{"id":117560,"date":"2026-02-16T09:25:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T09:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=117560"},"modified":"2026-02-16T09:59:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T09:59:35","slug":"february-house-prices-stall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/february-house-prices-stall\/","title":{"rendered":"February House Prices Stall: Here’s What It Means for Buyers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

House prices in the UK held steady in February 2026, following a dramatic price spike at the start of the year. According to property platform Rightmove, the average asking price of newly listed homes dipped slightly by \u00a312<\/strong>, marking a period of price consolidation after the largest January increase recorded in its 25-year history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This stall in February follows a bumper start to the year, with January\u2019s record-breaking surge of \u00a39,893<\/strong>, which pushed prices up by 2.8%. The data paints a picture of a housing market where early-year momentum has now plateaued, and sellers appear more cautious amid ongoing competition for available properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The February Pause: A Cautious Response to January\u2019s Surge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

February is typically a month where house prices in the UK see a modest increase, with the average price rising by 0.8%<\/strong> over the past decade. However, the figures for February 2026 show a much more restrained market, with prices essentially unchanged. According to Rightmove, the average asking price for homes in February stood at \u00a3368,019<\/strong>, a mere \u00a312 drop from January’s \u00a3368,031<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The record price rise in January, which marked the largest increase for any January since 2015<\/strong>, was largely attributed to a surge in seller confidence after the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the autumn budget<\/a>. Many sellers, who had delayed putting their homes on the market due to budget-related concerns, were quick to list properties once the outlook stabilised. This burst of activity in January was, however, not replicated in February<\/strong>. Sellers, it seems, have adopted a more cautious approach, opting to hold onto their gains rather than pushing prices further upwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The overall stability of house prices in February 2026 contrasts with the volatility seen earlier in 2025, when buyers were racing to complete transactions before changes to stamp duty <\/strong>came into effect. Although February\u2019s figures suggest a pause in the market, prices remain 2.8% higher than in December 2025, marking the strongest start to a year since 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buyer Conditions Improving Amid Price Stagnation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the key factors in this more stable market is the improving affordability for buyers. According to Rightmove, average wages have increased by around 17%<\/strong> since 2023, far outpacing the 1.5%<\/strong> growth in house prices over the same period. This shift in the affordability landscape is giving buyers more room to manoeuvre in the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to wage growth, mortgage rates have also fallen, with the average two-year fixed mortgage rate dropping from 4.96%<\/strong> in February 2025 to 4.28%<\/strong> in February 2026. This decrease, though modest, has provided some relief to buyers, saving them roughly \u00a3100 per month on average compared to a year ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite these favourable conditions for buyers, however, the market remains highly competitive. The number of properties available for sale is at its highest level in 11 years<\/strong> for this time of year, and buyers are exercising caution, as demand remains solid, but selective. According to Craig Webster<\/a>, managing director at Tiger Sales & Lettings, \u201cSellers are becoming more realistic as competition remains high, but demand remains resilient.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As spring approaches, estate agents anticipate an uptick in activity, with sellers continuing to adjust their asking prices in response to the market’s sensitivity to price shifts. Yet, with a substantial volume of homes on the market, buyers are likely to remain discerning, opting for properties that align with their financial expectations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After a record-breaking rise in January, UK house prices stalled in February, leaving the housing market in an unexpected standstill. While prices remained relatively unchanged, the dynamics between buyers and sellers may be shifting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":117562,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-housing","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117560"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117560\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":117572,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117560\/revisions\/117572"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}