Australia crumbles in house price Ashes, as Birmingham and Manchester prove big hitters for England

Research by national fast sale agent, Springbok Properties, has shed light on the change in house prices in England and Australia since the Ashes rivals’ last series.

Springbok looked at data from eight cities in each country, discovering that England has seen considerably more success since the last Ashes in December 2017 when it comes to house prices.

Manchester and Birmingham have been England’s big hitters in that time, with the former seeing a house price growth of 5.61% – increasing from an average of £172,720 to £182,417 – while the latter has experienced a 5.52% growth, from £178,248 to £188,079.

Sheffield follows with a house price increase of 3.25%, ahead of Leeds’ growth of 2.96% and Bristol’s 2.53% since the last Ashes series.

England’s middle-order is followed by the night watchmen of London, Liverpool, and Bradford, who have suffered somewhat in comparison to their teammates. London has experienced the biggest dip since December 2017, with house price growth at -4.06%, while Liverpool’s -1.11% and Bradford’s -0.70% round out the list.

However, despite the tail end collapse, such price decreases are much more common for Australia, with Sydney’s growth at -12.48%, from $1,179,519 (Australian dollars) to $1,032,338, while Darwin and Melbourne have experienced similar collapses.

Darwin’s growth since the last Ashes clash is -11.17%, while Melbourne follows with -9.47%, and Perth and Canberra have also struggled to make an impact for Australia, the former experiencing growth of -5.27% and the latter at -1.54%.

There are some positives down under, however, as Brisbane has seen a house price growth of 1.87% since December 2017, while Adelaide has seen an increase of 3.38%.

Hobart has picked up the most runs for the Aussies, with solid growth of 6.97% since the last Ashes series, as the average house price has risen from $443,521 to $474,423.

Still, a comfortable victory for England with an average growth of 1.75% across the eight cities in question, compared to Australia’s -3.46%.

Founder and CEO of Springbok Properties, Shepherd Ncube, commented:

“We can only hope that these numbers foreshadow a turn around in form in the actual Ashes and that England’s rather disappointing performance in the first test is nothing more than a world cup hangover.

One thing is for sure, England certainly takes the title when it comes to both the best performances for house price growth and general affordability across a number of major cities. While we continue to talk about the Brexit-based market downturn led largely by a declining London market, it could be worse and homeowners in the capital are still better off than their counterparts in the likes of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth or Darwin.

That said, new building approvals in Australia hit a six-year low this week, meaning the risk of oversupply is down considerably, and house prices could soon rise in Melbourne and Sydney especially as demand starts to outstrip the stock available.”

England
City
AveHP (Dec 2017)
AveHP now (latest data May 2019)
Change / growth (2017-2019)
London
£476,848
£457,471
-4.06%
Birmingham
£178,248
£188,079
5.52%
Leeds
£177,575
£182,832
2.96%
Sheffield
£156,945
£162,049
3.25%
Bradford
£135,491
£134,548
-0.70%
Liverpool
£127,877
£126,458
-1.11%
Manchester
£172,720
£182,417
5.61%
Bristol
£274,797
£281,758
2.53%
Cities Average
£212,563
£214,452
1.75%

 

Australia
City
AveHP (Dec 2017)
AveHP now (latest data May 2019)
Change / growth (2017-2019)
Sydney
$1,179,519
$1,032,338
-12.48%
Melbourne
$903,859
$818,237
-9.47%
Brisbane
$548,918
$559,167
1.87%
Adelaide
$522,815
$540,473
3.38%
Perth
$557,567
$528,186
-5.27%
Hobart
$443,521
$474,423
6.97%
Canberra
$753,516
$741,947
-1.54%
Darwin
$565,696
$502,521
-11.17%
Cities Average
$684,426
$649,662
-3.46%

 

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

Discover Northern Ireland’s top emerging investment hotspots

Derry/ Londonderry and Fermanagh named Northern Ireland’s top emerging investment hotspots Northern Ireland’s emerging investment hotspots are delivering compelling opportunities for landlords in 2026, with new research from Belfast-based estate agency John Minnis revealing a shift in where investors are finding the strongest returns. Drawing on insights from the latest John Minnis Investment Guide, the…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

First-time buyers pay extra £307m in stamp duty since relief ended

New Rightmove analysis reveals that since the end of the temporary relief measure in April 2025, first-time buyers in England have paid an estimated £307 million extra in stamp duty, averaging £4,618 more per buyer: The total estimated first-time buyer stamp duty bill over the past year was £408 million, versus £101 million the previous year In April 2025 the first-time buyer stamp duty threshold was lowered from £425,000 to £300,000. Before the change 62% of homes for sale were stamp-duty free for first-time buyers and that has…
Read More
Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – March 2026

Rents Plateau, But UK Market Tells Regional Story Significant comparisons include across Scotland where average agreed rents rose to £1,123, representing a 4.95% increase month and month across the nation. Northern Ireland saw the second largest average monthly rents rise, bringing an increase of 3.99% to an average agreed price of £887 compared to £853…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 9/4/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Why Rightmove is making all the wrong moves   In a world reshaped by AI, incumbency is no longer protection. It is exposure. Thought Leadership By Andrew Stanton, CEO Proptech-PR Rightmove has long been the unassailable giant of UK property portals—a category-defining platform that, for years, operated…
Read More
Breaking News

Six property firms expelled from redress scheme

Six property businesses have been expelled from The Property Ombudsman after failing to pay compensation awards. The expulsions followed a review by the scheme’s independent Compliance Committee, which agreed that each firm should be removed for breaching their membership obligations by not complying with Ombudsman decisions. The Property Ombudsman, which provides impartial dispute resolution for…
Read More
Home and Living

Best garden renovations to increase property value this spring

With spring fast approaching and warmer weather finally in sight, now is the perfect time to step outside and give your garden the well-deserved TLC and refresh it needs after such a wet and dreary start to the year. Whether it’s refreshing planting beds, updating patio areas or rethinking your layout, investing time into your…
Read More