📊 Zoopla: UK House Prices Are Firming – What February 2026’s House Price Index Means for Buyers & Sellers in Herne Bay and Whitstable
The housing market has started 2026 with noticeably more momentum — but that doesn’t mean runaway price growth. Zoopla’s latest House Price Index (published 25 February 2026) shows sales activity strengthening as mortgage rates dip below 4%, while a big rise in the number of homes for sale is keeping price inflation modest.
✅ The Headline: Prices Up 1.3% – Activity Up, Inflation Still Subdued
Zoopla reports the average UK house price is £269,900, up 1.3% (£3,470) over the past year. That’s slightly lower than the annual growth rate recorded a year ago (Zoopla notes it was 1.8% a year earlier), which underlines the key point: the market is busier, but price growth remains restrained.
- Average UK house price: £269,900
- Annual house price change: +£3,470
- Annual house price change (%): +1.3%
- Zoopla’s view: “sales activity is healthy, but house price inflation remains subdued”
🏠 By Property Type: A Tale of Two Markets
The detail by property type is especially useful. Zoopla’s figures show houses continuing to rise, while flats/maisonettes are still down year-on-year. That matters locally, because coastal markets often have a higher proportion of flats and leasehold homes — and buyer expectations can change quickly when a segment is underperforming.
- Flats/maisonettes: £191,500 (-1.3% / -£2,440)
- Terraced houses: £240,100 (+1.9% / +£4,410)
- Semi-detached houses: £278,800 (+2.7% / +£7,290)
- Detached houses: £453,900 (+1.6% / +£7,320)
📈 Sales Are Strong – Even With Fewer Buyers
Zoopla says February 2026 has started with a strong rebound in activity, helped by the lowest mortgage rates in four years and improved access to mortgages (especially for first-time buyers).
What’s striking is that Zoopla reports agreed sales have increased sharply, even though there are 8% fewer buyers in the market compared with a year ago. They also note sales are still 3% below the very strong start to 2025 — but are running at the fourth strongest February level in the past decade.
- Agreed sales: sharply increased (but 3% below early 2025 levels)
- Buyer numbers: 8% fewer than a year ago
- Seasonal context: fourth strongest February for sales activity in the last decade
🏷️ Big Story for 2026: A Surge in New Listings
For anyone selling in Herne Bay or Whitstable, this is the part to pay attention to. Zoopla highlights a surge in the number of sellers bringing homes to market, with February on track to be the highest monthly number of new listings in a decade.
Zoopla also says there are already 6% more homes for sale than a year ago, and that this is expected to rise further. More supply generally means buyers have more choice — and that tends to keep price growth in check unless demand accelerates faster than stock levels.
- New listings: on track for the highest monthly level in a decade
- Homes for sale: +6% vs a year ago (and expected to rise further)
- Impact: increased choice for buyers, keeping price growth modest through 2026
💷 Mortgage Rates: Now Below 4% – But Don’t Expect Huge Further Falls
Zoopla says market activity is being supported by falling base rates and competition between lenders. The key takeaway is that average mortgage rates for new loans fell to their lowest level in four years in January, and both 2-year and 5-year fixed rates are now below 4% for the first time since 2022.
Zoopla’s caution: even if the base rate is cut again, mortgage rates may not fall much further — so the current window of improved affordability could be a meaningful driver of activity into spring and early summer.
🏡 Cheaper to Buy Than Rent: Now True for 40% of Homes
One of Zoopla’s most eye-catching findings is the shift in affordability testing. They explain that lenders are now typically assessing affordability using a 6.5% “stress rate” (down from 8.5% last year). Lower stress rates can increase borrowing capacity and improve “monthly maths” for buyers.
As a result, Zoopla estimates that 40% of homes for sale are now cheaper to buy with a mortgage than to rent locally (up from 25% a year ago, based on their methodology). They describe this as the strongest improvement in first-time buyer affordability since 2022.
- Homes cheaper to buy than rent: 40% (up from 25% a year ago)
- Affordability stress rate used: 6.5% (was 8.5% last year)
- Zoopla’s assumptions: 1–3 bed homes under £600,000, 20% deposit, 30-year term, compared to rents in the same local authority
🗺️ Regions: Northern England & Scotland Stronger, Southern England Stabilising
Zoopla says annual house price growth is higher than a year ago in four areas: the North West, Scotland, the North East and Northern Ireland, helped by improved affordability and (in those areas) fewer homes for sale compared with last year.
In contrast, Zoopla notes that across southern England, house prices are broadly unchanged over the last 12 months. That’s an improvement on the more widespread falls seen in the second half of 2025, but affordability pressures and higher stamp duty costs are still weighing on demand in southern markets — especially alongside increased supply (Zoopla notes up to 16% more homes available in some areas).
📍 What This Means for Herne Bay & Whitstable
We sit firmly in the “southern England” dynamic Zoopla describes: improving mortgage conditions are helping activity, but buyers are generally more price-sensitive, and increased choice means they’ll compare homes ruthlessly.
If you’re selling: the biggest risk in a higher-supply market is overpricing at launch. In Herne Bay and Whitstable, we’re seeing buyers move quickly on well-presented, correctly priced homes — but they step back fast when a property feels out of line with comparable listings. Getting the pricing strategy right early can make the difference between strong early interest and a slow, price-chasing campaign.
If you’re buying: improved affordability (and the fact that more stock is coming to market) can create opportunity — but be ready. The best homes still attract competition, and being “proceedable” (AIP in place, solicitor lined up, clear onward plan) remains a real advantage when you negotiate.
