England’s Property Boom Has Moved North. Here’s What the Latest Data Reveals
For years, property investors looked to London and the South East as the engines of UK house price growth.
Today, the latest data tells a very different story.
According to the latest UK House Price Index, published in June 2026, the North East is now England’s strongest-performing housing market, with annual house price growth of 9.9% in the year to April 2026. The North West is close behind with 7.2% annual growth, while London is the weakest-performing English region, with house prices falling 2.1% over the same period (Source: HM Land Registry / Office for National Statistics UK House Price Index for April 2026, published June 2026).
The contrast couldn’t be clearer.
Region | Average House Price | Annual House Price Growth |
North East | £163,190 | 9.9% |
North West | £216,138 | 7.2% |
England Average | £291,445 | 3.9% |
London | £552,655 | -2.1% |
Source: HM Land Registry / Office for National Statistics, UK House Price Index for April 2026 (published June 2026).
These figures reinforce what many experienced investors have been seeing for several years. The strongest house price growth is no longer coming from England’s most expensive markets. Instead, it is being driven by affordable northern regions where demand remains strong and buyers continue to find value.
Why We Use More Than One House Price Index
You may notice that the official UK House Price Index reports figures for April, while Nationwide and Zoopla have already published June market updates.
This is completely normal.
The UK House Price Index (UK HPI) is based on completed property transactions that have legally completed and been registered with HM Land Registry. It records the prices buyers have actually paid, making it the most authoritative measure of house price performance across England and Wales (Source: HM Land Registry / ONS UK House Price Index Methodology).
By comparison, Nationwide and Halifax produce their indices using data from their own mortgage lending. These reports are available much sooner, making them excellent leading indicators of market direction, but they represent mortgage approvals from those lenders rather than every completed sale (Sources: Nationwide House Price Index Methodology; Halifax House Price Index Methodology).
Zoopla adds another perspective by analysing buyer demand, agreed sales, asking prices and market activity to provide a near real-time view of the housing market (Source: Zoopla House Price Index, June 2026).
This is exactly why we use all three sources.
The UK House Price Index tells us what has actually happened, while Nationwide, Halifax and Zoopla help explain where the market is potentially heading.
“One of the biggest mistakes investors make is relying on a single house price index. The UK House Price Index records completed property sales, so it tells us what buyers have actually paid. Nationwide and Halifax provide earlier signals because they’re based on mortgage lending, while Zoopla shows us what’s happening in the market today. When all of those datasets point in the same direction, you can have real confidence in the trend. Right now, they’re telling the same story: affordable northern markets continue to outperform, and that’s exactly why we’ve focused on them for so many years.”
The North Continues to Outperform
The latest reports all point towards the same conclusion.
Nationwide reports annual UK house price growth increased to 2.2% in June, up from 1.7% in May, showing that the national housing market remains resilient despite ongoing economic uncertainty (Source: Nationwide House Price Index, June 2026).
However, national averages only tell part of the story.
Zoopla reports that northern England is recording annual house price growth of 3.5%, comfortably ahead of the UK average of 1.4% (Source: Zoopla House Price Index, June 2026).
The reasons are straightforward.
Affordable regions continue to attract buyers because homes remain within reach even as borrowing costs fluctuate. Lower purchase prices support demand, improve affordability and create the conditions for sustainable long-term growth.
The North East and North West are benefiting from exactly these market fundamentals.
Affordability Is Changing the Market
Today’s housing market is increasingly being shaped by affordability.
As mortgage costs have risen, buyers have become much more price conscious. The impact has been far greater in expensive markets than in affordable ones.
According to Zoopla, average mortgage repayments have increased by around £244 per month in London since the start of the year. In the North East, the increase has been approximately £69 per month (Source: Zoopla House Price Index, June 2026).
That difference matters.
Higher borrowing costs quickly reduce affordability in premium markets, slowing buyer activity and placing pressure on house prices. In contrast, lower-priced northern markets remain accessible to a much broader range of buyers, helping to sustain demand.
City AM also reports that wider economic uncertainty has encouraged a more cautious approach among buyers, particularly in higher-value markets where affordability is already under pressure (Source: City AM, June 2026).
The result is a growing divide between northern and southern England.
Why This Is Good News for Find UK Property Investors
This is exactly why Find UK Property has concentrated on the North East and North West for almost two decades.
Rather than chasing expensive markets where affordability is becoming increasingly stretched, we focus on affordable freehold homes in regions with strong rental demand, attractive yields and long-term growth potential.
The latest data validates that strategy.
Official figures show the North East leading England for annual house price growth, while the North West continues to significantly outperform the national average (Source: HM Land Registry / ONS UK House Price Index, published June 2026).
Zoopla confirms northern England continues to outperform the UK as a whole (Source: Zoopla House Price Index, June 2026).
Nationwide confirms the wider market remains resilient (Source: Nationwide House Price Index, June 2026).
For our clients, these aren’t just encouraging statistics.
They reinforce the long-term investment case for affordable northern housing, where lower purchase prices, strong tenant demand and sustainable capital growth continue to work together.
Combined with our fully managed investment model, investors can benefit from these regional trends without the day-to-day responsibilities of managing a buy-to-let property themselves.
Looking Ahead
Nationwide expects affordability to improve gradually as earnings continue to rise and borrowing costs begin to ease (Source: Nationwide House Price Index, June 2026).
Zoopla also expects lower-priced regional markets to remain among the UK’s strongest performers during the remainder of the year as affordability continues to shape buyer behaviour (Source: Zoopla House Price Index, June 2026).
No housing market rises forever, and no region outperforms every year. However, today’s data highlights a long-term shift rather than a short-term anomaly.
The North East and North West continue to combine affordability, strong buyer demand, attractive rental yields and some of England’s strongest house price growth.
For Find UK Property investors, the latest evidence doesn’t change our investment strategy.
It confirms we’re investing in the right places.
