House prices picked up in June: what it means for sellers

On 1 July 2026, Nationwide reported that annual house price growth picked up to 2.2% in June, from 1.7% in May. It is a small acceleration, not a boom, and it lands in a year where most forecasters still expect prices to move only gently in either direction.

What did Nationwide's June 2026 index actually say?

Annual house price growth is the change in the average price of a home compared with the same month a year earlier. Nationwide's figure moved from 3.0% in April to 1.7% in May and back up to 2.2% in June, which is the pattern of a market bumping along rather than turning sharply.

The average UK house price stood at around £278,000 on Nationwide's measure in May 2026, the most recent month with a published average at the time of writing. The June headline is about the rate of change, which nudged up.

Why are asking prices falling while sold prices rise?

The asking price is what a seller advertises a home for. The sold price is what a buyer actually pays. Rightmove, which tracks asking prices, reported a fall in new seller asking prices in June, while Nationwide, which tracks completed mortgage-backed sales, showed sold-price growth holding up.

The gap is normal. Sellers are being asked to price realistically in a market with plenty of homes for sale, and the homes that are priced right are still selling and completing at firm prices.

What does this mean if I am selling?

• Do not read a single national percentage as your own number. Growth in Northern Ireland or the north of England says little about a home in the south east.
• Price on evidence, not on hope. The homes selling well are the ones priced to the recent sold prices on their own street, not to the highest valuation a seller can find.
• A steady market rewards a realistic launch price more than a punchy one. Overpricing now tends to mean a price cut later and a longer, weaker sale.
• Check what you would actually walk away with. Rising prices are only part of the picture once fees, mortgage payoff and moving costs come out.

What does it mean for buyers?

Buyers still have choice and time. A high number of homes for sale keeps some negotiating room open, but the firmer sold-price figures mean sensible offers on well-priced homes are more likely to be accepted than lowballs on scarce ones.

Where is the market strongest and weakest right now?

A national average is a story about the whole country. Your sale is a story about one street.

ValuQ is a UK platform that gives homeowners free, side-by-side valuations from competing local estate agents, so you can compare on merit and see what your own home is worth today before you commit to anyone.