Housing market very price-sensitive as provide reaches decade excessive

Editorial Team
6 Min Read


The common asking value for newly listed properties within the UK rose by 0.3% (£1,165) this month to £371,422, in line with the most recent knowledge from Rightmove.

Though October often brings a stronger seasonal uplift following the summer time lull, this 12 months’s enhance is properly under the ten-year common for the month of +1.1%. A file quantity of accessible properties in the marketplace is continuous to restrict upward pricing strain, analysts say.

Exercise in September additionally slowed in comparison with the identical time final 12 months, when a Financial institution Charge minimize in August 2024 and early strikes to beat the April 2025 stamp obligation rise boosted demand.

Uncertainty forward of the upcoming Price range is including to purchaser warning, contributing to a extra muted autumn market than standard.

Nonetheless, year-to-date figures counsel the housing market has proven resilience in 2025, with indicators of steady—if cautious—exercise throughout many areas.

Colleen Babcock, property commentator at Rightmove, stated: “Regardless of the general resilience of the 2025 housing market, we’ve not acquired sufficient pent-up momentum or current optimistic sentiment to spur the same old autumn bounce in property costs. We’re experiencing a decade-high stage of property alternative for consumers, which signifies that sellers who’re critical about promoting have needed to acknowledge their restricted pricing energy and reasonable their value expectations.

“As well as, hypothesis that the Price range might enhance the price of shopping for or proudly owning a property on the greater finish of the market, has given some movers, significantly within the south of England, a cause to attend and see what’s introduced within the Price range.”

Throughout the complete month of September 2025, new purchaser demand, and the variety of new sellers coming to market are each down by 5% in comparison with a 12 months in the past, whereas the variety of gross sales being agreed is down by 2%. Nevertheless, taking a look at 2025 thus far, new purchaser demand is up by 2% throughout the 12 months up to now versus the identical interval in 2024, whereas the variety of gross sales being agreed and the variety of new sellers coming to market are each 5% greater than within the first 9 months of final 12 months.

It’s a very price-sensitive market, which signifies that getting the value proper initially of promoting is significant to efficiently discovering a purchaser. Rightmove analysis reveals that properties which obtain an enquiry on the primary day of promoting are 22% extra more likely to safe a purchaser than properties which take over two weeks to obtain their first enquiry.

The subdued 0.3% month-to-month value rise signifies that over the past 12 months costs are nonetheless down nationally by 0.1%. Annual falls in London and the south of England have dragged down the nationwide common into unfavorable territory. All 4 southern England areas are actually seeing decrease common asking costs than right now final 12 months, with London ‘s costs down by 1.4%.

By comparability, all different areas have seen a rise of no less than 1.0% in comparison with this time final 12 months, illustrating the widening regional divide between the subdued south and the extra strong north. The upper stamp obligation charges that got here into impact in England initially of April proceed to impression the costlier southern areas, the place home-movers usually tend to face elevated prices.

These areas have additionally seen a higher enhance within the variety of out there properties on the market in comparison with final 12 months, that means that sellers should be much more aggressive with the costs they’re asking. Against this, the extra reasonably priced remainder of England, plus Wales and Scotland, are much less more likely to be impacted by greater stamp obligation expenses, and the rumoured adjustments to property taxes within the forthcoming Price range.

Along with Price range hypothesis, main overhauls to many features of the shopping for and promoting course of have been within the information in the previous couple of weeks, with bulletins by each the Authorities and the Conservative occasion. Rightmove strongly helps insurance policies which might enhance mobility and the shopping for and promoting course of, and make home-moving simpler and extra reasonably priced.

Babcock added: “It’s encouraging that housing continues to be a political precedence with some radical adjustments being prompt. We’re all for insurance policies which might pace up the house shopping for and promoting course of and make it simpler for all concerned, and we’re wanting ahead to serving to the federal government with our twenty-five years of housing market knowledge.

“Rightmove has been calling for stamp obligation reform for a while now, and we imagine that abolishing it fully would take away one of many largest boundaries to motion. We hope the Authorities considers how they may enhance it in November’s Price range. Rising the thresholds could be a assist, however going additional could be an enormous step ahead.”

 

Property trade reacts to new Rightmove Home Value Index

 



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