Surfing capital Newquay is riding high as the best place for selling property.
The Cornish town, famed for attractions such as Fistral Beach, has the highest proportion of homes that have been provisionally sold after being put on the market this year.
Newquay tops the list on 82%. Town estate agent Bradley Start, from Start & Co, said: “The stock shortage is the worst I’ve seen in 30 years and there’s just seemingly endless demand.”
Newquay’s appeal has been partly boosted by the Covid crisis, with people rushing to buy second homes or to relocate. The average asking price in the town is around £350,000.
The second best place for sellers, according to the figures from property website Rightmove, is Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside.
Just under 82% of homes put on the market in the town this year have been sold subject to contract.
Simon Shepherd, branch manager of Ashtons estate agents in Newton-le-Willows, said: “The train station and high street have had a lot of development over the past few years which had already been increasing activity here, but the past year has just been crazy.”
The average asking price there is around £182,000. Other places in the top 10 for sellers include Plymstock in Devon, Hailsham in East Sussex and Canvey Island in Essex.
City centre properties are proving harder to sell.
It comes amid a permanent shift to home working for some staff and people moving out to the suburbs or even further afield. Only 18.4% of homes put up for sale in Birmingham city centre this year have been sold.
Across Britain, around 66% of properties are currently sold subject to contract.
So far this year Rightmove has recorded 20 of its busiest ever days for visits to the website.
Tim Bannister, the company’s director of property data, said: “Areas around the North and South West are the standout sellers’ markets right now and places in Cornwall and Devon are continuing the trend of a desire to move to the seaside and countryside.
“Suburbs are also faring well as some people move further out from the centre of cities."
Top 10 places for selling in the UK
1. Newquay, Cornwall - 82% of properties sold after being put on the market this year with an average asking price of £351,398.
2. Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside - 81.8% of properties sold after being put on the market this year with an average asking price of £182,280.
3. Plymstock, Devon - 81.2% of properties sold after being put on the market this year with an average asking price of £268,980.
4. Hailsham, East Sussex - 81.1% of properties sold after being put on the market this year with an average asking price of £310,642.
5. Canvey Island, Essex - 80.5% of properties sold after being put on the market this year with an average asking price of £302,769.
6. Atherton, Manchester - 80.3% of properties sold after being put on the market this year with an average asking price of £153,540.
7. Quedgeley, Gloucestershire - 80.1% of properties sold after being put on the market this year with an average asking price of £237,007.
8. Willingdon, East Sussex - 79.2% of properties sold after being put on the market this year with an average asking price of £326,338.
9. Whitchurch, Bristol - 78.2% of properties sold after being put on the market this year with an average asking price of £293,021.
10. Melksham, Wiltshire - 77.9% of properties sold after being put on the market this year with an average asking price of £276,096.
