South East: the market in figures
Second only to London, the South East averages £379,953, which is 29.4% above the English average. The year brought a fall of 0.8%, and the series peaked at £390,701 in 2022.
From £312,319 in 2016 the rise is 21.7%, or £67,634, the second smallest percentage among the regions. Early on it added 4.2% and 1.5%, then lost 1.6% in 2019. Two big years followed, 5.7% and 11.4%. A fall of 2.3% came in 2023, with 0.1% and 0.3% since.
The flat is the entry point at £208,529; the detached home costs £682,708, which is £474,179 more, or 227.4%. Terraced homes stand at £324,511 and semi-detached at £415,956. First-time buyers pay £300,015, a full 21% under the all-buyer figure.
Buckinghamshire has the highest average among 12 areas, £477,450, unchanged on the year, and recorded 7,009 sales. Horsham follows at £441,491, down 0.5%, and Mid Sussex at £431,904. Southampton costs least at £235,729, up 0.8%, then Worthing at £299,075, down 5%, and Eastleigh, £312,753, which rose 2.9%. Crawley rose 1.5%, and Brighton and Hove fell 2.1% on 3,427 sales. The region as a whole counted 121,394 sales. Only London, at £554,430, costs more among the regions, and the East of England, at £337,848, comes next below.
Here the first-time buyer feels the tax: £3,998 of Stamp Duty Land Tax at the average, against £8,998 when moving home, 2.4% of the price. Buying an additional property costs £27,995. The registry fee is £150.
Payotte, from the UK HPI and the calculator.
Calculate for South East
Frequently asked questions
What is the average house price in the South East?
The average price of a home in the South East was £379,953 in August 2026, -0.8% over twelve months (UK House Price Index).
Have house prices gone up in the South East?
The average price in the South East went from £312,319 in August 2016 to £379,953 in August 2026, a change of +21.7%; -0.8% over the last twelve months (UK House Price Index).
How much Stamp Duty Land Tax on an average-priced home in the South East?
On £379,953, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) comes to £8,998 for a home mover, £3,998 for a first-time buyer and £27,995 for an additional property, at the rates in force in England.
How much tax when you sell a home in the South East?
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 South East in August 2016 (£312,319) and sold at the August 2026 average (£379,953), the gain of £67,634 costs a higher rate taxpayer £15,512, 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 | £682,708 | £472,671 |
| Semi-detached | £415,956 | £291,962 |
| Terraced | £324,511 | £247,371 |
| Flat or maisonette | £208,529 | £218,563 |
| All types | £379,953 | £293,525 |
| First-time buyers | £300,015 | £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 | £312,319 | — |
| 2017 | £325,527 | +4.2% |
| 2018 | £330,535 | +1.5% |
| 2019 | £325,154 | -1.6% |
| 2020 | £331,902 | +2.1% |
| 2021 | £350,795 | +5.7% |
| 2022 | £390,701 | +11.4% |
| 2023 | £381,601 | -2.3% |
| 2024 | £381,897 | +0.1% |
| 2025 | £383,045 | +0.3% |
| 2026 | £379,953 | -0.8% |
Areas covered in the South East
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).