A report issued by Rightmove showed that house price growth in Britain stabilized in February, following a strong start to the year that marked the best performance since 2020. The average price of newly listed properties fell slightly by just £12 to reach £368,019, but it remains 2.8% higher compared to December 2025.
The platform attributed this stability to an increase in housing supply — the highest level seen at this time of year in more than a decade — giving buyers greater choice and helping keep prices under control. It also noted that current average prices are close to their level a year ago, which supports first-time buyers.
On the financing side, the average two-year fixed mortgage rate dropped to 4.28%, compared with 4.96% a year earlier, approaching its lowest levels since the “mini-budget” crisis under Liz Truss in 2022. Wages have also risen by 4.7% annually, outpacing house price growth and strengthening purchasing power.
In the same context, data from Halifax showed that house prices increased by 0.7% in January, pushing the average price above £300,000 for the first time, despite ongoing affordability challenges.
Meanwhile, the Bank of England kept interest rates unchanged at 3.75%, while some lenders such as HSBC, Nationwide, and Virgin Money raised certain mortgage costs in response to market movements.
