Sellers saw their property take 256 days to sell from first listing it online until the sale completed, climbing to 295 in the capital, according to GetAgent.co.uk.

The estate agent comparison website also noted that the average time increased throughout the year, taking 250 days during the first quarter of 2019, but 271 days by the final quarter.

The biggest market slowdown was in Eden, where the average property sale took 393 days to complete. Westminster was home to the second-longest selling time and worst in London, taking 390 days to complete.

Ceredigion ranks as the slowest market in Wales with the average sale dragging out for 388 days, while homeowners in Islington (373), Camden (333), Copeland (332) and Richmond (331) also saw their sale take longer than 330 days.

Quick sales

The quickest sales in the nation occurred in Nuneaton and Bedworth, where the average property took just 191 days from first listing online to completion.

Torfaen was the best performing market in Wales with homes selling in 193 days on average, while Bromsgrove in the Midlands ranked third at 197 days.

Other areas with sales times below 210 days include Trafford, Bolsover, North East Lincolnshire, Stockport, Walsall, Charnwood, Wellingborough, Mansfield, Redditch and Coventry.

CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, Colby Short, said: “It’s clear that the ongoing market uncertainty surrounding Brexit had a direct impact on selling times across the nation over 2019, increasing almost consistently throughout the year and culminating with the longest selling times seen all year, due to a combination of pre-election angst and a seasonal market slowdown in the final quarter of the year.

“However, as always, the UK property market is a patchwork quilt constructed of many different markets, all acting independently with their own levels of demand and rates of house price growth. So while the average home seller had no choice but to twiddle their thumbs for almost eight and a half months before completing, for many, this happened much quicker.”