Price of average UK home passes £300,000 for first time, Halifax says

The Guardian - World NewsEN 3 min read 100% complete by Mark SweneyFebruary 6, 2026 at 09:12 AM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

In January 2026, the average UK house price surpassed £300,000 for the first time, according to Halifax, experiencing a 0.7% monthly increase, the fastest since November 2024. This growth follows a period of slower price increases leading up to Christmas. While Halifax estimates the average price at £300,077, Nationwide places it lower at £270,873. The Bank of England has held the base rate steady at 3.75% due to inflation concerns, despite previous rate cuts aimed at supporting affordability. Regionally, Northern Ireland shows the strongest house price growth at 5.9% annually, while Wales experiences the slowest at 0.5%. Experts suggest future house price trends will depend on potential interest rate cuts later in the year.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Quilter 30% Karen Noye 40% Northern Ireland 50% Amanda Bryden 50% Scotland 50% Wales 50% Bank of England 60% Lloyds 60% Nationwide ×270% United Kingdom ×580% Halifax ×590%

Keywords

house prices 100% uk home 80% mortgage rates 70% halifax 70% affordability 60% bank of england 50% inflation 50% economic growth 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: 0.10

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

United Kingdom

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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house prices uk home mortgage rates halifax affordability bank of england inflation economic growth

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