May 2020 UK HPI from HM Land Registry
September 3, 2020
This is the second publication of the UK House Price Index since May 2020 following the decision to suspend the index as a result of the effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on the reporting of the data.
Between now and 21 October, we will be publishing the reports that were meant to be published during the period of suspension to enable the August data to be released on 21 October as originally scheduled before the disruption earlier this year. This report was originally scheduled to be released in July of this year. The full calendar of release dates can be found here.
The May data shows:
-
on average, house prices have risen by 0.3% since April 2020
-
there has been an annual price rise of 2.9%, which makes the average property in the UK valued at £235,673.
In England, the May data shows on average, house prices have risen by 0.2% since April 2020. The annual price rise of 2.9% takes the average property value to £251,973.
The regional data for England indicates that:
-
The North East experienced the greatest monthly price rise, up by 5.3%
-
London saw the most significant monthly price fall, down by 1.2%
-
Yorkshire and the Humber experienced the greatest annual price rise, up by 4.9%
-
The North East saw the lowest annual price growth, with a rise of 0.7%
Price change by region for England
| Region |
Average price May 2020 |
Monthly change % since April 2020 |
| East Midlands |
-0.7 |
£197,505 |
| East of England |
-1.0 |
£290,621 |
| London |
-1.2 |
£479,018 |
| North East |
5.3 |
£134,545 |
| North West |
0.3 |
£168,261 |
| South East |
-1.1 |
£324,659 |
| South West |
-0.4 |
£261,006 |
| West Midlands |
1.5 |
£203,658 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber |
3.1 |
£170,198 |
Repossession sales by volume for England
The lowest number of repossession sales in March 2020 was in the East of England.
The highest number of repossession sales in March 2020 was in the North West.
| Repossession sales |
March 2020 |
| East Midlands |
36 |
| East of England |
16 |
| London |
55 |
| North East |
74 |
| North West |
124 |
| South East |
48 |
| South West |
40 |
| West Midlands |
43 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber |
75 |
| England |
511 |
Average price by property type for England
| Property type |
May 2020 |
May 2019 |
Difference % |
| Detached |
£383,295 |
£371,062 |
3.3 |
| Semi-detached |
£238,325 |
£230,200 |
3.5 |
| Terraced |
£202,943 |
£199,088 |
1.9 |
| Flat/maisonette |
£227,809 |
£221,767 |
2.7 |
| All |
£251,973 |
£244,928 |
2.9 |
Funding and buyer status for England
| Transaction type |
Average price May 2020 |
Annual price change % since May 2019 |
Monthly price change % since April 2020 |
| Cash |
£235,898 |
2.3 |
0.2 |
| Mortgage |
£259,991 |
3.1 |
0.2 |
| First-time buyer |
£211,404 |
2.9 |
0.4 |
| Former owner occupier |
£285,938 |
2.9 |
0.0 |
Building status for England
| Building status* |
Average price March 2020 |
Annual price change % since March 2019 |
Monthly price change % since February 2020 |
| New build |
£318,639 |
5.4 |
0.9 |
| Existing resold property |
£245,475 |
2.7 |
0.8 |
*Figures for the two most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.
London
London shows, on average, house prices have fallen by 1.2% since April 2020. An annual price rise of 3.3% takes the average property value to £479,018.
Average price by property type for London
| Property type |
May 2020 |
May 2019 |
Difference % |
| Detached |
£883,878 |
£877,723 |
0.7 |
| Semi-detached |
£582,448 |
£567,219 |
2.7 |
| Terraced |
£498,321 |
£486,645 |
2.4 |
| Flat/maisonette |
£421,519 |
£404,483 |
4.2 |
| All |
£479,018 |
£463,628 |
3.3 |
Funding and buyer status for London
| Transaction type |
Average price May 2020 |
Annual price change % since May 2019 |
Monthly price change % since April 2020 |
| Cash |
£499,468 |
2.7 |
-2.1 |
| Mortgage |
£472,547 |
3.5 |
-0.9 |
| First-time buyer |
£419,583 |
3.6 |
-0.9 |
| Former owner occupier |
£539,584 |
2.9 |
-1.4 |
Building status for London
| Building status* |
Average price March 2020 |
Annual price change % since March 2019 |
Monthly price change % since February 2020 |
| New build |
£513,564 |
6.4 |
1.1 |
| Existing resold property |
£481,750 |
4.1 |
1.4 |
*Figures for the two most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.
Wales
Wales shows, on average, house prices have risen by 1.7% since April 2020. An annual price rise of 4.8% takes the average property value to £169,436.
There were 46 repossession sales for Wales in March 2020.
Average price by property type for Wales
| Property type |
May 2020 |
May 2019 |
Difference % |
| Detached |
£254,763 |
£243,408 |
4.7 |
| Semi-detached |
£164,574 |
£156,247 |
5.3 |
| Terraced |
£131,328 |
£125,510 |
4.6 |
| Flat/maisonette |
£118,529 |
£113,548 |
4.4 |
| All |
£169,436 |
£161,628 |
4.8 |
Funding and buyer status for Wales
| Transaction type |
Average price May 2020 |
Annual price change % since May 2019 |
Monthly price change % since April 2020 |
| Cash |
£163,726 |
4.3 |
1.6 |
| Mortgage |
£172,784 |
5.1 |
1.8 |
| First-time buyer |
£146,439 |
4.9 |
1.8 |
| Former owner occupier |
£196,187 |
4.8 |
1.7 |
Building status for Wales
| Building status* |
Average price March 2020 |
Annual price change % since March 2019 |
Monthly price change % since February 2020 |
| New build |
£227,665 |
6.7 |
0.3 |
| Existing resold property |
£164,341 |
4.8 |
0.8 |
*Figures for the two most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.
The UK HPI is based on completed housing transactions. Typically, a house purchase can take 6 to 8 weeks to reach completion. Therefore, the price data feeding into the May 2020 UK HPI will mainly reflect those agreements that occurred before the government measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 took hold.
UK house prices increased by 2.9% in the year to May 2020, up from 2.7% in April 2020. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, average house prices in the UK increased by 0.3% between April 2020 and May 2020, compared with a rise of 0.1% during the same period a year earlier (April 2019 and May 2019).
The UK Property Transactions Statistics for May 2020 showed that on a seasonally adjusted basis, the estimated number of transactions of residential properties with a value of £40,000 or greater was 48,130. This is 49.9% lower than a year ago. Between April 2020 and May 2020, transactions increased by 14.5%.
House price growth was strongest in Wales where prices increased by 4.8% over the year to May 2020. The highest annual growth within the English regions was in Yorkshire and The Humber where average house prices grew by 4.9%. The lowest annual growth was in the East of England, where prices increased by 0.7% over the year to May 2020.
See the economic statement.
You May Also Enjoy
Breaking Property News 16/7/26
Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. The Housing Market Does Not Need Saving: It Needs De-Risking Thought leadership by Olivier Jauniaux, Founder of NestLink “Everything starts with a good home,” Andy Burnham told a hall full of highly hopeful supporters at the People’s History Museum in Manchester in June 2026, in the…
Read More 
Why the postcode can make a big difference to your rebuild costs
93% of UK properties are insured for the wrong amount, according to research by RebuildCostASSESSMENT.com. The regional breakdown behind this figure shows why location still matters when calculating rebuild values. National figures demonstrate the scale of the issue and regional data helps show where inaccurate sums insured are more common. “Two similar properties in different…
Read More 
New record rents as rental supply falls for first time since 2022
The average advertised rent of homes outside London has risen by 1.9% this quarter to a new record of £1,397 per calendar month, the first quarterly rent record since Q3 2025: The average advertised rents outside London is now 2.3% higher than a year ago, an increase from 1.6% last quarter London also reaches a…
Read More 
Our predictions for the property market in the second half of 2026
Allison Thompson, Chief Lettings Officer, Leaders part of LRG. There is a lot going on right now that’s impacting the property market, both in terms of direct legislation and the wider economy: Global conflicts affecting consumer confidence and interest rates Ongoing cost of living issues challenging affordability for homeowners and renters The recent introduction of…
Read More
Breaking Property News 14/7/26
Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. REVIEW: The Future of Real Estate Education: From Pedagogy to Technology Author Mr. Hugh Kelly, Ph.D., CRE Emeritus Edited by Karen M. McGrath, Elaine M. Worzala, and Pernille H. Christensen. (Routledge, New York and London, 2026). 330 pp. ISBN 9781032625041. Paperback $70.99; hardcover $170.00; ebook…
Read More 
Why 2026 is redefining responsibility in the private rented sector
The landlord rulebook has changed Insurance experts warn that understanding where landlord obligations end and tenant responsibilities begin has never been more important, following the biggest legislative shake-up of the rental market in a generation. The implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act on 1st May 2026 has transformed the relationship between landlords and tenants, introducing…
Read More