April Property Market Analysis

We’re in peak property season, with Bank Holidays and better weather tempting out the masses. For the industry, April is a seriously busy month thanks to the maths. Sell your home and you’ll be moving in the six weeks’ summer holiday. Was this sentiment reflected in the statistics?

There was no shortage of analysis, starting with Rightmove’s April House Price Index. Data collected across the portal showed the UK’s average asking price jumped +0.8% in April - equivalent to new vendors asking £2,929 more for a home in April, when compared to March. The average asking price is now £373,971.

Fewer days on the market

April 2026 also saw Rightmove note more homes listed per estate agent than the previous month. This was up from 57 properties per branch to 59. The portal added that the number of days to find a buyer dropped from 73 to 66. This steady progress is creating a stable market.

Market moving quickest in Scotland

The average figures, however, hid a more regional picture. The average asking price in Scotland increased +4.4% and it rose +3% in Wales. This compared to a -0.1% decrease in London. A buyer was also found in an average of just 33 days in Scotland. 

Analysis by TwentyEA found fall through rates - sales that are agreed but abort and don’t make it to completion - decreased in 10 of the UK’s 13 regions. Although the drop from 24% in Q1 2025 to 23.7% in Q1 2026 looks modest, it represents thousands more successful transactions. Annually, fall-throughs have decreased -1.3%.

Completing the sales picture is a headline that should encourage all would-be homeowners. New research by TwentyCi found buying and owning your own home was cheaper than renting. The number crunchers found UK homeowners are £493 better off per month than tenants. This saving was almost £1,000 per month in London.

The latest HomeLet Rental Index led with a different headline. The average UK rent increased for the first time since October 2025, marking an end to a cooling off period. In its last reporting period, HomeLet noted an average monthly rent increase of +0.8%. Renters agreeing new tenancies are now paying £1,311 per month.

There were regional front runners that were above the UK average. Rents were up +1.4% in London, +1.1% in the South West, and +0.9% in both Scotland and the South East. There were small decreases in Wales, the East of England, the West Midlands and the North East.

Landlord yields trend upwards

Current rental value trends have impacted on landlord yields. And the news is positive. Yields increased in every English and Welsh region over the course of Q1 2026.

The average yield edged up +0.4% to 8.1%, when comparing Q4 of 2025 with Q1 of 2026. Six regions enjoyed yields of 8% or more: the North East, Yorkshire & Humberside, the North West, Wales, the East Midlands and the West Midlands. The lowest yield was recorded in Greater London at 6.1%.

Repairs red flag

With yields and rents rising, thoughts turn to the Renters’ Rights Act and how landlords will manage properties moving forwards. In April, Hiscox was able to shed light on where investors should focus.

The insurance specialist analysed more than 1,000 tenant and landlord conversations on Reddit, to establish the issues that were most widely discussed. It dovetailed the analysis with a separate survey of 728 British renters. The biggest concerns were revealed as delayed or neglected repairs (49%), failure to comply with legal obligations (20%) and unfair rent increases or hidden charges (14%).

If you would like to know more about your local property market, please get in touch.