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In September, UK house prices remained unchanged at £298,441 compared to both August and a year earlier, according to Lloyds' housing index. Economists had predicted slight increases but instead saw a continuation of flat trends influenced by rising mortgage costs and geopolitical uncertainty. Mortgage applications fell 18.2% in the third quarter from the previous year due to higher borrowing expenses, with first-time buyer applications dropping even more sharply at 18.6%. Andrew Asaam from Lloyds attributed the resilient yet subdued market to current high rates despite a lack of changes in the Bank of England base rate since December last year.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In September 2023, UK house prices flatlined with 0% monthly and annual growth according to an index by Lloyds. The average house price remained at £298,441, unchanged from both August and the previous year despite forecasts predicting slight increases. Andrew Asaam, mortgages director at Lloyds, noted that property prices have shown resilience amid higher mortgage rates driven by expectations of future Bank of England base rate hikes. However, he warned that continued price stability hinges on consumer confidence regarding temporary cost-of-living pressures. Financial information website Moneyfacts reported the average five-year fixed homeowner mortgage rate reached 6% for the first time in three years, reflecting increased costs and subdued market conditions due to global economic pressures and uncertainty around energy prices influenced by conflicts in the Middle East.
Written for “UK Property Market Stagnation” on 2026-10-07,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning: leans left for article 62215 (high confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-10-07
UK house prices flatlined in September, according to a leading index, as rising mortgage costs started to weigh on the market.
uncertain
costs → flatline → market
The average cost of a home was £298,441, roughly the same as it was a year earlier and in the previous month, according to the tracker from Lloyds previously known as the Halifax HPI.
uncertain
it → accord → HPI
Economists polled by Reuters had predicted a 0.1% monthly rise in prices, according to the median forecast, as well as a 0.2% annual increase.
uncertain
Economists → poll → forecast
It came after house prices fell by 0.3% in August, the first decline in three years, as prospective buyers were hit by geopolitical uncertainty, combined with higher mortgage rates and stretched affordability.
asserted
buyers → come → rates
In recent weeks most big banks and building societies have put prices up as a result of turmoil in the global bond markets, even though there has not been a change in the Bank of England base rate since December last year.
asserted
banks → put → December
Andrew Asaam, the mortgages director at Lloyds, said: “While the market overall has been fairly subdued, property prices have so far proved resilient during a period of higher mortgage rates, which has been driven by changing expectations around the future path of base rate.”
asserted
which → say → rate
On Monday the average cost of a five-year fixed-rate mortgage reached 6% for the first time in three years.
asserted
cost → fix → years
Rising mortgage rates are bad news for borrowers whose fixed-rate deals are ending, as well as prospective buyers who are hoping to take out a mortgage to buy a home and the sellers who want the best price from them.
asserted
who → rise → them
It also adds to the squeeze facing consumers as a result of higher energy bills, linked to the Iran war, while rising prices elsewhere are raising concerns of a new cost of living crisis.
asserted
prices → add → crisis
Asaam said: “While higher mortgage rates and wider economic uncertainty are encouraging some people to take a more measured approach, new inquiries from prospective buyers are now at their highest since February.”
asserted
inquiries → say → February
He added that any movement in house prices was likely to remain modest.
asserted
movement → add → prices
Tom Bill, the head of UK residential research at the estate agent Knight Frank, said: “This year has been a story of rising energy prices and stalling house prices, as the unpredictable Middle East conflict unfolds and drives borrowing costs higher.
asserted
conflict → say → costs
This month’s budget adds to the uncertainty as buyers and sellers wonder which of the recurring tax rumours proves to be true.”
asserted
which → add → rumours
The number of people applying for a mortgage to buy a property fell between July and September, as higher borrowing costs continued to affect prospective housebuyers’ budgets, according to quarterly figures from Stonebridge, one of the UK’s largest independent mortgage and protection networks.
uncertain
costs → apply → networks
Mortgage applications for home purchases fell by 18.2% in the third quarter compared with a year earlier, Stonebridge found, while applications from first-time buyers slumped 18.6% over the same period.
asserted
applications → fall → period
However, rising numbers of applications for remortgaging helped to slow the decline in overall mortgage activity.
asserted
numbers → rise → activity
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