August Market Update

The property industry didn’t take a holiday in July. Instead, it diligently booked viewings, exchanged contracts and handed keys over to 1,000s of home movers. Here are 11 ways this summer activity has affected the market:

1) House prices held firm: two industry heavyweights reported little-to-no variance in house prices over the last monitoring period. Zoopla reported a UK average value of £268,400 – £200 less than the previous month. The Halifax said house prices remained unchanged at £296,665.

Regional variations

2) Price growth differed: the Nationwide provided a snapshot of house prices in different nations. England had the most expensive average house price in Q2 of 2025, at £309,570. It was followed by Wales, where an average home costs £212,969, and Scotland, where buyers pay an average of £189,311.

Movers showed intent

3) Enquiries & sales agreed increased: Rightmove’s latest analysis found the market bristled with summer activity. When compared to July 2024, the number of sales agreed was 5% higher annually. Additionally, the number of prospective purchasers contacting agents about homes for sale was 6% higher.

4) Seaside value in the North: Rightmove also released a piece of seasonal research in July. It published the 10 most expensive coastal locations in which to buy, offsetting this with a list of the cheapest areas. Sandbanks and Canford Cliffs, both in Poole, together with Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire were the most costly. Saltcoats in Ayrshire was the most budget friendly, followed by Peterlee in Country Durham and Ashington in Northumberland.

5) Buyers enjoyed more choice: both Rightmove and Zoopla recorded a record number of homes for sale in July. Analysis by TwentyEA quantified this, reporting supply was at its highest since 2018. It added that 500,000 homes were listed for sale in Q2 of 2025.

6)  Flexibility impacted lending: new regulatory guidance making mortgages more accessible started to take effect. The Halifax said improved affordability assessments allowed it to help an additional 3,000 purchasers. The Nationwide also eased the criteria for its Helping Hands first-time buyer mortgage, which is expected to help 10,000 extra novice purchasers annually.

7) Reality of post-Covid rents revealed: rents have risen in recent years but analysis by Rightmove illustrated by how much. It found new renters are now paying £400 extra per month than they were in 2020. That’s equivalent to a 44% increase.

Average rent just shy of £1,300

8) More expensive than mortgage repayments: Zoopla’s July rental report found the UK’s average monthly rent was £1,283. This compares to an average monthly mortgage payment of £1,154. Rents have risen £221 over the past three years, although there were locations where the increase was as much as £400.

9) Some regions outpacing others: HomeLet was able to track rental value trends on a country basis. While it found the UK’s average rent increased 0.1% over its last four-week monitoring period, monthly rents soared in Scotland (3.9%) and Wales (1.9%).

Students were the star attraction

10) University locations powered ahead: In July, Paragon Bank released the results of a 12-month data study. It concluded that areas with a high student population were its buy-to-let hotspots. Spikes of investment interest were seen in CF24 in Cardiff, with postcodes in Plymouth, Loughborough, Nottingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and Manchester also popular with landlords. 

11) Buy-to-let mortgage rates decreased: a number of banks and building societies used July to reprice their buy-to-let mortgages. Fleet Mortgages reduced the rates on a number of its two-year fixed products. The Mortgage Works also cut rates on two- and five-year fixed products.

If you would like to know more about your local property market, please get in touch.