HOUSES in Bromsgrove sell faster than almost anywhere else in the Midlands – and quicker than the majority of towns and cities in the country – according to the latest property data.

The latest research from GetAgent.co.uk has revealed the time it is taking to buy/sell a house so far this year from the point it is listed online to being registered as completed by the Land Registry.

The research shows that Bromsgrove is among the top 20 areas in the entire UK for a quick sale – with the average house in the district taking just 104 days, or three and a half months, to sell.

That is almost six weeks quicker than the national average of 144 days – the equivalent of just under five months – required to complete a sale.

Bromsgrove Advertiser:

Matt Bennett, valuations manager at Bromsgrove estate agents Arden Estates, said he was not surprised by the figures.

"Since lockdown, we've noticed a lot of people wanting to move out of Birmingham and commute back into the city centre for work," he explained.

"They want their family settled in a town environment, somewhere a bit quieter, perhaps on the edge of the Green Belt.

"Bromsgrove is right on the edge of the M5 and M42 as well, so its links are very good and I think schooling plays a big part.

"The improvement to the rail system has been a massive plus as well, that's a reason why house prices have risen in Aston Fields in particular.

"Bromsgrove has always been a popular spot for all those reasons but even more so now."

The freeze on stamp duty for properties priced under £500,000 has been another boost for house sales in the area, added Matt.

"That's a saving of up to £15,000 which can buy you a very nice bathroom," he said.

"It just makes buying a house more appealing, if you're going to do it, now is the time."

The only areas in the Midlands where houses sell quicker than in Bromsgrove are Bolsover in Derbyshire (91 days), Nuneaton and Bedworth in Warwickshire (94 days), Ashfield in Nottinghamshire (95 days), Mansfield, also in Nottinghamshire (95 days), North West Leicestershire (96 days) and Rugby (98 days).

Across the UK, Edinburgh boasts the quickest average sale time, with houses in the Scottish capital snapped up within two and a half months, or 78 days, of going on the market.

Wigan, in Greater Manchester, is second on the list, with house sales going through, on average, within 86 days, just shy of three months.

By contrast, there are areas of the country where the average sale can take more than nine months – with City of London (271 days), Aberdeenshire (269 days) and Moray (261 days) all exceeding that mark.