Tim in Ruislip

Bagging a buyer takes southern sellers significantly longer than those in the North. Scottish sellers move on with certainty after a mere 29 days with completion following on average 69 days later. At the other end of the country, Londoners have to wait 70 days and then a further 104 days to complete. Holding a buyer captive for a prolonged period is tricky as the smallest issue can snowball into a make or break scenario through pure frustration at the lack of movement. Streamlining the buyer process would avoid this and provide greater certainty for both buyer and seller from the start. Over the years there has been lots of encouraging noises about doing this but actioning it remains a drawn out affair. @rightmove

Hedge funds bet against developers’ downfall. “British builders now account for seven of Europe’s 10 most shorted housebuilders, according to data from Breakout Point” Rising costs, a lack of demand and the absence of cheap money have stalled developments and reduced profits leaving a sector struggling to lay solid foundations. @PuiGuanM @Telegraph