cost-and-time table
Illustrative agent fees use MoneyHelper's 2026 average of 1.42% including VAT. Actual estate-agent fees vary by agent, contract and sale price.
| Region | HM Land Registry average price June 2026 | Illustrative agent fee at 1.42% | Avg days to find buyer Rightmove Aug 2026 | Vs latest UK national 63-day benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. London | £553,870 | £7,865 | 73 | +10 days |
| 2. South West | £304,562 | £4,325 | 71 | +8 days |
| 3. South East | £380,380 | £5,401 | 69 | +6 days |
| 4. East of England | £338,707 | £4,810 | 67 | +4 days |
| 4. East Midlands | £240,457 | £3,414 | 67 | +4 days |
| 6. West Midlands | £250,941 | £3,563 | 63 | 0 days |
| 7. Yorkshire and the Humber | £207,948 | £2,953 | 62 | -1 day |
| 8. North West | £219,922 | £3,123 | 56 | -7 days |
| 9. North East | £165,550 | £2,351 | 52 | -11 days |
The ranking is by average time to find a buyer only. It is not a ranking of market quality, sale certainty or likely final price.
Three findings worth knowing
The data is more useful when the measures are read together instead of as isolated headlines.
2. A percentage fee becomes a very different cash amount by region
Using the same 1.42% assumption, the illustrative agent fee is about £7,865 on London's June average price and about £2,351 in the North East.
3. Offer accepted does not mean sale complete
HMRC says completed transactions in its monthly data are, on average, two to four months after the initial offer. GOV.UK's overall seller guide puts the average home-sale process at about five months.
What can a conventional sale cost?
MoneyHelper's current seller guidance lists estate-agent fees of 1%–3% of the sale price in its cost summary and gives a wider typical estate-agent range of 0.75%–3.5% in its detailed agent section. It states the 2026 average is 1.42% including VAT.
- Legal fees: £800–£1,800
- EPC: £60–£120 where a new certificate is needed
- Removal costs: £400–£1,000+
- Remortgaging fees: £1,000+ if applicable
- Other possible costs: mortgage exit/early repayment charges, repairs, leasehold/service charges and Capital Gains Tax where applicable
Illustrative England-average baseline
Using the June 2026 England average property value of £293,262 and the 1.42% average agent-fee assumption:
Illustrative agent fee: £4,164.
Adding MoneyHelper's legal, EPC and removal-cost ranges produces a simple planning baseline of roughly £5,424–£7,084.
This is not an average total selling cost and not a quote. It excludes mortgage charges, tax, repairs, leasehold administration and other case-specific costs.
Methodology
Price data: HM Land Registry / UK House Price Index, England, June 2026. The most recent HPI estimates are provisional and can be revised.
Agent-fee calculation: regional average price × 1.42%, using MoneyHelper's stated 2026 average estate-agent fee including VAT. This is illustrative only.
Buyer-time data: Rightmove House Price Index regional map, August 2026. Rightmove's latest national time-to-secure-buyer table displays 63 days for July 2026, which is used only as a comparison benchmark.
Whole-sale timing: GOV.UK says selling a home takes about five months on average. HMRC notes that its completed transaction statistics are, on average, two to four months after an initial offer.
Scope: the regional comparison covers England because it uses the England regional HPI table. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different market/legal contexts and are not ranked here.
Last updated: 15 September 2026. We will refresh the dataset when materially newer source data is available.
Primary and first-party sources
- GOV.UK — Selling a home
- HM Land Registry — UK House Price Index, England: June 2026
- HMRC — UK monthly property transactions commentary
- MoneyHelper — Selling a house or flat
- Rightmove — House Price Index
MyFastOffer4U has no commercial relationship with the data sources listed above. Source links are provided so journalists, homeowners and researchers can verify the figures directly.
Use the data for your own sale
Regional averages are context, not a personal forecast. Model your own sale price and fees, or compare different selling routes before deciding what matters most to you.