Stoke-on-Trent saw the largest spike in property prices in the last year, new data reveals.
During 2024, the average cost of a home in Stoke-on-Trent jumped by more than £33,000, or 17.2 per cent, from £193,662 to £227,002.
Slough saw the second biggest rise, with the average house prices climbing nearly 15 per cent or £64,510, to £497,704, according to Halifax.
That comes after the Berkshire town was recently labelled Britain’s unhappiest place to live.
Oldham saw the third biggest spike in price increases, with the average cost of a home rising from £218,595 in 2023 to £250,546 this year, representing an increase of over £30,000 or 14.6 per cent.
Bradford, Bolton, Barnsley and Wolverhampton also made it to the top ten, the data shows.
In Bradford, the average cost of a home increased by over £26,000, or 13.1 per cent, to £226,261 over the period.
On the up: Stoke-on-Trent saw the largest spike in property prices in the last year, new data reveals
Meanwhile, in Bolton, average property prices jumped from £223,231 in 2023 to £252,070 this year, amid an increase of over £28,800.
In Wolverhampton, the average cost of a home rose 12.4 per cent or £30,680, from £247,403 to £278,083.
Amanda Bryden, head of mortgages at Halifax, said: ‘Some areas of the UK – including Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton and Dunfermline – have seen remarkable house price growth this year, as buyers perhaps seek out more affordable areas where house prices, despite increases, are still coming in under the national average.
‘This trend is causing prices in some areas to flip from slowing to growing, such as Stoke-on-Trent, which was the biggest faller last year, but showed the highest rate of growth, regionally, this year.’
She added: ‘That story doesn’t play out nationally. The high asking price for London properties means house prices have fallen in several boroughs – perhaps a reflection that the relatively high cost of properties is stretching affordability for buyers, or perhaps what they are willing to pay.
‘Overall, London has a house price to earnings ratio of 8.22, making it one of the least affordable places to live in the country, against a national ratio of 6.55.’
London dominates for lowest house price growth
Several London boroughs saw some of the lowest house price growth over the period, including Ealing, Southwark and Harrow.
Locations in London comprised seven of the ten towns and cities with the lowest property price growth.
In Ealing, average property prices fell by £28,596, or 4.9 per cent, to £559,788. While prices have fallen in Ealing, they remain significantly higher than the national average.
In Southwark, the average cost of a home slipped by 4.8 per cent, or £27,878, from £583,203 to £555,325.
While many locations in London featured heavily in the lowest house price growth rankings, Huddersfield saw the biggest drop.
The average cost of a property in Huddersfield fell by 6.6 per cent, or £18,514, from £279,012 to £260,498.
Halifax said: ‘This should be seen in some important context – Huddersfield came top of the table last year, with an average growth in house price of 8.7 per cent, meaning, over the last two years, house prices in the area have risen overall.
Homes on the Wirral, meanwhile, saw the second steepest drop, falling by £16,753, or 5.4 per cent, from £311,003 to £294,250.
South East region struggles
On a regional basis, the South East saw the smallest percentage growth in house prices over the period.
Across the South East, average property prices increased by 1.8 per cent, or £7,947, to £448,456, up from £440,509.
In the East of England, the average cost of a home increased by 3.5 per cent or £13,891 to £406,888.
Northern Ireland saw the biggest spike in average property prices, which rose from £203,724 to £225,272. This represented an increase of £21,547, or 10.6 per cent.
Average property prices in Yorkshire and the Humber and the West Midlands also both rose over £15,000 in the period.
In Scotland, average house prices increased by £13,733, or 5.9 per cent, to £247,094. Meanwhile in Wales the average cost of a home rose by £13,569 or 5.6 per cent, from £241,628 to £255,197.
Bryden said: ‘Regionally, while the South East has seen some robust growth – in places like Basingstoke and Maidstone, overall, it is lagging behind the rest of the UK, with movement of just +1.8 per cent, compared to +6.3 per cent for the UK overall.
‘Much like London, first-time buyers won’t find a bargain here, as the slow growth is likely a consequence of the already-high property prices, relative to the national average.’
She added: ‘When you’re buying a home there’s so much to consider – it can become overwhelming, with the cost of a property just one of many things to think about.
‘My advice would be to make yourself a list of everything that’s important to you, decide which are the deal-breakers and which you’re willing to compromise on, then get stuck in with viewing houses and visiting areas to get a feel for each place.
‘Be open to everything that’s affordable and suits your personal circumstances – you never know where you might find a hidden gem that’s just right for you.’
Will stamp duty changes affect the market?
Stamp duty thresholds, the levels at which buyers start to pay the property purchase tax, will drop in spring of 2025.
Second home purchases already incurred the new, higher surcharge from 31 October 2024.
Stamp duty cuts introduced in Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-Budget in September 2022 and were intended to be permanent.
However, in the Autumn Budget just two months later, Jeremy Hunt announced that the property tax break would be a long holiday instead.
On 1 April 2025, therefore, stamp duty thresholds will revert to lower levels.
Interest rates are expected to fall slowly further, which could help borrowers looking for a mortgage. However, the upcoming stamp duty threshold changes are already putting the heat on first-time buyers racing to complete before April.
It remains to be seen how stamp duty changes and interest rates will affect the property market in 2025.