Essentially Mortgages Q1 Winter 2025

Housing sales set to stay high after a robust year-end

The UK housing market experienced strong sales momentum in the second half of 2024, thanks in part to higher disposable incomes and easing rates on some mortgages.

House prices rose modestly in 2024. As always, regional variances were evident, with stronger price growth in more affordable regions. Notably, house prices rose in Northern Ireland (5.6%), Scotland (2.4%), and North West England (2.3%), while prices dipped slightly in the South East (-0.1%) and Eastern England (-0.3%). November data suggested that UK house prices overall were likely to be around 2% higher across the year.

Largest sales pipeline in four years

According to Zoopla, there was a substantial sales pipeline towards the end of 2024. This was valued at £113bn, the largest in four years, with over 306,000 properties in the purchase process – over a quarter (26%) more than the previous year. First-time buyers (FTBs) were the most active buyer group in 2024, motivated by reduced mortgage rates, making homeownership more affordable compared to renting. In fact, the average mortgage repayment in October 2024 was 17% cheaper than renting, a stark contrast to just a 2% difference in October 2023.

Stamp Duty relief could fuel further sales surge

Going into 2025, it’s expected that the housing market in England may experience a surge in early transactions due to the end of a temporary Stamp Duty relief confirmed in the Autumn Budget. With Stamp Duty thresholds set to revert to previous levels on 31 March, analysts predict a rush to complete purchases in the first quarter, potentially followed by a slowdown in activity as demand tapers.