"The average asking price of a newly-listed home coming to the market for sale falls by 1.0% (-£3,832) this month to £372,359. While a price drop in July is normal, this month's fall is much larger than the ten-year average July fall of 0.2%. Sellers are having to compete harder to attract distracted summer buyers in the current market, where supply is very high. Although the number of available homes for sale is 1% below this time last year, it is still very close to a 12 -year high for the time of year. Home-movers are always distracted by the summer holiday season, but this year the World Cup and the unusually hot summer have also contributed to lower activity levels. Rightmove analysis shows that the first heatwave in May caused a temporary 8% drop in buyer demand before rebounding, while June's heatwave caused a similar temporary decline of 6%, followed by a 4% dip during the current July heatwave."

"The June 2026 RICS UK Residential Market Survey points to only tentative signs of improvement, despite the recent easing in global geopolitical tensions and the associated unwinding in oil prices. That said, anecdotal remarks from respondents suggest that domestic political uncertainty is emerging as another headwind for the market. Overall, activity indicators remain subdued, although the pace of deterioration appears to be moderating. While the near-term outlook for sales volumes remains relatively soft, sentiment is less downbeat than in recent months, suggesting that the housing market may be moving towards a more stable phase."

"For house prices, the latest aggregate net balance came in at -33%, broadly in line with the readings of -35% and -34% recorded in April and May respectively. As such, while the indicator continues to point to modest downward pressure on prices at the national level, the trend appears to be stabilising rather than deteriorating further. At the regional level, the South East and South West of England continue to exhibit noticeably more negative net balances than the UK average. By contrast, respondents in Northern Ireland and, to a lesser extent, Scotland continue to report that house prices are following an upward trajectory."

"In London, this extra cost for a home buyer is £244 a month (£2,900 a year) but just £69 a month (£830 a year) in the North East. For a first- time buyer in London the monthly repayment increased by £232 at the April peak: nearly three and a half times the £66 monthly increase facing a first-time buyer in the North East."

Tim Bannister, Property Expert at Rightmove: 4% rise

“More people choosing to make their move in 2025, teamed with lower mortgage rates, could push house prices up by 4% over the course of 2025… The big picture of market activity remains positive… which sets us up for what we predict will be a stronger 2025 in both prices and number of homes sold.”

Amanda Bryden, Head of Halifax Mortgages: 0% to +3% rise

“We expect modest house price growth in 2025, likely a little lower than this year at up to +3%… While further cuts to Bank Rate are still on the cards, the pace looks likely to be more gradual than previously anticipated… buyer demand should continue to hold up well.”

Richard Donnell, Executive Director at Zoopla: 2.5% rise

“The housing market has been resilient… Higher income growth and lower mortgage rates have helped reset housing affordability… We expect this to continue over 2025.”

Lucian Cook, Head of Residential Research at Savills: 1% rise

“Interest rates have fallen as expected, giving buyers a bit more financial capacity than they had a year ago… Greater geopolitical uncertainty… has made predicting the precise path of further cuts more challenging.”

Nick Barnes, Head of Research at Chestertons: 3.4% rise

“Chestertons forecasts that property prices will rise by 3.4% across the UK and 3% in London in 2025, supported by lower mortgage costs, modest but consistent growth for the UK economy and inflation staying around the Bank of England’s 2% target.”