Where Are The Best Places To Buy & Sell Houses In The UK In 2026?

Planning to sell up and relocate is an exciting thought, of course, but timing is everything when it comes to putting your home on the property market if you want to make sure you get a good asking price for the house.

Whether you’re buying or selling, it’s essential to take local market conditions into account before making any decisions, so you know what level of demand you’re dealing with and how affordable your next property purchase will be.

New research from Zoopla indicates that housing markets in Scotland and northern England currently have the best prospects for house price growth, as well as sales, this year. 

Meanwhile, markets in southern England (including London) will likely see lower price growth as the impacts of higher property taxes and mortgage rates are felt.

The top ten housing markets in the UK were revealed as being:

  • Motherwell (average house price of £134,700 and year-on-year growth of 3.4 per cent)
  • Glasgow (£163,000 average house price/year-on-year growth of three per cent)
  • Paisley (£139,500 average house price/year-on-year growth of 3.4 per cent)
  • Falkirk (£170,600 average house price/year-on-year growth of 4.2 per cent)
  • Kirkcaldy (£171,400 average house price/year-on-year growth of 4.2 per cent)
  • Edinburgh (£251,500 average house price/year-on-year growth of 1.7 per cent)
  • Kilmarnock (£126,200 average house price/year-on-year growth of 2.4 per cent)
  • Perth (£206,200 average house price/year-on-year growth of 3.1 per cent)
  • Inverness (£207,100 average house price/year-on-year growth of 3.5 per cent)
  • Wigan (£175,800 average house price/year-on-year growth of three per cent)

For England specifically, the top ten markets with the best prospects for the year ahead were Wigan, Liverpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Carlisle, Northampton, Oldham, Manchester and Warrington.

Zoopla executive director Richard Donnell said: “Our analysis highlights the areas with the strongest potential for continued growth in sales activity and above-average house price rises in 2026. 

“While prospects are strongest in Scotland and northern England, opportunities exist across the UK where demand and affordability remain well aligned. 

“Price growth is expected to be slower in lower-ranked markets, particularly across parts of southern England and London, although improving affordability means the outlook in London is more positive than in recent years.”

Can you transfer a mortgage to another property?

If you currently have a mortgage and are moving home, you’ll need to decide if you want to transfer your mortgage to the new property or go for a completely new product.

It’s possible that your lender will allow you to port your mortgage to the new house, where you can keep the same interest rate that you’re currently on, but don’t assume that this will be the case as there are no guarantees in this regard.

Lending criteria may have changed, for example, or your changes to your personal circumstances may affect your qualifying status. 

If you’d like further clarification on porting and other mortgage options, get in touch with the BR Needham team today.