The Halifax Name Retires: Britain's Longest-Running Price Index Becomes the Lloyds House Price Index, Reporting a June Uptick

One of the most familiar names in UK housing data has been quietly retired. From July 2026 the Halifax House Price Index, Britain's longest-running monthly house price series, has been rebranded as the Lloyds House Price Index. The change arrived alongside the index's June release, which reported the first monthly rise in prices for four months, a modest signal of stabilising demand amid a subdued market. ## A familiar index under a new name

The rebrand marks the end of one of the most recognisable brand names in British property data. From July 2026, the Halifax House Price Index has become the Lloyds House Price Index, while the methodology remains the same. Lloyds Banking Group described the change as being in name only.

Crucially for anyone tracking the numbers over time, there is no break in the underlying data. The index has long been calculated using mortgage data from both Lloyds Bank and Halifax, the latter a division of Bank of Scotland within Lloyds Banking Group. As with the Halifax series before it, the index is mortgage-approvals based, so it captures the segment of the market financed through the group's own lending rather than cash transactions.

House prices rose for the first time in four months during June, increasing by +0.2%, compared to May. The typical property now costs £299,330, while the annual rate of growth also edged higher to +0.6%.

Amanda Bryden, Head of Mortgages at Lloyds, 2026

June's numbers: a first rise in four months

The first release under the new name pointed to a tentative improvement in sentiment. Lloyds said the average UK house price rose 0.2% in June to £299,330, reversing a 0.2% monthly fall the previous month and marking the first monthly increase since February. The annual rate of growth edged up to 0.6% from 0.5% in May, though on a quarterly basis prices were still down 0.4%.

First-time buyers saw a slightly firmer picture, with annual price growth accelerating to 0.8% in June from 0.3% in May, taking the average first-time buyer property to £240,433. Lloyds linked the softer backdrop earlier in the year to a spike in borrowing costs, noting that mortgage approvals fell in May but that activity may recover if rates continue to decline.

A tale of two halves across the regions

The headline national figure continued to mask sharp regional differences. Growth remained concentrated in the North and the devolved nations, while much of the South saw values fall.

Northern Ireland recorded the strongest annual growth in the UK at 7.4%, taking the average price to around £229,000, followed by Scotland at 3.9%. In England, the North East rose 2.8% over the year to £181,133 and the North West grew 2.4%. In contrast, the South East led the declines with a 2.0% annual fall to £381,654, while London values slipped 1.1% to £534,831.

• • Northern Ireland: +7.4% annually, average around £229,000
• • North East England: +2.8% to £181,133
• • South East England: -2.0% to £381,654
• • London: -1.1% to £534,831

What it means for the market

The rebrand is largely cosmetic, but it is a useful reminder for investors and analysts to update references and dashboards, as the Lloyds series is now the continuation of the data long published under the Halifax name. The more substantive story sits in the numbers: after a soft spring, the June uptick suggests the market may be finding a floor rather than accelerating.

Wider activity indicators remain cautious. RICS survey data for May pointed to still-negative net balances for new buyer enquiries and agreed sales, even as those measures appeared to be stabilising after earlier declines. With affordability still stretched and the path of interest rates uncertain, the direction of borrowing costs looks likely to remain the key swing factor for the second half of 2026.

The retirement of the Halifax name closes a long chapter in UK housing data, but the message from the first Lloyds release is one of measured stabilisation rather than a turning point, with regional divergence as pronounced as ever. Silkwood Group will continue to track the Lloyds series alongside the ONS, Nationwide and Rightmove indices to give a rounded view of the market.

Sources

• • Lloyds Banking Group, Lloyds House Price Index media centre (June 2026)
• • AJ Bell, UK house prices rise in June as mortgage rates ease - Lloyds index
• • MoneyWeek, Lloyds House Price Index: Average property values rise for first time in four months
• • Inside Conveyancing, Lloyds House Price Index - June 2026