ZOOPLA FINDS PRICE FALLS IN AREAS COVERING 35% OF UK HOMES

Zoopla estimates that 35% of UK homes are in postcode areas where house prices have fallen over the past year. The property website put the share at 12% a year earlier. Its latest house price index identified falls in 37 of the 119 postcode areas it analysed. Zoopla said the number of sales agreed across the UK in the past four weeks was 7% lower than a year earlier.

Zoopla found that price falls were concentrated in London and the South East of England. It estimated that 85% of homes across those areas were in postcodes with falling prices. The website said the average UK house price had risen by 0.8% over the year to £273,100. It attributed higher buying costs to increased mortgage rates and said buyers had become more selective. Zoopla said the number of homes for sale was 7% higher than a year earlier, giving buyers more choice and room to negotiate.

Zoopla said the larger supply was putting pressure on sellers to set competitive asking prices to attract interest. It identified areas of the North West and Scotland where home values were rising by more than 3% a year. In postcode areas of Liverpool, Carlisle and Kilmarnock, it put annual price growth above 4%. The index covers the period to the end of September 2026.