Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner?

Four of 2018’s top 10 house price losers are in the UK capital

  • Four of the top 10 house price losers are Greater London authorities
  • Scotland and Wales amongst the winners
  • Middlesbrough was hit hardest with houses losing 6% in value since 2017
  • Ashford and Livingston top the winners table with house price increases three times the UK average

Towns and cities in London and the South East saw the biggest house price drops in 2018, according to new research by Halifax. 

Whilst Middlesbrough claimed last place, losing 6% in value over the year (£8,920), 14 of the top 20 house price losers were in towns in London and the South East. Houses in Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire dropped 5% in value whilst towns like Watford, Romford and Havering, all based around London, saw a 2% decrease in value in 2018.

Blackburn (4%), Ipswich (3%), St Helens (3%), Lincoln (3%) and Doncaster (2%) were the only other towns outside of London and the South East to be included in the 20 biggest losers.

Scotland and Wales amongst the winners

The majority of top performers were comprised of towns in Scotland, Wales, and North and central England. Ashford and Livingston both saw house price increases of 10.5%, or three times the national average, placing them top of the winners table. Scotland was also represented by Edinburgh, which has seen house prices grow 8.6% this year. Bridgend and Cardiff in Southern Wales saw increases of 8.3% and 7.5% respectively, whilst towns like Warrington (7.8%), Stockport (6.8%) and Leeds (6.1%) represent the North.

Just last year, 15 of the top 20 house price performers were based in London and Southern England. This year, just five make the list, and none of these are based in London. Alongside Ashford, fellow southern towns Reading (9.5%), Maidstone (6.9%), Dagenham (6%) and Basingstoke (5.8%) made the grade.

All towns in the top 20 list outperformed the national average of 3.3% increase since 2017.

Russell Galley, Managing Director, Halifax, said: “This year marks a significant shift away from the traditional dominance of London and the South in our annual house price table, with other locations now filling the top 20 spots.

“Scotland and Wales are well represented, with the Scottish town of Livingston sharing top spot and Bridgend in Wales taking fifth place. Towns in East Anglia, West Midlands, the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber also feature prominently, showing that solid investments can be found away from the capital.”

London lagging

In fact, properties within Greater London suffered worst in 2018 with four local authorities making up the top 10 losers. Houses in Greenwich (-3%), Sutton (-3%), Harrow (-2%), and Kingston-upon-Thames (-2%) all saw property prices slide. 

Russell Galley added: “The majority of towns in which house prices have dropped in the last year are situated within in Greater London, marking a dramatic turnaround in fortunes.

‘’It is well documented that house prices in many areas of London are experiencing challenging conditions following very strong historic price growth. The large deposits required for London homes , a weak relative supply of housing and of course the current economic uncertainty  will all have played a part in 2018.”  

House price growth in cash terms over £20,000 in four UK towns

The average house price in four towns across the UK has increased by over £20,000. In Ashford, the average house price has increased by £29,983 since 2017. Solihull sits second on the list in terms of growth in real cash at £23,772, followed by Edinburgh (£21,029) and Maidstone (£20,870). 

Price falls

Of all towns included in the analysis, 25 recorded declines in house prices in 2018, with the largest fall in Aylesbury from £328,136 in 2017 to £311,186 in 2018 (-£16,950).

The next four biggest losers in cash terms fall within the Greater London area. Harrow (£13,530), Kingston-upon-Thames (£12,532), Greenwich (£11,906) and Sutton (£10,787) all lost over £10,000 in value in 2018.

Table 1: 20 towns with biggest decrease in average house prices, 2017-2018 (LA – Local Authority)

Town/Area Region Average House Price £ (2016)* Average House Price £ (2017)* Change £ Change %
Middlesbrough North      149,543      140,623 –       8,920 -6%
Aylesbury South East      328,136      311,186 –      16,950 -5%
Blackburn North West      133,701      128,432 –       5,269 -4%
Ipswich East Anglia      253,300      245,736 –       7,565 -3%
St Helens North West      142,701      138,706 –       3,995 -3%
Lincoln East Midlands      196,908      191,472 –       5,436 -3%
Greenwich (LA) Greater London      442,123      430,216 –      11,906 -3%
Sutton (LA) Greater London      426,572      415,785 –      10,787 -3%
Harrow (LA) Greater London      548,391      534,861 –      13,530 -2%
Kingston upon Thames (LA) Greater London      527,926      515,394 –      12,532 -2%
Watford South East      406,006      397,253 –       8,753 -2%
Romford South East      359,559      351,878 –       7,681 -2%
Havering (LA) Greater London      375,430      367,803 –       7,627 -2%
Doncaster Yorkshire and the Humber      148,701      146,016 –       2,685 -2%
Bromley (LA) Greater London      480,851      473,862 –       6,989 -1%
Ilford South East      445,845      439,595 –       6,250 -1%
High Wycombe South East      372,669      369,318 –       3,351 -1%
Hounslow (LA) Greater London      438,036      435,522 –       2,515 -1%
Croydon (LA) Greater London      407,030      405,009 –       2,021 0%
Redbridge (LA) Greater London      474,692      472,734 –       1,959 0%
United Kingdom   252,381 260,813 8,432 3%

Source: Halifax (*12months to November)

Table 2: Top 20 towns with biggest increase in average house prices, 2017-2018

Town/Area Region Average House Price £ (2016)* Average House Price
£ (2017)*
Change £ Change %
Ashford (Kent) South East      286,582      316,565        29,983 10.5%
Livingston Scotland      163,903      181,078        17,175 10.5%
Reading South East      382,440      418,919        36,478 9.5%
Edinburgh Scotland    245,249      266,278        21,029 8.6%
Bridgend Wales      159,958      173,305        13,347 8.3%
Warrington North West      185,241      199,661        14,420 7.8%
Coventry West Midlands      208,097      223,902        15,805 7.6%
Cardiff Wales      224,614      241,406        16,792 7.5%
Worcester West Midlands      232,371      249,183        16,811 7.2%
Solihull West Midlands

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davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer