UK home values have risen in 25 of the last 30 years but homeowners can’t count on automatic annual increases
Fewer than 1 in 7 homes recorded year-on-year growth between 2021 and 2026
Only 0.2% of UK homes, however, registered a persistent year-on-year value decline
People remain fascinated by home values, with more than 6 million tracking their home’s value through Zoopla
Prospect Plus allows agents to target high-intent movers
The UK’s average property increased £36,100 (15.3%) over the last five years. Despite this, steady year-on-year growth is far from certain.
Every month Zoopla values all homes in the UK and publishes these on the platform for consumers so consumers can track the value of their own home. More than six million homeowners are signed up - a significant proportion of these are looking to move and find an agent.
We have analysed the changes in the values of 32 million UK homes over the last five years. Our findings reveal that fewer than 1 in 7 homes (14%) experienced successive, annual value growth between June 2021 and June 2026. This challenges a homeowner’s assumption that property values automatically rise every year.
Our findings mark a turning point in the market, with important ramifications for how homeowners plan the sale of their home. It has never been more important for agents to manage vendor expectations and for vendors to use accurate valuations to plan ahead.
Future market activity depends on homeowners realising that value growth isn’t always guaranteed, linear or consecutive. Home values can flatline or even decrease depending on location, mortgage rates and property type. This is true of flats, as detailed in our July house price index.
Only 0.2% of UK homes experienced a persistent year-on-year value decline over each of the last five years - equal to around 56,000 properties. This data provides a positive baseline when generating valuations for prospective sellers.
Value stability also created an exceptional run of appreciation, with the UK’s average house price increasing during 25 of the last 30 years.
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A closer look at our data draws a parallel between affordability and more resilient home values. This is most evident in the UK’s northern regions where lower house prices have supported buying activity.
Region/country | Homes that have grown in value every year | % homes increasing over 5 years | Homes that have fallen in value every year | % homes decreasing over 5 years |
N Ireland | 300,400 | 37.9% | 0 | 0.0% |
North West | 1,006,800 | 29.7% | 700 | 0.0% |
Scotland | 599,200 | 22.6% | 9,300 | 0.3% |
Yorks & Humber | 551,200 | 22.0% | 1,500 | 0.1% |
North East | 250,800 | 20.5% | 600 | 0.0% |
West Midlands | 502,400 | 19.6% | 1,900 | 0.1% |
Wales | 277,900 | 19.1% | 300 | 0.0% |
Values have consistently increased in Northern Ireland, Scotland, the North West, the North East and Yorkshire & the Humber. Despite this, the house price in each of these regions remains below the national average (£271,900). This shows buyers have been less affected by higher mortgage rates.
East Midlands | 212,400 | 9.8% | 800 | 0.0% |
London | 178,000 | 4.6% | 30,400 | 0.8% |
South West | 107,300 | 4.1% | 1,300 | 0.0% |
South East | 129,400 | 3.2% | 6,100 | 0.2% |
East of England | 72,600 | 2.6% | 3,700 | 0.1% |
The story is very different in the south. Here fewer than 1 in 20 homes have consistently risen in value every year since 2021. While values are not repeatedly falling, year-on-year growth has been confined to fewer homes. This is due to above-average house prices and the end of ultra-low mortgage rates.
A deeper dive into our data illustrates how movers should be less influenced by national and regional house prices. While they act as a general barometer, they rarely tell the full picture.
Post Town | Region | Number of homes registering consistent price gains over 5 years | % homes registering an increase in value each year |
Bonnybridge | Scotland | 3,660 | 60.8% |
Antrim | Northern Ireland | 10,583 | 60.5% |
Castleford | Yorkshire & Humber | 13,395 | 53.6% |
Wednesbury | West Midlands | 10,940 | 51.3% |
Dukinfield | North West | 4,817 | 51.1% |
Tonypandy | Wales | 4,636 | 46.6% |
Hebburn | North East | 4,881 | 42.6% |
Hope Valley | East Midlands | 2,019 | 37.5% |
Dagenham | London | 15,800 | 31.6% |
Bicester | South East | 7,408 | 27.7% |
Dursley | South West | 1,387 | 15.1% |
Witham | East of England | 2,208 | 13.3% |
When we tracked activity at town level, we discovered a consistent pattern. Strong value resilience was recorded in, but is not exclusive to, towns with affordable purchase prices and good transport links. Top performers include:
Dagenham: the East London hotspot clinging on to family-friendly affordability while experiencing real regeneration.
Homes in Dagenham cost around 25% less than the London average. This is despite the Elizabeth Line and the Overground extension to Barking Riverside. 31.6% of homes in Dagenham registered consistent value increases between 2021 and 2026. This compared to London’s 4.6% average.
Bicester: the well-connected Oxford outlier.
Bicester’s growth corridor position and supply of new homes resulted in 28% of the town’s homes rising in value every year since 2021. Appeal increased in 2024 when the Bicester to Bletchley section of the Oxford-Cambridge link opened
Bonnybridge: the Scottish village with commuter credentials.
Bonnybridge had the UK’s highest proportion of homes that increased in value every year for five years - 60.8%. The average Bonnybridge property price is £220,000, with commutes of less than 40 minutes to Glasgow and Edinburgh.
A value warning was found among Zoopla’s figures. Witham in the East of England is indicative of locations where home values have found their ceiling. The Essex town saw just 13.3% of homes increase in value every year since 2021, despite a speedy 45-minute commute to Liverpool Street.
The caveat here is Witham’s average home value of £320,000 - almost £50,000 above the UK average. Ceiling limits like this are increasingly relevant while mortgage rates stay above 4%.
Every 1.5 seconds a mover connects with an estate agent or housebuilder on Zoopla. See how your business can win with us.
Most homes have increased in value over the last five years. That’s what homeowners want to hear. Knowing their equity has grown - and by how much - can incentivise an onward purchase.
More than six million homeowners are already using Zoopla to track their property’s value, with over 700,000 telling us they're serious about selling within the next year. This growing homeowner audience is a key source of high quality prospects for our agent partners.
Our top performing seller lead product, Prospect Plus, gives you first access to this high-intent seller audience, helping you to start conversations earlier and win more instructions.
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We try to make sure that the information here is accurate at the time of publishing. But the property market moves fast and some information may now be out of date. Zoopla accepts no responsibility or liability for any decisions you make based on the information provided.
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