In 2022, house price growth in the UK slowed, after a period of decade-long increase. Nevertheless, in August 2024, prices reached a new peak, with the average home costing close to 290,000 British pounds. That 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 50 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 decline in house prices in 2022? 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 14 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 10-year fixed mortgage rate doubled, adding further strain to prospective homebuyers. As a result, the market cooled, leading to a correction in pricing.

In 2023, detached houses were the most expensive type of dwelling in the United Kingdom at an average price of 496,000 British pounds. Flats or maisonettes in converted houses, on the other hand, cost on average 260,000 British pounds, making them 714,000 British pounds less expensive than detached houses or 151,000 British pounds less than the average for all dwelling types. Prices also varied for new and existing housing, with existing properties fetching higher prices, on average.

Annual house price data based on a sub-sample of the Regulated Mortgage Survey.

Average house prices are affected by several factors: Economic growth, unemployment, interest rates and mortgage availability can all affect average prices. A shortage of supply means that the need for housing and, therefore, competitive market created will push up house prices, whereas an excess of housing means prices fall to stimulate buyers. Location, location, location In December 2023, the average house price in England was more expensive than in any other country. This huge disparity in average house prices is in no small part down to the country's capital city, where the average asking price was more than double that of the UK’s average. Even in London, for those who can afford a mortgage, the savings made through buying over renting can be beneficial. House prices still set to grow In 2024, the number of housing transactions in the UK is set to fall to 1.1 million. With the expected decline in transactions, the average house price is also set to stagnate across the UK.

Median price paid for residential property in England and Wales, by property type and administrative geographies. Annual data.

Summary of UK House Price Index (HPI) price statistics covering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Full UK HPI data is available on GOV.UK.

The average house price in the increased by 2.7 percent year-on-year in June 2024, according to the monthly house price index. The index is calculated using data on housing transactions and measures the development of house prices, with 2015 chosen as a base year when the index value was set to 100. In June 2024, the index reached 151 index points, meaning that house prices have grown by over 51 percent since 2015. The house price index is an important measure for the residential real estate market. It is used to show changes in the value of residential properties in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This upwards trend in house price index, and therefore the value of residential properties, has also been observed by other measurers of house price index in the United Kingdom.

The Nationwide average UK house price increased overall during the period under observation, reaching a value of almost 296,000 British pounds in the fourth quarter of 2023. This was a slight increase from the previous year, when the average newly built house cost 292,000 British pounds. Nevertheless, this figure was lower than in the third quarter of 2023, when the average price exceeded 300,000 British pounds.

Terraced houses were the most affordable type of housing in England and Wales in 2023. Buying a terraced house cost approximately 281,000 British pounds - almost half of the average price of a detached house. House prices have risen steadily since 1986, with growth accelerating between 2019 and 2022. In just 10 years, home prices have more than doubled. Overall, newly built housing was more affordable than existing housing in the UK in 2023.

Summary statistics for housing transactions by local authority in England and Wales, on an annual basis, updated quarterly using HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. Select values from the Year and Month dimensions for data for a 12-month period ending that month and year (e.g. selecting June and 2018 will return the twelve months to June 2018).

Mean price paid for residential property in England and Wales, by property type and electoral ward. Annual data.

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 June 2024, house prices increased by 2.7 percent. According to the Nationwide Building Society, the average house price exceeded 265,000 British pounds in 2022. 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.

Graph and download economic data for Real Residential Property Prices for United Kingdom (QGBR628BIS) from Q2 1968 to Q3 2024 about United Kingdom, residential, HPI, housing, real, price index, indexes, and price.

The UK housing market continued to show significant regional variations in 2024, with London maintaining its position as the most expensive city for homebuyers. The average house price in the capital stood at 519,579 British pounds in October, nearly double the national average of 292,059 British pounds. However, the market dynamics are shifting, with London experiencing only a modest 0.2 percent annual increase, while other cities like Newcastle upon Tyne and Belfast saw more substantial growth of 8.8 percent and 6.8 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.

Median price paid for residential property in England and Wales, by property type and subnational geographies. Annual data.