Map: Where house prices have risen across UK amid North-South divide

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Rightmove has revealed the place home costs have risen throughout the UK in Might amid “surprisingly robust” market confidence.

The everyday worth of a house coming to market elevated by 1.2 per cent to achieve £378,304, which is a £4,333 month-on-month improve.

This was stronger than the typical 1.0 per cent month-on-month rise seen in Might in recent times, the report added.

Regardless of this improve, common costs have fallen by 0.3 per cent since Might 2025, which reveals a North-South divide.

Costs within the extra inexpensive North East (2.7 per cent) and North West (2.6 per cent) of England are persevering with to extend yearly, whereas London (minus 2.4 per cent) and the South East (minus 1.6 per cent) are seeing annual asking worth falls.

Colleen Babcock, property skilled at Rightmove, stated: “It’s regular to see asking costs choose up as we transfer by means of the spring promoting season.

“What’s notable this month is that exercise available in the market is staying pretty regular, even with ongoing value‑of‑dwelling pressures and wider world uncertainty.

“The variety of gross sales agreed is holding up nicely, in keeping with traits we’ve seen in 2026 thus far.

“Nonetheless, this general constructive nationwide month-to-month snapshot masks a North-South divide in year-on-year vendor pricing energy.

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“Costs are rising within the North however all sellers ought to be aware that purchaser alternative is now at its highest degree for this time of yr since 2015.”

The report added there’s an 11-year excessive for purchaser alternative, with the variety of houses on the market at its highest degree for this time of yr since 2015.

With 32 per cent of listings of current houses on the market seeing a worth discount, new sellers want to cost extra competitively, as over-optimistic preliminary pricing is resulting in longer promoting occasions, Rightmove stated.

Houses priced realistically from the outset are inclined to promote quicker, with properties that required a worth discount spending 127 days available on the market on common, in contrast with simply 36 days for these with out a worth discount – a niche of round three months.

Matt Smith, a mortgage skilled at Rightmove, stated: “Whereas mortgage charges stay increased than many patrons would really like, the image on affordability has change into slightly extra supportive this month.

“Small fee falls could make a significant distinction to month-to-month budgets, and when mixed with better flexibility in lending following final yr’s assessment of affordability guidelines, many patrons are nonetheless in a position to make the numbers work.

“This helps to elucidate why exercise has continued to carry up, significantly amongst first‑time patrons.”

Rightmove’s analysis was launched as property agency Hamptons stated that investor exercise within the housing market has picked up sharply this yr as increased mortgage charges and the Renters’ Rights Act prompted a reshuffling of the rental market.

Tenants newly shifting into houses paid 1.9 per cent greater than a yr earlier on common, taking the typical lease throughout Britain to £1,396 monthly.

This marked the fifth month in a row by which the tempo of rental progress has strengthened, with rents rising on the quickest fee in 11 months, Hamptons stated.

Rising prices are additionally being felt by tenants renewing current contracts. In April, the typical worth of a renewal rose by 3.2 per cent yearly to achieve £1,312 monthly.

Aneisha Beveridge, head of analysis at Hamptons, stated: “It’s predominantly in areas the place the economics of buy-to-let stack up greatest that houses offered by landlords are most probably to remain inside the rental market.

“Increased yields throughout a lot of the North of England usually tend to offset rising mortgage and tax prices.

“Throughout a lot of the South, in the meantime, houses offered by landlords usually tend to be purchased by a first-time purchaser or owner-occupiers buying and selling up.”