The average UK house cost £299,330 in June 2026, according to the main house price index tracked by Lloyds Banking Group. Prices went up 0.2% from May—a small gain, but the first monthly rise since February.

Lloyds (which also publishes data under the older Halifax House Price Index name) keeps the most widely followed record of what homes are worth across the UK. The data is released monthly and watched closely by banks, homebuyers, and policymakers.

Looking at the first half of 2026, what stands out is how little has changed. Prices began the year at £300,283 in January, dipped over the spring, and are now only slightly higher six months later. The market has been stuck in a narrow range hovering just above and below £300,000.

But the stability masks a sharp divide. Homes in the north of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are selling faster and for more money. Northern Ireland saw prices jump 7.4% compared to last year, with an average home costing £229,000. Scotland posted 3.9% annual growth (£223,277 average), while the north-east of England saw 2.8% growth (£181,133 average).

Down south, the story flips. London homes fell 1.1% in value over the year and now cost an average of £534,831. The south-east dropped 2%, averaging £381,654. Even after these declines, London prices remain more than double the north-east—a gap that has stubbornly persisted.

This north-south divide matches what Lloyds predicted back in January. The bank had forecasted 2%–2.5% annual growth for the full year 2026, concentrated in the north. Six months in, that's exactly what's happening regionally. But nationally, growth sits at just 0.6%—far below the forecast.

One bright spot: first-time buyers. Prices for entry-level properties jumped 0.5 percentage points month-on-month in June (to 0.8% annual growth), faster than the market overall. That makes sense: in areas where homes are cheaper and more affordable, prices are rising faster.

The picture matters because it signals something fundamental shifting. Instead of homes everywhere becoming less affordable, it's the south—already the priciest part of the country—that is losing value. If this trend continues, it could reshape where people have the most equity in their homes, how much tax the government collects from property sales, and how much banks are willing to lend against southern properties. Lenders and the government will be paying close attention to the next months of data before they know whether this is a blip or a new pattern.