The South East has overtaken London as the region with the biggest house price falls, according to Halifax. The mortgage lender revealed average home values in the region are down 2.1 per cent annually to £382,704, while London saw average values fall 1.5 per cent to £534,375.
The South East has overtaken London as the region with the biggest house price falls, according to Halifax . The mortgage lender revealed average home values in the region are down 2.1 per cent annually to £382,704, while London saw average values fall 1.5 per cent to £534,375.
Meanwhile, the data shows values in the North are rising. Average house prices in Scotland are up 3.8 per cent in the past 12 months, with the typical home there now fetching £222,650. The North East saw prices rise 3.1 per cent over the year to £181,703, while average prices in the North West are up 3 per cent, with the average home now costing £248,304.
Overall, house prices remain at a standstill when looking at the country as a whole. The price of the average property fell 0.1 per cent in May, following a similar drop in April. They also fell in March, marking the first time prices have dropped for three months in a row since 2023. The typical British home fetches £298,806, compared with £299,251 in April, the analysis shows.
Standstill: Across the country the price of a home has barely moved The average property is worth around £1,500 more than it was this time last year, up from £297,322 in May 2025. Amanda Bryden, head of mortgages at Halifax, attributes the current trend to uncertainty linked to developments in the Middle East.
Despite recent cuts to mortgage rates, higher inflation expectations have kept borrowing costs above the level seen at the start of the year, continuing to stretch affordability for many buyers and temper demand, she says. Looking ahead, borrowing costs and consumer confidence are likely to continue shaping activity in the coming months, with house prices expected to be broadly stable while interest rates stay elevated.
The housing market remains closely tied to wider global developments, with a return to sustained house price growth dependent on an improvement in the inflation outlook and a fall in mortgage costs, she adds. Jonathan Hopper, chief executive of buying agents Garrington Property Finders, says that the south of the country is awash with too many homes for sale and not enough buyers to match it.
Supply is at an all-time high after April and May saw the traditional post-Easter surge in new listings, and in many areas there are too few serious buyers chasing too many homes for sale - and this imbalance is driving down prices, he says. South East England has overtaken London to claim the unwanted honour of the sharpest decline in prices, he adds.
However, the supply and demand scales are more balanced in northern England and Scotland, according to Hopper - hence the price gains. Nevertheless, Hopper thinks that the market is in 'reset territory' across large swathes of the country - a good time to be a buyer, but a bad time to be a seller. With so many sellers jostling for buyers' attention, this is unquestionably a buyer's market, he says.
With asking prices softening, and pragmatic sellers more open than usual to price reductions, there are some fantastic opportunities for committed buyers. For buyers who calculate that the extra value offered by lower purchase prices far outweighs the impact of higher mortgage interest rates, this has become a compelling time to buy, he adds. In the coming months, we expect the market to remain fragile and meandering, rather than move decisively up or down, he says.
The idea of a single UK property market is becoming less useful by the month, he adds. For buyers and sellers trying to make sense of it, the answer will depend far less on the national index and far more on the street, the stock and the strength of the local buyer pool, he says
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