Overview
- Halifax reported a 0.6% monthly drop in December, taking the average UK price to £297,755 and slowing annual growth to 0.3%.
- Regional divergence persisted, with Northern Ireland up 7.5% year on year and London down 1.3%, while the North East led gains in England at 3.5%.
- Analysts linked December’s UK dip to seasonality and late Budget uncertainty as indicators such as Rightmove’s record Boxing Day traffic signalled pent‑up demand.
- The Bank of England’s December cut to 3.75% has fed through to cheaper mortgage deals, and Halifax now projects UK prices to rise by about 1–3% in 2026.
- Ireland’s MyHome report put the national median asking price at €380,000 with 5.4% annual inflation, typical sales still 7.4% above asking, and listings near 12,200 as completions hover around 34,000 against a 41,000 target.