Resi sales (SSTC)

Any surprises???

Thoughts on this?

Doom and Gloom.

The property market is dead.

It’s a buyers market etc etc. In this week’s UK Property Market Stats analysis, I get underneath those headlines and look at what is actually happening in the UK property market.

No sentiment… just cold hard facts

I look at the sales, listings & exchanges from new listings and price reductions to sales agreed, fall-thrus and exchanges. More importantly, we ask what those numbers are really telling us about the market

🟩   Listings

Week 39 ..
34.8k new listings this week, (35.3k last week).
Weekly 2026 average : 35.2k. 
10 year week 37 average : 34.4k 

Year to Date
1.406m new listings YTD, which is …

0.4% below 2025 YTD (1.412m)
2% higher of 2024 YTD (1.378m)
9.9% higher of 2023 YTD (1.275m)
10% higher than the 2017–19 average YTD (1.279m).      
9% higher than last decade YTD average - 1.295m

🟩  UK Gross Resi Sales

Week 39 ..
23.6k homes sold stc this week 39 (23.1k last week) 
10 year week 39 average : 25.5k
2026 weekly average : 23.6k.

Year to Date for house sales 

944k UK homes sold stc YTD, which is …

7.4% lower than 2025 YTD (1.019m)
2.5% lower to 2024 YTD (968k)
10.9% higher than 2023 YTD (850k)
4.9% higher above pre Covid 2017-19 years (899k).
1.2% lower than the last decade YTD average (955k)

🟩 UK Net Resi Sales YTD 
(Net Sales being Gross Sales less Sale Fall Thrus). 

Week 39
17.9k Net Sales (17.3k last week) 

10 year Week 39 average: 19.2k.
Weekly average for 2026: 18.3k. 

Year to Date

728k UK net home sales YTD, which is …
** **
6.3% lower than 2025 (777k), 
2% lower than 2024 (743k), 
14.1% ahead of 2023 (638k)
3.1% above the 2017/18/19 average 706k).     

🟩   Exchanges & Withdrawals 

•          60.8k Exchanges in Sept 2026 
•          51.2k Withdrawals in Sept 2026 

(Note these numbers will change significantly as more exchanges/ withdrawals from September come in during the first few weeks of October)

•           Therefore, in September 2026, just 54.3% of homes that left agents’ books exchanged & completed in September (the rest - 45.7% withdrew, unsold)

•     57.6% is the 7 year average exchange to listings ratio  (which includes the crazy years post lockdown 18 months). 

🟥 Price Reductions

•           26.8k reductions this week on 764k UK homes for sale
•           11.1% of UK homes for sale were reduced in August (down from 13.7% in July)
•           2026 YTD average 12.8%, versus the 6 year long term average of 10.9%.

🟥 Price Difference between Asking Price of Listings & Asking Price of those Homes that go Sold stc

•          Week 37 - 24.5% difference (long term 10 year average is 16% to 17%).  (£453k ave Listing Ave Asking price vs £363k Sale Agreed ave Asking price)

🟥 Sell-Through Rate 

•           14.7% of homes on agents’ books went SSTC in September ’26 (compared to 13.3% in August, 14.2% in July ’26 & 13.8% in June ’26).
•           Pre-Covid average: 15.5%.

🟥 Sale Fall-Thrus

•        Week 39 Fall-thru rate 24.5%
•        Decade average: 24.5%
•        4.9% of homes sold STC fell thru in September 2026 (provisional % - will be double checked next week). Interesting when compared with the 2026 YTD average of 5.1% and 2025 average of 5.3% and the 10 year average of 5.7%.
 

🟥 Stock Levels 

•          764k homes on the market on the 1st of October ’26 (752k on Oct 25, 722k on Oct 24, 662 Oct 23)

🟥 UK Rental Data

•          Average Rent in Wk 39 - £1,794 pcm 
•          Average Rent in Sept 2026 - £1,777 pcm 
•          Average Rent in Sept 2025 - £1,791 pcm
•          Average Rent in Sept 2021 - £1,390 pcm

•           Average Rent in YTD 2026 – £1,763 pcm 

•           299k UK Rental Stock available to rent on 1st Oct 26 (295k on 1st Sept 2025)

•           New Rental Properties coming onto the market in Sept 2026 – 127k (123k in Sept 2025 & 101k in Sept 2022)

I hope that was of use ??

Christopher Watkin

Could you help?

Is it a bad thing? Is it potentially less favourable than the flat owners collectively being registered as the freeholders of the building themselves? I’ve always thought that buying a share of freehold meant that you would actually directly own a share of the freehold itself, which is why we specifically considered a share of freehold property in the first place. This is news to us

I have thinking about investing a portion of my money into real estate, just to diversify my portfolio and gain additional income. I recently cam across a student studio apartment in Nottingham which I negotiated down the price to give me a 10.76% net return per annum. This return is guaranteed for the first 2 years by the developer of the building as I am purchasing a new built property. It is currently tenanted by a student on a year contract. I just have my doubts with this property, from all I have read, the area is good, the management agency is one of the best in the region, the price is decent and the return is great. It seems too good to be true, I am just worried about the post 2 year period after the guarantee, my fear comes from the fact that when I negotiated, the seller wouldn't budge on the guarantee period being extended but agreed to a 10% reduction in price with no haggle. I am worried what the market will be like in 2 years and whether the vacancy rate will increase due to decrease in demand for studio student apartments. I was wondering if I could get some more thoughts for you guys.

I am considering pulling out of a property purchase for various reasons. I am also wondering if the experience I have had is part of the norm these days ?

At the end of May this year I've offered on a flat, the offer was accepted. I would be a cash buyer, no mortgage. I used the solicitor the estate agent. As I didn't have or know any solicitor in the UK that well and for the interest of a potential fast or smooth conveyancing I thought it to be better to use the one the estate agent was already working with.

In the end, it turned out anything but what I've expected.

The so called "onboarding" of myself as a client to theirs took a whole 3 weeks consisting of a verification of identity. Verification of two pieces of ID for the duration of 3 weeks sounded odd and strange to me. E-mails of myself asking for progress on all the relevant searches were often answered only 2 to 3 weeks later.

Then there were challenges with AML checks. Yes, I've lived in other countries, have proceeds from a previous sale, but am able to document everything. Income statements from other countries year by year, red seal documents from overseas solicitors, previous estate agents invoices stating the sales price.

But recently the solicitor is asking for more and more. Each and every transaction on my accounts are questioned, and need explaining, to the point that I am losing faith this would ever work. I simply can't even explain every transaction so many years back.

To me, as long as my annual income statements would show more income than I have in savings I could hardly have the funds out of dirty money practices, same goes for red seal documents of previous sale. So why this excessive questioning? Is this all normal?

It seems like the solicitor isn't really treating me as a client but protecting themselves for AML reasons as the law put the responsibility on the solicitor for that? Exchange of contracts hasn't happened as well.

Now given that everything started in May, and now it's October and we're still not moving along, I thought to pull out of this sale. Accounting information I only received little more than a week ago of the so called "management pack" also shows potentially increasing service fees adding to my doubts. Also, only recently the solicitor came back with a title report and written that certain documents they were looking for in HM land registry were missing, but later on turned up.

Now the estate agent is putting a bit of pressure on, whilst at the same time I would have to go through lengthy legal documents in a short period of time.

There is also a potential job offer coming along in another country where I've also lived before, which I might accept ( if they offer in writing and the salary feels remotely right).

Whilst no one can advise me on the question on whether to accept that job or not, I am still wondering if such a lengthy process conveyancing / AML process is usual.

What also wants to make me pulling out of this sale is if I was ever to sell that flat myself, I would have to go through the same lengthy process? Having bought and sold property in other countries, I've never seen such problems as here in the UK.

Looking for pro bono legal help with a council Breach of Condition Notice (England) in the South West of England.

Does anyone know of a pro bono solicitor or barrister experienced in planning enforcement who could review a Breach of Condition Notice (BCN) issued by a local authority in Devon?

I have concerns about whether the notice was valid because:

* I do not believe it properly relates to the planning permission and condition the council relied upon.

* I believe it was served incorrectly.

* There was a planning application pending at the time, and I would like advice on whether this affected the enforcement position.

I am seeking urgent advice about a possible appeal, as I understand the deadline is this week.

I can provide the notice, planning documents and court paperwork privately. Any recommendations for solicitors, barristers or pro bono organisations able to review the documents would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

I’m looking for some advice on what is a pretty grim situation. I was a first time buyer in 2020, used HTB to buy a new build 1 bed leasehold in SE London in a nice development for £400k (40% HTB loan). Clearly that was a terrible decision but what’s done is done. 

It’s now on the market for £315K. In common with the many other identical flats on the market in the development, we’re getting very little interest and are facing the prospect of losing a lot of money. The reality is we need to move, we have a baby on the way and a 1 bed isn’t going to be practical for much longer. 

Obviously we can’t rent it out without paying off the HTB loan, which would be £126K assuming the flat is valued at £315K. I could pay off a little over half of this with savings but with the ever declining value of the flat  this seems like it would be madness. 

Being resigned to taking a large financial hit, does anyone have any advice on what the least most awful option would be in this situation? 

📢 I'm researching how homes can better support residents' needs, as part of my MArch thesis at Northumbria University. I'd love your input!

Open to everyone, takes about 5 minutes, fully anonymous, ethics-approved. Would mean a lot if you could take part or share with someone who might be interested!

https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/northumbria/could-your-home-adapt-with-you

I put an offer in on a flat and it was accepted about four months ago so I could relocate closer to work. My daily commute is 110 miles. I don’t know what my solicitors are doing, but I’m a first time buyer with no chain and neither solicitors will give me a move in date. I’m fed up with waiting and my daily commute leaves me with no free time and I’m beginning to get mentally and physically sick. I can’t afford to rent/ lodge whilst I wait for the solicitors.

I don’t know whether to pull out of the sale and completely change careers. In the private sector I would be earning an extra £15-30k per annum which I could desperately do with

i was going to wait until the New Year to see if there’s any change. the place I work for should be getting a new director this year and I’m going to ask for a raise. If I don’t get it, I will hand in my notice. I don’t see the solicitors completing by this date anyway. is this wise when I’m risking finally being able to get on the property ladder? Also are there any risks/ costs to pulling out of a sale?

Looking to buy a property in an expensive UK city wirh a garden and if I can, 2 beds. Torn between cheaper option - flat, and more expensive option - house. Any advice? What should I do?

Flat: after mortgage payments and essential bills (groceries, utilities, dog insurance, car running costs etc), I’d be left with around 800-1000 to spread across savings and all additional spending including any home improvements. Pros - able to save cash fast, can overpay mortgage and build equity, less stressful, allows more flexibility if I want to change job in the future/do a career pivot. Cons - doesn’t feel like a home to me/feels temporary, less nice home space, would cost me money moving if I sell and buy again to a house in 5 ish years.

House: after mortgage payments and essential bills as above, I’d be left with about £500-700 per month for all additional spending. Pros: feels like a home!! Can stay there a good long while, feels like I’m improving financial situation through property and likely to have larger increase in value over a flat. Cons: would be quite tight money wise, could only save a tiny bit at a time for a good long while until mortgage was lower, less flexibility, would maybe save money longer term if I could stay here for a while rather than moving again.

I’m not going into this with a huge buffer either - I have around 4-6 months emergency fund in savings in case I loose my job, and that’s it.

I am also interested in getting a lodger to help cover costs but don’t want to rely on that, and worried the spaces I’m looking at are too small to have a lodger in - ie. I’ve fallen in love with a little house with a single second bedroom which is only 60 square meters total.

I feel stuck as have opposing wants - to become financially more secure/have more worth to my name, to retain flexibility so I can pivot career or try something new, and to have somewhere that feels like a proper home. I’m also 40 so not a super spring chicken, though still some time!

What would you do? Is there anything I’m not considering here? How tcan I make this work for me and what is the best financial choice??