2026 ‘shaping up to be a good year to buy’
The latest house price index from Rightmove has found that the average asking price of newly listed UK homes for sale is £368,019, almost unchanged in February compared with January.
However, January’s record asking price increase for the time of year means that 2026 is still off to a strong start, and the mortgage lender said that “2026 is shaping up to be a good year to buy, thanks for better affordability and plenty of homes on the market”.
Average asking prices are level with last year, but have increased by 2.8% since December; the strongest start to a year for prices since 2020.
A more favourable mortgage rate and lending environment are both also helping to improve buyer affordability. For those who are ready to move soon, February could offer a useful window of opportunity to act before the peak spring selling season, when prices usually rise.
Colleen Babcock, Property Expert, Rightmove
Government scraps plans to delay local elections
The government has reversed its decision to postpone 30 local elections in England, confirming that polls due in May 2026 will now go ahead following legal advice.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the earlier decision to delay elections until 2027 had been withdrawn, with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government moving to revoke the necessary secondary legislation.
Alongside the reversal, the government announced up to £63m in additional capacity funding for the 21 areas undergoing local government reorganisation, on top of £7.6m already allocated.
The move follows concerns raised by councils about resource pressures, although ministers said reorganisation remains central to plans to streamline services such as housing and planning.
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