UK housing market slows ahead of Budget - Rightmove

The UK housing market faltered in October, industry research showed on Monday, as prices softened ahead of the Budget.

Houses in London

Source: Sharecast

According to Rightmove, average house prices rose just 0.3%, well below the ten-year average for October of 1.1%. Year-on-year, prices dipped 0.1%.

The national average asking price now stands at £371,422.

Autumn traditionally benefits from a spike in demand as the market bounces back from the quieter summer months.

However, after years of constrained supply, the amount of property for sale has rocketed in recent months to a ten-year high, weighing on prices. Some movers are also increasingly cautious about committing to sales ahead of next month’s Budget.

Rightmove’s Colleen Babcock said: "Despite the overall resilience of the 2025 housing market, we’ve not got enough pent-up momentum or recent positive sentiment to spur the autumn bounce in property prices.

"Sellers who are serious about selling have had to acknowledge their limited pricing power and moderate their price expectations.

"In addition, speculation that the Budget may increase the cost of buying or owning a property at the higher end of the market has given some movers, particularly in the south of England, a reason to wait and see what’s announced."

The number of new buyers contacting estate agents about homes for sale, and the number of new sellers coming to market were both down 5% in the full month of September, Rightmove noted.

However, in the year-to-date the market appeared more resilient. Agreed sales are 5% higher year-on-year, while new buyer demand is up 2% and new sellers 5%.

Compare our accounts

If you're looking to grow your money over the longer term (5+ years), we have a range of investment choices to help.

Bank of Scotland is not responsible for the content and accuracy of the Markets News articles. We may not share the views of the author. Understand the risks, please remember the value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invest. We don't provide advice so if you are in any doubt about buying and selling shares or making your own investment decisions we recommend you seek advice from a suitably qualified Financial Advisor. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.

Important legal information

Bank of Scotland Share Dealing Service is operated by Halifax Share Dealing Limited. Halifax Share Dealing Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 3195646. Registered Office: Trinity Road, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX1 2RG. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, 12 Endeavour Square, London, E20 1JN under number 183332. A Member of the London Stock Exchange and an HM Revenue & Customs Approved ISA Manager.

Logo Allfunds

The information contained within this website is provided by Allfunds Digital, S.L.U. acting through its business division Digital Look Ltd unless otherwise stated. The information is not intended to be advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any of the shares, companies or investment vehicles mentioned, nor is it information meant to be a research recommendation. This is a solution powered by Allfunds Digital, S.L.U. acting through its business division Digital Look Ltd incorporating their prices, data news, charts, fundamentals and investor tools on this site. Terms and conditions apply. Prices and trades are provided by Allfunds Digital, S.L.U. acting through its business division Digital Look Ltd and are delayed by at least 15 minutes.

FE fundinfo Logo

Data provided by FE fundinfo. Care has been taken to ensure that the information is correct, but FE fundinfo neither warrants, represents nor guarantees the contents of information, nor does it accept any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions or any inconsistencies herein. Past performance does not predict future performance, it should not be the main or sole reason for making an investment decision. The value of investments and any income from them can fall as well as rise.

Refinitiv Logo

© 2025 Refinitiv, an LSEG business. All rights reserved.