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Average house prices rose 3.5 per cent to £265,000 in the 12 months to April 2025, down from a 7.0 per cent rise in the year to March 2025.
The cost of an average home increased by 3 per cent to £286,000 in England and by 5.3 per cent to £210,000 in Wales during the same period, according to the latest data from the government's Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This fresh data marks the first slowing of house price growth since December 2023.
Analysts suggest the drop in price growth coincided with changes to stamp duty rates for buyers.
Stamp duty rules changed in England on 1 April. Tax payable now starts at 5 per cent on buy-to-let properties valued up to £125,000, with higher rates applying to more expensive properties. The top band is 17 per cent stamp duty on homes valued over £1.5 million.
HM Revenue & Customs data shows an unusually high number of property sales in March as buyers rushed to beat the stamp duty change, followed by a much lower sales volume in April.
The average house price for England in April was £286,000, up 3.0 per cent (£8,000) compared with a year earlier. This annual rise was lower than the 7.3 per cent increase recorded in the 12 months to March 2025.
The average house price for Wales was £210,000, up 5.3 per cent (£10,000) from a year earlier. This annual rise was higher than the 4.3 per cent increase in the 12 months to March 2025.
Prices rose fastest in the North East, at 6.4 per cent, down from 15.3 per cent in the year to March, said the ONS.
Annual house price inflation was lowest in the South West, at 0.9 per cent in the year to April, down from 5.9 per cent in the 12 months to March. London was the only region where house prices were higher in April 2025 (3.3 per cent) than in March (0.9 per cent).
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reports that 34 per cent of letting agents have seen a drop in rental instructions coming to the market from landlords. Meanwhile, 43 per cent expect rents to continue rising as tenant demand outstrips the supply of buy-to-let homes.
| Region | Price | Monthly change | Annual change |
|---|---|---|---|
| North East | £156,010 | -8.10 % | 6.40 % |
| Wales | £210,077 | 0.30 % | 5.30 % |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £199,642 | -6.10 % | 4.00 % |
| East Midlands | £236,710 | -3.60 % | 3.80 % |
| London | £566,614 | 2.60 % | 3.30 % |
| North West | £204,760 | -6.40 % | 3.10 % |
| South East | £380,428 | -2.00 % | 3.00 % |
| West Midlands Region | £239,533 | -4.60 % | 2.60 % |
| East of England | £332,160 | -3.80 % | 2.00 % |
| South West | £300,633 | -3.80 % | 0.90 % |
Source: Land Registry