Average UK house prices rose in 25 of the last 30 years: Zoopla – Mortgage Strategy
Average UK house prices have increased in 25 of the last 30 years, according to Zoopla research.
The estate agent said that fewer than one in seven (14%) of UK homes grew in value on a consecutive yearly basis between June 2021 and June 2026.
According to Zoopla’s latest house price index, the average property in the UK has risen 15.3% in value over the past five years, amounting to an average of £36,100 per home.
This latest analysis covers a five year period marked by a shift in borrowing costs from the ending of a period of ultra-low mortgage rates at the end of 2021 to more typical mortgage rates of 4-5% today.
The UK’s northern regions have proven to be the most resilient when it comes to steady home value increases.
Property in the North West leads the UK in consistent house price growth, with 30% of homes consistently increasing in value over each of the past five years.
This trend is also evident in other, more affordable areas such as Yorkshire and the Humber, where 22% of homes have continued to rise in value each year.
However, these areas lie in stark contrast to southern England where the impact of higher borrowing costs has had a greater impact on house prices, where fewer than one in 20 homes have registered consistent yearly increases in home values.
Dagenham’s resilience tracks its position as one of London’s last affordable family-home markets with home values around 25% below the London average (£400,000 versus £525,000).
Affordability combined with transport improvements like the Elizabeth Line and Overground line extension to Barking Riverside explain the above average performance versus London overall.
North of the border, Bonnybridge sees 60.8% of homes with consistent growth – the UK’s highest proportion – with average home values of £220,000. Bonnybridge provides good access to Falkirk, Stirling and Glasgow which are all within a 15-40 minute commute.
In contrast, while Witham is the strongest performer in the East of England, only 13.3% of homes have risen in value each year – despite a 45-minute Liverpool Street commute – because average home values are already at £320,000 on average.
At the other end of the scale, persistent year on year decline in value emerged as a rare event, affecting just 0.2% of UK homes (approximately 56,000 properties).
Where this consistent decline occurs, it points to hyper-local economic or market factors rather than broader national trends, Zoopla said.
In Aberdeen, for example, 5.9% of homes fell in value every year for five years, reflecting the long-term structural transition of the North Sea oil and gas industry.
Zoopla executive director Richard Donnell said: “The last five years have seen local housing markets adjust differently to the impact of moving from record-low borrowing costs to higher rates today.
“Housing markets across Northern Ireland, the North and Scotland have seen homeowners keep building equity in their home because the local housing market was less exposed to the affordability pressures that higher mortgage rates bring.”
