Average UK house prices have risen in 25 of the last 30 years, according to research by Zoopla.
The estate agent said that less than one in seven (14%) UK homes increased in value each year between June 2021 and June 2026.
According to Zoopla’s latest house price index, the average UK property has risen by 15.3% in value over the past five years, to an average of £36,100 per home.
This latest analysis covers a five-year period marked by the change in borrowing costs from the end of the period of very low mortgage rates at the end of 2021 to the typical mortgage rates of 4-5% today.
The northern regions of the UK have proven to be the most resilient when it comes to steady house price increases.
Property in the North West leads the UK in consistent house price growth, with 30 per cent of homes increasing in value over the past five years.
This trend is also seen in other affordable areas such as Yorkshire and the Humber, where 22% of houses have continued to rise in value each year.
However, these areas are in stark contrast to the south of England where the impact of higher borrowing costs has had a major impact on house prices, where less than one in 20 households have registered a consistent rise in house prices every year.
Dagenham’s strength tracks its position as one of London’s last affordable family home markets with home values around 25% below the London average (£400,000 compared to £525,000).
Affordability combined with transport developments such as the Elizabeth Line and the Barking Riverside line extension explain the above average performance compared to London as a whole.
North of the border, Bonnybridge is seeing a steady 60.8% increase in homes – the highest proportion in the UK – with average house values of £220,000. Bonnybridge provides good access to Falkirk, Stirling and Glasgow all within 15-40 minutes’ drive.
In contrast, while Witham is the strongest performer in the East of England, only 13.3% of homes have increased in value each year – despite Liverpool Street’s 45-minute commute – because average house prices are already £320,000 on average.
At the other end of the scale, a sustained year-on-year decline emerged as a rare event, affecting just 0.2% of UK homes (around 56,000 properties).
Where these consistent declines occur, they point to economic or market factors at a higher level than broader country trends, Zoopla said.
In Aberdeen, for example, 5.9% of homes fell in value every year for five years, reflecting a change in the long-term structure of the North Sea oil and gas industry.
Zoopla’s chief executive, Richard Donnell, said: “Over the past five years the local housing market has changed dramatically with the impact of going from low borrowing costs to today’s high rates.
“Housing markets across Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland have seen homeowners continue to build equity in their homes as the local housing market has not been exposed to the pressures brought on by house prices.”
