The UK's property market has roared back into life in April, with house prices surging by 3.8% over the past year to an average of £270,000. This marked a significant turnaround from the 0% annual growth seen just three months prior, indicating a clear pick-up in momentum.
Month-by-month, prices rose by 0.7% between March and April, a stark contrast to the 2.9% drop recorded during the same period last year. Total residential transactions worth over £40,000 exceeded an estimated 101,000 in April, a whopping 53.2% increase from April 2025 – albeit a 2.3% dip from March.
Breaking down regional variations within England, average house prices rose by 0.6% since March, with annual growth hitting 3.9% and pushing the average property value to £291,000. London led the charge with a 1.9% monthly increase, though it also recorded the lowest annual price growth in England, down 2.1%, with properties now averaging £553,000.
In contrast, the North East experienced the strongest annual price rise, shooting up by 9.9%. Meanwhile, the South East took a hit, with prices falling by 0.3% month-on-month. Wales saw a slight dip of 0.3% but still recorded an annual increase of 3.5%, bringing the average property value to £212,000.
The data also highlighted regional differences in repossession sales: London topped the list in England, while the East of England and South West trailed behind. Wales reported just six repossession sales in January 2026.
It's worth noting that the UK HPI relies on completed transactions, which can take up to eight weeks to materialise. Experts caution against reading too much into single-month fluctuations, as the market often experiences natural variability from one month to the next.