Zoopla: Just 14% of UK Homes Have Risen in Value Every Year Since 2021, as the North and Northern Ireland Lead

The long-held assumption that UK house prices rise steadily year after year has been challenged by fresh Zoopla research. The portal's analysis, reported on 22 July 2026, shows that consistent annual growth has become the exception rather than the rule over the past five years, with affordability and the level of local house prices proving far more decisive than headline national averages. ## Consistent growth is now the exception

Zoopla's study covered the period from June 2021 to June 2026, a window in which borrowing costs shifted dramatically from record lows to today's higher levels. The finding that only a small minority of homes gained value every single year marks a clear break from historical patterns.

Even so, the average home has still appreciated over the period, illustrating how national figures can mask very different local experiences.

• • Fewer than one in seven UK homes (14%), around 4.2 million out of roughly 30 million, rose in value in every year of the five-year period.
• • The average UK property increased by 15.3% over the five years, equivalent to about £36,100 per home.
• • Persistent year-on-year decline was rare, affecting just 0.2% of homes (approximately 56,000 properties).

The last five years have seen local housing markets adjust differently to the impact of moving from record-low borrowing costs to higher rates today.

Richard Donnell, Executive Director at Zoopla, 2026

A clear North to South divide

The data points to a pronounced regional split, with more affordable areas holding up far better than pricier ones. Zoopla attributes this to lower average values easing affordability pressure and sustaining buyer demand even as mortgage costs climbed.

Higher-priced markets, by contrast, showed the greatest sensitivity to rising borrowing costs, dragging down the share of homes recording uninterrupted gains across southern England.

• • Northern Ireland led the UK, with 37.9% of homes (about 300,400) rising in value every year.
• • The North West ranked second at 29.7% (1,006,800 properties, the largest number of any region), with Scotland, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the North East completing the top five.
• • The East of England had the lowest share at 2.6% (72,600 homes).

Hyper-local hotspots buck the trend

Beneath the regional picture, Zoopla found local hotspots that diverged sharply from their surrounding areas. These tended to combine relative affordability with good transport links.

In London, Dagenham stood out from the wider capital, benefiting from values well below the London average alongside transport improvements. Zoopla's research also highlighted commuter-belt Scottish towns where consistent equity-building was concentrated, underlining the case for looking below national and regional headlines.

For anyone assessing the UK market, the message from Zoopla is that averages tell only part of the story: whether a local area has quietly built equity or flatlined depends heavily on price levels, property type and location. At Silkwood Group we read the regional detail behind the headline numbers so decisions rest on the local picture, not the national one.

Sources

• • Mortgage Solutions, 'Consistent house price growth is a thing of the past, says Zoopla'
• • Financial Reporter, 'Just 14% of homes have consistently increased in value since 2021: Zoopla'
• • Mortgage Introducer, 'House prices rose consistently in just 14% of homes over five years'
• • The Negotiator, 'House price growth is no longer guaranteed, warns Zoopla'