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

Breaking News

ONS Private Rent and House Prices Index- May 2026

The latest ONS house price figures show that the sales market that is broadly flat. Average UK house prices were unchanged year-on-year at £268,000 in March 2026, with annual house price inflation slowing from 1.7% in February to 0.0% in March. Main points Average UK monthly private rents increased by 3.5%, to £1,381, in the…
Read More
Overseas Property

Cyprus in demand as international property inquiries spike

Interest in Cyprus has more than tripled since the start of March, while sales to non-EU buyers have spiked by more than a fifth Cyprus is the best option for residency by investment in a major EU Mediterranean country, after Spain closed its Golden Visa in April 2025 and Portugal closed the property route in…
Read More
Breaking News

Inflation falls to 2.8%

Industry response to the latest inflation figures and their impact on the housing market.   Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark “It is very welcome news to see inflation dip this month; however, today’s figures still sit some distance away from the Bank of England’s target rate of 2%. It remains important to consider continued overall…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

London gardens can add more than £205,000 in value

Ahead of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, research by Enness Global has revealed that a garden can add more than £205,000 to the value of a London home, whilst Chelsea fittingly boasts the highest degree of garden availability for high-net-worth homebuyers in the current market. Enness Global has also revealed the top five trends currently…
Read More
Breaking News

RRA raises the cost of getting property management wrong

The latest insight from property management specialist, Rushbrook & Rathbone, suggests that the relatively modest cost of professional property management could help landlords avoid thousands of pounds in potential penalties and compliance failures as the rental sector becomes increasingly regulated under the Renters’ Rights Act.   Rushbrook & Rathbone analysed the average cost of a…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

The Future of Urban Real Estate: Trends and Predictions for 2026

Affordability pressures, hybrid work arrangements, and steep borrowing costs are heavy influences on urban real estate for 2026. We’re seeing an increase in mixed-use development and a renewed focus from investors on markets with a steady demand. Markets that can balance housing access, transportation, lifestyle amenities, and flexible workplaces will come out on top. Major…
Read More