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2026 started with minor growth in house prices, but prices are now slightly falling once again.
Land Registry figures show no change in price in the 12 months to March. The average UK home now stands at £268,132.
Prices fell by 0.4% between February and March.
Here, Which? analyses what's happening to house prices according to other indices, including Halifax, Nationwide, Rightmove and Zoopla, explores regional differences and explains what might come next for property prices in 2026.
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The Land Registry's UK House Price Index is the most reliable barometer of what's happening to house prices, as it's based on actual property sales rather than asking prices. It works on a two-month lag, so the most recent figures are for March 2026.
Over the past year, average UK house prices fell by 0.4%, according to the Land Registry.
There's a gap of £103,207 between the average price paid by first-time buyers and those already on the housing ladder in Great Britain (data isn't available for Northern Ireland), highlighting the higher costs faced by those moving up the property ladder:
In addition to Land Registry data, several other property price indices provide insight into current house prices.
The portal Rightmove provides the most up-to-date figures, but they're based on asking prices set by sellers rather than confirmed sales. Zoopla's figures are based on sold prices, mortgage valuations and recently agreed sales.
Nationwide and Halifax also publish their own monthly data, based on mortgage lending.
| House price index | Month-on-month change | Year-on-year change |
|---|---|---|
| Rightmove (April 2026) | +0.8% | -0.9% |
| Zoopla (March 2026) | 0.0% | +1.3% |
| Nationwide (April 2026) | +0.4% | +3% |
| Halifax (April 2026) | -0.1% | +0.4% |
Land Registry data shows that prices fell across regions between February and March. The West Midlands, North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber recorded the largest monthly drops.
Only the East Midlands and Wales bucked the trend, with both areas recording slight month-on-month price increases. The South East of England recorded no change to the average house price between February and March.
Annually, London continues to record the largest fall in house prices. While Wales and Northern Ireland record the greatest annual house price growth.
| Country/region | Property price | Monthly change | Annual change |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | £290,000 | -0.5% | -0.6% |
| Scotland | £187,000 | -0.2% | +1.6% |
| Wales | £213,000 | +0.6% | +2.9% |
| Northern Ireland (January-March 2026) | £198,000 | n/a | +7.4% |
| East Midlands | £242,000 | +0.3% | +0.7% |
| East of England | £337,000 | -0.4% | +0.1% |
| London | £542,000 | -0.3% | -2.1% |
| North East | £162,000 | -0.9% | -1.2% |
| North West | £215,000 | -0.9% | -0.8% |
| South East | £379,000 | 0.0% | -0.8% |
| South West | £301,000 | -0.1% | -0.8% |
| West Midlands | £246,000 | -1.6% | -0.3% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £208,000 | -0.9% | -0.2% |
Source: UK House Price Index, 20 May 2026. Monthly data isn't available for Northern Ireland; figures are released each quarter. Average prices are rounded to the nearest thousand.
Housing transactions spiked in March 2025 as buyers rushed to complete before stamp duty changes were introduced.
The most recent HMRC data shows that an estimated 104,070 transactions took place in March 2026, down 41% from 2025.
The graph below illustrates the fluctuations in numbers over the past three years.
Homes are generally taking longer to sell, as the number of properties on the market remains high compared with buyer demand.
Rightmove says that sellers are currently taking an average of 62 days to secure a buyer.
There's a consensus among experts that house prices will rise this year:
Rising energy prices and economic uncertainty, driven by conflict in the Middle East, led lenders to increase mortgage rates in March and much of April.
Since then, mortgage rates have gradually dropped, as many lenders now expect a flat base rate for 2026. The average two-year fixed rate is 5.74% and the average five year fix stands at 5.67% (20 May).
A very limited number of sub-4% mortgages are still available for borrowers, but to secure a rate beginning with a three consumers will have to choose a variable rate tracker.
For the latest information, see our guide to the best mortgage rates, updated daily.
If you're approaching the end of your fixed term, our guide on what to do if you need to remortgage outlines your options.
Finally, if you're struggling to make your current repayments, see our guide on what to do if you can't pay your mortgage.
This story is regularly updated with the latest house price index figures and expert views. The last update was on 20 May, which included the latest Land Registry house price index data.
