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.

Housing Index in the United Kingdom increased to 517.10 points in October from 514.20 points in September of 2025. This dataset provides - United Kingdom House Price Index - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

According to the forecast, the North West and Yorkshire & the Humber are the UK regions expected to see the highest overall growth in house prices over the five-year period between 2025 and 2029. Just behind are the North East and West Midlands. In London, house prices are expected to rise by **** percent.

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.

Geneva stands out as Europe's most expensive city for apartment purchases in early 2025, with prices reaching a staggering 15,720 euros per square meter. This Swiss city's real estate market dwarfs even high-cost locations like Zurich and London, highlighting the extreme disparities in housing affordability across the continent. The stark contrast between Geneva and more affordable cities like Nantes, France, where the price was 3,700 euros per square meter, underscores the complex factors influencing urban property markets in Europe. Rental market dynamics and affordability challenges While purchase prices vary widely, rental markets across Europe also show significant differences. London maintained its position as the continent's priciest city for apartment rentals in 2023, with the average monthly costs for a rental apartment amounting to 36.1 euros per square meter. This figure is double the rent in Lisbon, Portugal or Madrid, Spain, and substantially higher than in other major capitals like Paris and Berlin. The disparity in rental costs reflects broader economic trends, housing policies, and the intricate balance of supply and demand in urban centers. Economic factors influencing housing costs The European housing market is influenced by various economic factors, including inflation and energy costs. As of April 2025, the European Union's inflation rate stood at 2.4 percent, with significant variations among member states. Romania experienced the highest inflation at 4.9 percent, while France and Cyprus maintained lower rates. These economic pressures, coupled with rising energy costs, contribute to the overall cost of living and housing affordability across Europe. The volatility in electricity prices, particularly in countries like Italy where rates are projected to reach 153.83 euros per megawatt hour by February 2025, further impacts housing-related expenses for both homeowners and renters.

The volume of residential property sales in London dropped substantially after 2007 as a result of the global financial crisis. Though housing transactions gradually increased until 2014, sales volumes remained shy from the period before the financial crisis. The housing boom in 2021 led to transactions jumping to nearly *********This substantial increase was followed by two years of market contraction, followed by a slight uptick in 2024. Across the city, several boroughs stood out as concentrating a larger number of transactions. These boroughs included Wandsworth, Bromley, and Croydon.

As of the third quarter of 2020, rental prices have decreased both on an annual and ********* basis. While larger properties saw higher negative rental growth over the past five years, they were less impacted compared with the same quarter of 2019. This highlights one of the effects that the coronavirus crisis has had on rental demand: people are looking for larger properties. Another insight from the prime London market shows outside space also plays a role in driving residential prices.

As of the third quarter of 2020, residential land value in Central London saw a negative change both on annual and on six-month basis. In comparison, land value in Outer London saw no change on six-month basis and an increase of *** percent compared to *** year ago. This highlights one of the effects that the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has had on housing demand: rather than living central, many people have decided to prioritize property size. The rise in demand for larger properties with outside space has influenced both rental and housing prices.

Comprehensive analysis of UK construction output, planning approvals, and London housing delivery crisis with implications for development finance

As of the third quarter of 2020, residential prices in the outer prime London market increased both on a quarterly and annual basis for properties with gardens. The highest quarterly price growth (*** percent) was observed for properties with a large garden. This highlights one of the effects that the coronavirus crisis has had on housing demand: people have reassessed their priorities and are now looking for dwellings with outside space. Another insight from the rental market also shows larger properties are less impacted by coronavirus-related negative rental growth.

When it comes to luxury real estate, Dubai led the global luxury real estate market with the most property sales. In the first quarter of 2023, over *** sales of properties valued above ** million U.S. dollars took place in Dubai. New York followed closely with *** transactions, while London took the third place with *** transactions. The market experienced a downturn after the first quarter of 2022, with worldwide sales gradually declining in the subsequent quarters of 2022. A recovery was observed in the first quarter 2023, with *** property sales.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the banking and finance sector was responsible for roughly ** percent of the office real estate transacted in Central London. Other leading sectors were business services and creative industries. While Central London is still one of the leading office real estate markets in Europe, under the effects of the coronavirus crisis it saw a dramatic fall in office take-up.

Vienna, Luxembourg, and Hamburg were the markets with the lowest vacancy rates in Europe in the fourth quarter of 2024. Vacancy rates are a measurement of unoccupied properties during a given period and are a good indication of an area’s desirability and opportunity for development. High vacancy rates can indicate an economic downturn, a lack of demand, or possibly that standards do not meet speculative renters’ needs. Low vacancy rates are, in general, considered a good thing as it means there is a good level of demand from customers, although low vacancy rates may also show a need for more development which is not being met. Since the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, vacancy rates in the office sector have been on the rise because of declining occupiers' demand. The major European office markets? London, Paris, and Stockholm were the most expensive markets for office real estate in Europe in 2023. In London, prime office space, which refers to a property of the highest quality, optimal location, and standard dimensions that are in accordance with the local demand, was able to fetch a staggering price of ***** euros per square meter. When it comes to total stock, Berlin ranked among the largest markets in Europe. Where is office space most profitable? According to 2024 forecast the UK is expected to see the most return on investment by 2025 and 2026 than Europe. Industry experts forecast that investment will have better prospects than development, and that central city offices will perform better than suburban offices.