The latest house price reports continue to suggest a relatively balanced housing market, although increased choice is putting greater pressure on sellers to price realistically.

House price growth remains modest overall, while affordability and the cost of borrowing continue to influence buyer behaviour. At the same time, there are still plenty of people looking to move, with well-priced properties continuing to attract interest.

Here’s a clear snapshot from the latest reports.

Lloyds (formerly Halifax) House Price Index

According to the latest Lloyds House Price Index, house prices increased by +0.2% during June, the first monthly rise in four months.

The average UK property price stood at £299,330, while annual house price growth edged up to +0.6%.

Amanda Bryden, Head of Mortgages at Lloyds, said:

“House prices rose for the first time in four months during June, increasing by +0.2%, compared to May.”

Lloyds noted that recent price trends continue to reflect wider economic uncertainty, including the impact this has had on inflation and interest rate expectations.

Nationwide House Price Index

The latest Nationwide House Price Index reported that annual house price growth increased to +2.2% in June, up from +1.7% in May.

Nationwide’s figures continue to show regional differences across the UK, with Northern Ireland recording the strongest annual growth during the second quarter of the year, while the Outer South East saw the weakest increase.

Affordability remains an important factor for buyers, although improving mortgage conditions are helping to support activity.

Rightmove House Price Index

The Rightmove House Price Index, which focuses on asking prices, reported a larger than usual -1.0% monthly fall in July.

The average asking price fell from £376,191 to £372,359, while annual asking prices were -0.4% lower.

The number of properties available for sale was slightly below last year’s level but remained close to a 12-year high.

Colleen Babcock, property expert at Rightmove, said:

“This month’s larger-than-normal price fall reflects the reality of a market where buyers have plenty of choice.”

Since then, Rightmove has reported that average new seller asking prices fell by 2.0% in August to £364,999, the largest August fall for eight years. 

Asking prices are now 1.0% lower than a year ago, while the number of homes available for sale remains at a 12-year high for this time of year. 

Rightmove suggested that the increased competition is encouraging sellers to price more realistically to attract buyers, reinforcing the importance of getting the asking price right from the outset in a market where buyers have plenty of choice. 

Hometrack / Zoopla House Price Index

The latest Hometrack UK House Price Index continues to show modest house price growth alongside softer buyer demand.

One of the notable trends has been the resilience of first-time buyers.

Hometrack reported that first-time buyers are targeting properties worth around 4.3% more than a year ago, despite overall buyer demand running below last year’s levels.

Across the UK, first-time buyers were looking at homes priced at an average of approximately £254,750.

The report suggested that changes to mortgage affordability testing have helped make more homes accessible to some first-time buyers, supporting demand at the lower end of the market.

Our Thoughts

The latest reports continue to point towards a market where buyers have more choice and sellers need to be increasingly realistic.

House prices themselves remain relatively stable overall, but the Rightmove figures are particularly interesting. With the number of properties for sale remaining close to a 12-year high, sellers are having to compete harder for buyers.

This doesn’t necessarily mean properties aren’t selling.

Well priced homes continue to attract interest, while improving mortgage conditions should provide some support for buyers as we move through the second half of the year.

For sellers, getting the price right from the outset remains important. For buyers, increased choice can create opportunities to take a little more time, negotiate and find the right property.

Overall, the market continues to feel balanced rather than strongly favouring either buyers or sellers, as long as the starting price is realistic.

Information correct at time of writing – August 2026.

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