Here’s where property values have tumbled this year
While much of the UK housing market has managed to stay on Santa’s nice list this year with modest price growth, new analysis from Springbok Properties shows that a number of local areas are going to find a lump of coal in their festive stockings when it comes to the level of house price appreciation seen so far this year.
Across the UK, the average house price has shown modest growth of 2.6% over the past year (September 2024 to September 2025, latest available), climbing from £264,750 to £271,531.
Several regions have delivered steady, albeit modest growth, including the South East and South West. In both regions, prices have grown by 0.9%. Others have shown stronger momentum, with Yorkshire & Humber up 4.5%, Scotland prices up 5.3% and Northern Ireland topping the table with growth of 7.1%.
London is the only region where prices have fallen in the past year (-1.8%). And it is within the capital that the most dramatic declines have occurred.
Largest local authority price declines
The UK’s five worst-performing housing markets, where house price performance is going to represent a lump of coal in homeowners’ stockings this year, are all located in London.
The City of London has seen average values collapse by -15%. Westminster is close behind with a -14.4% drop, followed by Kensington & Chelsea (-11.3%), Tower Hamlets (-8%), and Hammersmith & Fulham (-6.9%).
But the festive gloom is not confined to London. Some of the worst performing local housing markets this year include Merthyr Tydfil in Wales (-6.3%) and the City of Aberdeen in Scotland (-6.2%).
Coastal and rural districts such as Ceredigion (-6%), Eastbourne (-5.2%), Torridge (-4.4%), Hastings (-4.4%), and Rother (-4.3%) have also seen significant price reductions.
Even traditionally resilient areas like Rutland (-3.6%) in the East Midlands and Tandridge (-3.5%) in the South East have not escaped the downturn.
These figures show that while the national market may look broadly stable, many homeowners are not waking up on Christmas morning with the gift of rising equity. In several locations, property values are heading in the opposite direction, and the gap between the best and worst performing markets is widening.
Shepherd Ncube, CEO of Springbok Properties, commented:
“At a national level the market has held firm this year, but the headline number masks significant local pain with many homeowners seeing their property value slip dramatically in the space of just 12 months. If economic conditions or buyer confidence weaken in the new year, these declines could get even worse.
For anyone who is planning to sell their home in the coming months, the concern about falling prices is very real. Rather than see the value of your home fall even more before you manage to find a buyer, it might be worth considering a fast, secure sale through a trusted and reliable cash buying company. At Springbok Properties, we are already seeing increased demand from sellers who want speed and stability rather than another year of uncertainty.”
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