What happened
The median home in England sold for £300,000 in the 12 months to July 2026, −0.7% on the previous 12 months: the market was broadly flat. That figure comes from 621,403 standard sales recorded by HM Land Registry, on our analysis.*
By type of home: detached houses +1.2% (£430,000); semi-detached houses +0.9% (£280,000); terraced houses −0.8% (£245,500); flats −8.0% (£230,000). Houses have held their value better than flats.
Of the 294 council areas with enough sales to compare, prices rose by 2% or more in 49 and fell by 2% or more in 82; the rest were broadly flat.
Where prices rose most
| Area | Median | Change | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pendle | £152,000 | +7.0% | 1,204 |
| Hyndburn | £145,000 | +7.0% | 984 |
| Wirral | £230,000 | +6.2% | 4,011 |
| Epsom and Ewell | £562,000 | +6.0% | 880 |
| Liverpool | £190,000 | +5.6% | 3,951 |
Where prices fell most
| Area | Median | Change | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington and Chelsea | £1,050,000 | −14.6% | 1,225 |
| City of Westminster | £805,000 | −13.0% | 1,584 |
| Tower Hamlets | £468,000 | −10.9% | 2,026 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | £675,000 | −8.8% | 1,562 |
| Rugby | £282,500 | −7.4% | 1,422 |
Four of the five biggest falls were in London, where higher-value homes and flats have seen some of the sharpest falls.
Busiest and quietest markets
Comparing 2025 with 2024, sales rose most in North Warwickshire (+35.5%), Gravesham (+22.8%), Maldon (+22.3%), and fell most in Camden (−9.7%), Islington (−8.9%), City of Westminster (−8.8%).
What it means if you are buying
- National figures hide very different local markets. A flat national median can sit alongside rises of several per cent in one area and falls in another. What matters is what comparable homes near you have sold for.
- Falling local prices make lenders’ valuers more cautious. If prices in your area have eased, a down-valuation is more likely, and a fair price matters as much as a low one.
What it means if you are selling
- Price against your local market, not the headlines. In an area where prices have fallen, buyers will have seen the same figures, and asking prices set on last year’s numbers tend to sit.
- Where sales volumes have dropped, the first weeks matter more. Fewer buyers means each viewing counts, and homes priced in line with recent sales are the ones that sell.
Sold prices by town and council area are on our house-price pages.
Wondering what your local market means for your sale or purchase? Tell Jon about your situation and he will give you an honest, independent view.
Tell Jon about your situationJon’s view
Medians are a starting point, not a verdict. They move with the mix of homes that happened to sell, and recent months are still being registered. Use them to frame the question, then judge the home in front of you on its own evidence.
* Medians are the middle sale price of standard open-market sales in England (Land Registry category A), over the 12 months to July 2026 compared with the previous 12 months. Council areas need at least 400 sales to be ranked. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.