After a period of rapid increase, house price growth in the UK has moderated. In 2025, house prices are forecast to increase by ****percent. Between 2025 and 2029, the average house price growth is projected at *** percent. According to the source, home building is expected to increase slightly in this period, fueling home buying. On the other hand, higher borrowing costs despite recent easing of mortgage rates and affordability challenges may continue to suppress transaction activity. Historical house price growth in the UK House prices rose steadily between 2015 and 2020, despite minor fluctuations. In the following two years, prices soared, leading to the house price index jumping by about 20 percent. As the market stood in April 2025, the average price for a home stood at approximately ******* British pounds. Rents are expected to continue to grow According to another forecast, the prime residential market is also expected to see rental prices grow in the next five years. Growth is forecast to be stronger in 2025 and slow slightly until 2029. The rental market in London is expected to follow a similar trend, with Outer London slightly outperforming Central London.

House prices in the UK rose dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic, with growth slowing down in 2022 and turning negative in 2023. The year-on-year annual house price change peaked at 14 percent in July 2022. In April 2025, house prices increased by 3.5 percent. As of late 2024, the average house price was close to 290,000 British pounds. Correction in housing prices: a European phenomenon The trend of a growing residential real estate market was not exclusive to the UK during the pandemic. Likewise, many European countries experienced falling prices in 2023. When comparing residential property RHPI (price index in real terms, e.g. corrected for inflation), countries such as Germany, France, Italy, and Spain also saw prices decline. Sweden, one of the countries with the fastest growing residential markets, saw one of the largest declines in prices. How has demand for UK housing changed since the outbreak of the coronavirus? The easing of the lockdown was followed by a dramatic increase in home sales. In November 2020, the number of mortgage approvals reached an all-time high of over 107,000. One of the reasons for the housing boom were the low mortgage rates, allowing home buyers to take out a loan with an interest rate as low as 2.5 percent. That changed as the Bank of England started to raise the base lending rate, resulting in higher borrowing costs and a decline in homebuyer sentiment.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of house sales in the UK spiked, followed by a period of decline. In 2023 and 2024, the housing market slowed notably, and in January 2025, transaction volumes fell to 46,774. House sales volumes are impacted by a number of factors, including mortgage rates, house prices, supply, demand, as well as the overall health of the market. The economic uncertainty and rising unemployment rates has also affected the homebuyer sentiment of Brits. How have UK house prices developed over the past 10 years? House prices in the UK have increased year-on-year since 2015, except for a brief period of decline in the second half of 2023 and the beginning of 2024. That is based on the 12-month percentage change of the UK house price index. At the peak of the housing boom in 2022, prices soared by nearly 14 percent. The decline that followed was mild, at under three percent. The cooling in the market was more pronounced in England and Wales, where the average house price declined in 2023. Conversely, growth in Scotland and Northern Ireland continued. What is the impact of mortgage rates on house sales? For a long period, mortgage rates were at record-low, allowing prospective homebuyers to take out a 10-year loan at a mortgage rate of less than three percent. In the last quarter of 2021, this period came to an end as the Bank of England rose the bank lending rate to contain the spike in inflation. Naturally, the higher borrowing costs affected consumer sentiment, urging many homebuyers to place their plans on hold and leading to a decline in sales.

In 2022, house price growth in the UK slowed, after a period of decade-long increase. Nevertheless, in June 2025, prices reached a new peak, with the average home costing ******* British pounds. This figure refers to all property types, including detached, semi-detached, terraced houses, and flats and maisonettes. Compared to other European countries, the UK had some of the highest house prices. How have UK house prices increased over the last 10 years? Property prices have risen dramatically over the past decade. According to the UK house price index, the average house price has grown by over ** percent since 2015. This price development has led to the gap between the cost of buying and renting a property to close. In 2023, buying a three-bedroom house in the UK was no longer more affordable than renting one. Consequently, Brits have become more likely to rent longer and push off making a house purchase until they have saved up enough for a down payment and achieved the financial stability required to make the step. What caused the recent fluctuations in house prices? House prices are affected by multiple factors, such as mortgage rates, supply, and demand on the market. For nearly a decade, the UK experienced uninterrupted house price growth as a result of strong demand and a chronic undersupply. Homebuyers who purchased a property at the peak of the housing boom in July 2022 paid ** percent more compared to what they would have paid a year before. Additionally, 2022 saw the most dramatic increase in mortgage rates in recent history. Between December 2021 and December 2022, the **-year fixed mortgage rate doubled, adding further strain to prospective homebuyers. As a result, the market cooled, leading to a correction in pricing.

The UK housing market continued to show significant regional variations in 2025, with London maintaining its position as the most expensive city for homebuyers. The average house price in the capital stood at ******* British pounds in February, nearly double the national average. However, the market dynamics are shifting, with London experiencing only a modest *** percent annual increase, while other cities like Belfast and Liverpool saw more substantial growth of over **** percent respectively. Affordability challenges and market slowdown Despite the continued price growth in many cities, the UK housing market is facing headwinds. The affordability of mortgage repayments has become the biggest barrier to property purchases, with the majority of the respondents in a recent survey citing it as their main challenge. Moreover, a rising share of Brits have reported affordability as a challenge since 2021, reflecting the impact of rising house prices and higher mortgage rates. The market slowdown is evident in the declining housing transaction volumes, which have plummeted since 2021. European context The stark price differences are mirrored in the broader European context. While London boasts some of the highest property prices among European cities, a comparison of the average transaction price for new homes in different European countries shows a different picture. In 2023, the highest prices were found in Austria, Germany, and France.

House Price Index YoY in the United Kingdom increased to 1.90 percent in October from 1.30 percent in September of 2025. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for the United Kingdom House Price Index YoY.

As of the second quarter of 2022, online agents had a market share of *** percent of exchanges in the United Kingdom. Yorkshire and The Humber had the higher share of online purchases at almost ** percent. Unlike other industries, the housing market has a relatively small online penetration rate as the overall cost and grandiosity of buying a home still encourages people into physical stores.

Average house prices

Average house prices are affected by several factors. Economic growth, unemployment, interest rates and mortgage availability can all drive them up or down. A shortage of supply means that the need for housing and the competitive market created will push house prices up. An excess of housing, on the other hand, means prices fall to stimulate buyers.

House price growth slowing down

After two years of a staggering house price growth, the UK housing market has started cooling down and in June 2022, the annual house price growth fell below ***** percent - the lowest since July 2021. In the five-year period until 2026, London is forecast to see the slowest house price growth.

Building contractors and developers depend on various socio-economic factors, including property values, underlying sentiment in the housing market, the degree of optimism among downstream businesses and credit conditions. All of these drivers typically track in line with economic sentiment, with recent economic shocks spurring a difficult period for building contractors and developers. Nonetheless, the enduring need for building services, particularly to tackle housing shortages across the continent, ensures a strong foundation of work. Revenue is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 2.3% to reach €1.3 trillion over the five years through 2025. Operational and supply chain disruption caused by the pandemic reversed the fortunes of building contractors and developers in 2020, as on-site activity tumbled and downstream clients either cancelled, froze or scaled back investment plans. Aided by the release of pent-up demand and supportive government policy, building construction output rebounded in 2021. Excess demand for key raw materials led to extended lead times during this period, while input costs recorded a further surge as a result of the effects of rapidly climbing energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Soaring construction costs and the impact of interest rate hikes on both the housing market and investor sentiment led to a renewed slowdown in building construction activity across the continent. However, falling inflation and the start of an interest rate cutting cycle have spurred signs of a recovery in new work volumes, supporting anticipated revenue growth of 2.3% in 2025. Revenue is forecast to increase at a compound annual rate of 6.7% to €1.7 trillion over the five years through 2030. Activity is set to remain sluggish in the medium term, as weak economic growth and uncertainty surrounding the impact of the volatile global tariff environment on inflation and borrowing costs continue to weigh on investor sentiment. Contractors and developers will increasingly rely on public sector support, including measures to boost the supply of new housing, as countries seek to tackle severe housing shortages. Meanwhile, the introduction of more stringent sustainability requirements will drive demand for energy retrofits.

Turkey experienced the highest annual change in house prices in 2025, followed by North Macedonia and Portugal. In the second quarter of the year, the nominal house price in Turkey grew by **** percent, while in North Macedonia and Portugal, the increase was **** and **** percent, respectively. Meanwhile, some countries saw prices fall throughout the year. That has to do with an overall cooling of the global housing market that started in 2022. When accounting for inflation, house price growth was slower, and even more countries saw the market shrink.

Revenue is projected to climb at a compound annual rate of 2% to £50.4 billion over the five years through 2025-26. Recent economic headwinds, including severe inflationary pressures and geopolitical tensions, have taken a hit on consumer spending and business activity, which has limited industry growth. However, the industry is countercyclical, meaning that demand for legal work in certain areas, including litigation and insolvency matters, grows in times of economic downturn. The largest firms have responded to the challenges posed by weaker business activity in the UK by expanding internationally, engaging in M&A initiatives and broadening their services to compete with accounting firms. The introduction of legislation allowing non-legal entities to own legal firms through alternative business structures has created significant price-driven competition. Pressure on fees has encouraged firms to enhance efficiency and cut costs. Law firms have increasingly invested in technology that reduces human error and speeds up routine work, increasing the time employees have to engage in more valuable activities. Soaring inflation, steep borrowing costs and geopolitical tensions eroded business confidence and restricted business spending, with M&A activity taking a hit in the two years through 2023-24. Residential property transactions also dropped amid squeezed consumer finances and high mortgage rates. However, resilient demand for legal services, including property law and corporate affairs, has supported revenue growth in the two years through 2025-26. Competitive pressures and the war for talent have weighed on profit. Amid growing costs, larger firms have hiked their fees to support revenue and profit. Over the five years through 2030-31, revenue is forecast to swell at a compound annual rate of 3.3% to £59.2 billion. A more positive economic climate will drive business activity, including deal-making and IPOs, hiking demand for corporate law. The housing market is also set to expand, fuelling property law demand, while more and more organisations will seek legal advice on sustainability matters. Consolidation activity will take place as firms seek to find avenues for growth, boosted by private equity funding. The pace of technological advancement will quicken, with more firms attempting to enhance the efficiency of their services using artificial intelligence, blockchain and smart contracts. This will help support profit growth, though the war for talent shows no sign of slowing down.

The Australian mortgage market was characterized by a sharp slowdown in mortgage balances in 2019 after years of growth – and this trend is expected to continue well into 2020. Property prices this year are expected to decline between 15% and 30% overall as COVID-19 temporarily freezes the market. However, mortgage balance growth to 2024 is expected to be positive overall, with the rebound beginning in 2021 Read More

Construction Orders in the United Kingdom increased 29.30 percent in September of 2025 over the same month in the previous year. This dataset provides - United Kingdom Construction Orders- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Economic uncertainty and inflationary pressures have spurred a degree of instability in the UK economy in recent years. This has made private investors reluctant to dedicate significant spending towards capital ventures, weighing on lead generation in commercial building construction markets. High construction costs and rising interest rates have created further apprehension among property developers to engage in new ventures, though long-term government capital procurement frameworks have provided some resilience to wavering private investment. Aided by the release of pent-up demand and a stronger-than-anticipated initial economic recovery from the pandemic, the industry recorded a strong rebound in new orders in 2021-22, particularly in private commercial and private industrial markets. However, capacity constraints and the impact of reduced new work volumes secured during the height of the pandemic limited output growth. Growth in new order volumes slowed in 2022-23, as economic uncertainty compounded and rising tender prices reduced the propensity of investors to commit to commercial real estate ventures. High borrowing costs continued to weigh on investor sentiment in 2023-24, with interest rates hitting 5.25% in August 2023, according to the Bank of England. However, a steady stream of work on projects procured through capital procurement frameworks, including Procure23 and the School Rebuilding Programme, has bolstered revenue growth for publicly funded buildings. Overall, revenue is expected to climb at a compound annual rate of 3.6% over the five years through 2025-26 to £21.6 billion, despite a forecast dip of 1.4% in 2025-26 as inflationary pressure hits demand. Revenue is slated to swell at a compound annual rate of 1.1% over the five years through 2030-31 to reach £22.9 billion. The effects of the UK's economic slowdown will continue to bite in the near term as weak order books limit remuneration. Still, commitments made by the government as part of capital procurement frameworks will continue to support demand for commercial building contractors in the coming years, while private-sector order books should improve as borrowing costs come down. Although input price inflation is set to continue to ease in the medium term, material costs are likely to remain elevated and a construction worker shortage will pressure profit. According to the Building Cost Information Service, material costs are anticipated to grow by 15% in the five years through Q3 2030.

Although the value of development land in the United Kingdom (UK) is forecasted to continue growing between 2022 and 2026, the growth rate is expected to slow down. According to the forecast, land values are expected to increase by *** percent in 2022 and by three percent in 2023. In recent years, house prices have increased considerably across the UK due to the especially high demand, limited availability and rising construction costs. With the housing market cooling down, it can be expected that land values will also be affected. It is expected that by 2026, the annual development land value growth rate will decrease to *** percent.

Electrical contractors service the construction industry across residential, commercial and infrastructure construction. Procyclical commercial and residential construction trends influence revenue prospects, creating more volatile revenue streams for electricians. Some stability is granted through repair and maintenance work and infrastructure construction, which remain resilient to economic uncertainty. However, electricians have been burdened by uncertainty associated with the Russia-Ukraine war, lingering inflation and housing market slumps.

Supply chain disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and fluctuating material costs have hampered profitability. However, it remains largely resistant to these changes due to the nature of the industry's service, which limits the length of the supply chain. The cost-of-living crisis and soaring material costs have contributed to slowing residential and commercial construction, with ONS data showing total new housing output contracted 16.3% between 2022 and 2024, shifting the reliance of electricians towards big infrastructure projects. Civil engineering projects, like funding to maintain hospitals and schools in the Plan for Change, have proved resilient to economic fluctuations and provided lucrative contracts for electricians to see booming revenue. The National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline drives demand for electrical installation services through government investment in infrastructure, providing work for highly skilled electricians. Overall, revenue is expected to climb at a compound annual rate of 5.3% in the five years to 2025-26, with a forecast 2% drop in revenue to £35.3 billion in 2025-26 attributed to economic uncertainty.

Ongoing government support programmes will bolster demand for electricians in the next five years. The government’s commitment to building 1.5 million new homes by 2029 will continue to bolster output in the residential construction sector. With performance behind the current target, more funding could be poured into the project and electricians would have more tender opportunities. As the need for skilled workers grows, the government also funds apprenticeships to adequately train the next generation of electricians and address the growing skill gap. Technological advancements in AI and smart homes present an opportunity for electricians of all experience levels to expand their skill sets and capitalise on a growing number of revenue streams, with those who adapt effectively set to benefit greatly. Over the five years through 2029-30, revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 3.6% to £42.1 billion.

Mortgage rates surged at an unprecedented pace in 2022, with the average 10-year fixed rate doubling between March and December of that year. In response to mounting inflation, the Bank of England implemented a series of rate hikes, pushing borrowing costs steadily higher. By October 2025, the average 10-year fixed mortgage rate stood at **** percent. As financing becomes more expensive, housing demand has cooled, weighing on market sentiment and slowing house price growth. How have the mortgage hikes affected the market? After surging in 2021, the number of residential properties sold fell significantly in 2023, dipping to just above *** million transactions. This contraction in activity also dampened mortgage lending. Between the first quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, the value of new mortgage loans declined year-on-year for five consecutive quarters. Even as rates eased modestly in 2024 and housing activity picked up slightly, volumes remained well below the highs recorded in 2021. How are higher mortgages impacting homebuyers? For homeowners, the impact is being felt most acutely as fixed-rate deals expire. Mortgage terms in the UK typically range from two to ten years, and many borrowers who locked in historically low rates are now facing significantly higher repayments when refinancing. By the end of 2026, an estimated five million homeowners will see their mortgage deals expire. Roughly two million of these loans are projected to experience a monthly payment increase of up to *** British pounds by 2026, putting additional pressure on household budgets and constraining affordability across the market.

The average cost of buying a property with a mortgage in Camden, London, was about ***** as high as in Croydon in June 2024. Despite experiencing one of the highest declines in property prices in the past year, Kensington and Chelsea remained the most expensive borough for residential real estate. The average cost of buying a new residential dwelling with a mortgage is usually higher than the original asking price. The amount of the down payment, interest payments placed on the repayment of the loan, and other added costs can amount to thousands of British pounds. Property prices in other cities in the UK Cambridge, Oxford, and Bristol were some of the other cities with costly housing markets. Despite the slowdown in the residential sector, many of the major cities in the UK continued to see house prices increase in 2023. Though the housing boom witnessed during the pandemic has come to an end, prices show little volatility, due to the high demand and chronic shortage of affordable housing. To buy or to rent? Buying has long been the better option for those who can afford it. Homebuyers can achieve monthly savings of several hundred British pounds, depending on the region. Nevertheless, the soaring mortgage rates and house prices in recent years have led to a narrowing gap between purchase and rental costs.

In the presented European countries, the homeownership rate extended from 42.6 percent in Switzerland to as much as 95.9 percent in Albania. Countries with more mature rental markets, such as France, Germany, the UK, and Switzerland, tended to have a lower homeownership rate compared to the frontier countries, such as Lithuania or Slovakia. The share of house owners among the population of all 20 euro area countries stood at 64.5 percent in 2024. Average cost of housing Countries with lower homeownership rates tend to have higher house prices. In 2024, the average transaction price for a house was notably higher in Western and Northern Europe than in Eastern and Southern Europe. In Austria, one of the most expensive European countries to buy a new dwelling in, the average price was three times higher than in Greece. Looking at house price growth, however, the most expensive markets recorded slower house price growth compared to the mid-priced markets. Housing supply With population numbers rising across Europe, the need for affordable housing continues. In 2024, European countries completed between one and six housing units per 1,000 citizens, with Ireland, Poland, and Denmark responsible for heading the ranking. One of the major challenges for supplying the market with more affordable homes is the rising construction costs. In 2021 and 2022, housing construction costs escalated dramatically due to soaring inflation, which has had a significant effect on new supply.

In recent years, investment volumes in commercial real estate in the United Kingdom (UK) have decreased. During the coronavirus (COVID-10) pandemic, investment activity slowed down dramatically affecting all three major sectors: office, industrial, and retail. Between the second quarter of 2019 and the second quarter of 2020, retail real estate investment fell by approximately ** percent, while office real estate investment decreased by close to ** percent. The industrial real estate investment market has been least impacted and in the first quarter of 2021 saw investment volumes nearly double from the same period in 2020.

Across the major European industrial and logistics real estate markets, London had the highest rental rate in 2024. One square meter in a large, prime warehouse in London cost about *** euros annually in the fourth quarter of the year. That figure reflects the rental cost after any rent-free periods or incentives, excluding taxes and charges, referred to as headline rent. Other markets with high rental rates were Helsinki and Oslo. What are the most important logistics hubs in Europe? London’s domestic and international connectivity, thriving business ecosystem, and access to a large consumer base make it one of the most important logistics hubs in Europe. Nevertheless, Birmingham achieved the highest take-up among the major European markets for three years in a row. Birmingham is part of the UK’s golden logistics triangle – an area between Birmingham, Northamptonshire, and Yorkshire that, due to its central location, is within a four-hour drive from ** percent of the British population. Unsurprisingly, Europe’s three largest economies (the UK, Germany, and France) had the most active logistics investment markets. Combined, the three countries accounted for more than half of the total investment value in the sector. How profitable is warehouse investment in Europe? One of the key metrics for measuring the profitability of an investment is yield, or the rental income generated by the property as a percentage of its price. In Europe, yields for prime properties reached up to ***** percent, but some markets, such as France and Germany, experienced much lower yields. Though low yields can be interpreted as low profitability, they are usually a sign of strong market fundamentals and sentiment. In conditions of economic growth and steady occupier demand, investors can expect rental and capital growth and are more willing to accept lower yields. On the other hand, when the macroeconomic conditions deteriorate, economic growth slows down, and borrowing costs increase, investors address the higher risk through higher yields.