North West: the market in figures
With an average of £220,393, the North West ranks 7th of the nine regions and lies 24.9% under the English average. A 2.2% gain over the year puts it second to the North East's 3.2%.
Back in 2016 the figure was £139,750. The rise since is 57.7%, or £80,643, one of the steeper climbs among the regions. Annual moves included 5.4% and 3.1% in the first two years, then bigger steps, 10.7% in 2021 and 12.6% in 2022. The sole dip was 0.2% for 2023, and later years added 3.5%, 3.9% and 2.2%. The latest year is the series high.
Flats cost £140,000 and detached homes £388,124, so moving up costs £248,124, or 177.2%. Terraced homes come to £178,230, semi-detached to £242,592. First-time buyers pay £191,727, 13% less than the all-buyer average.
The region has 22 covered areas, a long list. Trafford is highest, £393,897, and rose 6.4%; Cheshire East follows (£311,897, up 4.5%, 6,533 sales), then Cheshire West and Chester (£270,534). Hyndburn is lowest, £142,964, and also rose fastest, by 7.6%. Cumberland (£172,654) and St Helens (£186,445) come next. Halton (1,437 sales) lost 2.3% and Salford (3,126 sales) 1.7%; these are the two areas that moved furthest down. Regional sales were 95,317 on a twelve-month count ending May 2026.
Purchase costs at the regional average: a home mover pays £1,908 in Stamp Duty Land Tax (0.9% of the price), a first-time buyer pays nothing, an additional property attracts £12,928, and registry fees add £150.
Payotte, from the UK HPI and the calculator.
Calculate for North West
Frequently asked questions
What is the average house price in the North West?
The average price of a home in the North West was £220,393 in August 2026, +2.2% over twelve months (UK House Price Index).
Have house prices gone up in the North West?
The average price in the North West went from £139,750 in August 2016 to £220,393 in August 2026, a change of +57.7%; +2.2% over the last twelve months (UK House Price Index).
How much Stamp Duty Land Tax on an average-priced home in the North West?
On £220,393, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) comes to £1,908 for a home mover, £0 for a first-time buyer and £12,928 for an additional property, at the rates in force in England.
How much tax when you sell a home in the North West?
None on your main home if it was your only home, lived in for all the time you owned it, not let out and not used exclusively for business (Private Residence Relief). A second home or a buy-to-let pays Capital Gains Tax above the £3,000 allowance (2026 to 2027; rates in the calculator above). Bought at the average price in the North West in August 2016 (£139,750) and sold at the August 2026 average (£220,393), the gain of £80,643 costs a higher rate taxpayer £18,634, before deducting the costs of buying, selling and improving. The tax is reported and paid within 60 days of completion (HMRC).
Prices by property type, August 2026
| Type | Average price | England |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £388,124 | £472,671 |
| Semi-detached | £242,592 | £291,962 |
| Terraced | £178,230 | £247,371 |
| Flat or maisonette | £140,000 | £218,563 |
| All types | £220,393 | £293,525 |
| First-time buyers | £191,727 | £246,042 |
The UK HPI is a mix-adjusted average (a hedonic model), not the price of the homes sold in the month. Northern Ireland figures are quarterly.
The trend, August of each year
| Year | Average price | Change on the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | £139,750 | — |
| 2017 | £147,268 | +5.4% |
| 2018 | £151,772 | +3.1% |
| 2019 | £156,053 | +2.8% |
| 2020 | £161,286 | +3.4% |
| 2021 | £178,467 | +10.7% |
| 2022 | £200,868 | +12.6% |
| 2023 | £200,408 | -0.2% |
| 2024 | £207,404 | +3.5% |
| 2025 | £215,583 | +3.9% |
| 2026 | £220,393 | +2.2% |
Areas covered in the North West
- Bolton£203,951
- Bury£243,107
- Cheshire East£311,897
- Cheshire West and Chester£270,534
- Cumberland£172,654
- Halton£189,435
- Hyndburn£142,964
- Knowsley£191,550
- Lancaster£203,781
- Liverpool£188,427
- Manchester£256,760
- Oldham£217,214
- Rossendale£201,483
- Salford£223,323
- Sefton£221,105
- St Helens£186,445
- Tameside£213,026
- Trafford£393,897
- Warrington£259,224
- Westmorland and Furness£231,161
- Wigan£194,393
- Wirral£221,673
Sources
- Prices and sales: UK House Price Index, file UK-HPI-full-file-2026-08.csv. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2020. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Purchase tax: rates and sources of the calculator (HMRC).
- Tax when you sell: Capital Gains Tax rates, Tax when you sell your home and Report and pay your Capital Gains Tax (GOV.UK, HMRC).