NINETEEN weeks is now the average time taken for a home to sell, according to RICS, from the For Sale sign going up to the sale being completed.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors also said the number of homes on estate agents' books is still close to record lows.

The average in March 2019 was just over 42 per branch. February's figure of just under 42 was a record low, said RICS.