Even if the idea of owning our own home feels like a pipe dream, we all understand that the process of buying and selling property is incredibly stressful. A Which? survey actually found that people consider moving house more stressful than caring for an elderly relative, having a child, changing jobs or getting married.
So it's definitely interesting – and potentially helpful – to check out a new list of the easiest places in the UK to buy and sell property.
The list compiled by Compare the Market is based on the average number of days a property spends on the market. It also takes into account the average length of time current owners have lived in their properties, the number of estate agents in the area, and the number of properties available per 100,000 people.
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Canterbury, a historic and compact Kent city with a population of around 43,000 people, places top of the list. On average, properties there spend just 28 days on the market – compared to 89 days in London. Canterbury also has over five times as many estate agencies in relation to its population than the capital.
Bristol finishes second on the list, thanks largely to a high number of home-owners who don't settle down long-term – the average person in the Somerset city has spent just 2.5 years living in their property, compared to an average of 6.9 years in London.
With the average property spending just 40 days on the market, Southampton is ranked third on the list. York, recently named the best place to live in the UK, also makes the top ten in sixth place. And encouragingly, properties in both Southampton and York are below Compare the Market's national average of £292,893.
Check out the top ten below.
1. Canterbury (average house price: £311,154)
2. Bristol (average house price: £311,103)
3. Southampton (average house price: £280,128)
4. Manchester (average house price: £185,583)
5. Nottingham (average house price: £194,099)
6. York (average house price: £274,153)
7. Glasgow (average house price: £170,811)
8. Newcastle (average house price: £200,907)
9. Bradford (average house price: £131,036)
10. Portsmouth (average house price: £223,910)