York’s Housing Market: Autumn 2026

A message from Ben Hudson Managing Director of Hudson Moody

As we move into autumn, I think it’s fair to say that the York housing market has entered a rather more interesting phase.

The dramatic swings we saw during the pandemic years are long gone. We’re now operating in a much more normalised market but that doesn't mean it is straightforward.

In York, average house prices are currently around £311,000, with values approximately 1.8% higher than they were a year ago. That is modest growth, but importantly, it demonstrates that the market is holding up reasonably well despite the economic pressures buyers and sellers have faced.

And, from our perspective at Hudson Moody, that is probably the key word as we enter autumn:

Resilience.

Buyers are still there

One of the things I have noticed over recent months is that buyers haven't disappeared  they have simply become more considered.

People are taking longer to make decisions. They are looking carefully at mortgage costs, running costs, condition and, increasingly, whether a property represents genuine value for money.

Nationally, searches for property have started to pick up again, with Zoopla reporting that searches were 7% higher than a year earlier in August. However, agreed sales were still running below the previous year and higher mortgage rates have reduced the amount buyers can borrow.

That is something we are very conscious of when advising our vendors.

There is still a pool of committed buyers in York  particularly those who have a genuine reason to move. But they are not necessarily prepared to overpay.

And I think that is going to be one of the defining characteristics of the autumn market.

Price is going to matter

If you are thinking of selling this autumn, my advice would be very simple:

Price the property correctly from day one.

There is plenty of choice available to buyers, and that means an overpriced property can very quickly become yesterday's news.

The days when you could put a property on the market £25,000 or £50,000 above its realistic value and simply wait for the market to catch up are, in my view, behind us.

The best properties will still attract strong interest.

But buyers have become much more discerning.

Presentation, photography, marketing, location and above all price will determine whether a property generates genuine competition or simply sits on the internet.

What about mortgage rates?

This is probably the biggest question mark as we head towards the end of 2026.

The Bank of England held Bank Rate at 3.75% in September, but the recent increase in inflation and financial-market pressures have caused several major lenders to increase fixed mortgage rates again.

That clearly has the potential to influence confidence.

A buyer who could afford a particular property six months ago may now find that their borrowing capacity is slightly lower.

But I don't think that means the market is going to grind to a halt.

It simply means buyers are going to be more price-sensitive.

York remains different

One thing we should always remember when talking about the housing market is that York isn't Britain as a whole.

York has some very particular characteristics.

We have a relatively constrained supply of property, a strong employment base, two universities, significant tourism, excellent transport connections and a city that continues to attract people wanting to live here.

Those fundamentals don't disappear because mortgage rates move by a fraction of a percentage point.

And there is another interesting part of the York market at the moment.

The lettings market remains exceptionally strong.

According to the latest ONS figures, average private rents in York reached around £1,199 per month in August, representing annual growth of 6.5%. That compares with 4.9% across Yorkshire and the Humber.

For landlords, that tells us that demand for good rental property remains extremely robust.

Supply, however, remains the challenge.

So what do I expect for the rest of 2026?

I don't expect a boom.

But equally, I don't expect a crash.

My expectation is that we will see a steady, selective and increasingly active market through the autumn, with the number of transactions more important than dramatic movements in property values.

There are plenty of people who need to move.

First-time buyers still want to get onto the ladder.

Families still need to move for more space.

People still relocate for work.

Older homeowners still want to downsize.

And, of course, people get divorced, married, have children, inherit property and experience all the other life events that ultimately drive the housing market.

Those reasons for moving don't disappear because economic conditions become more challenging.

What does change is the negotiation.

I expect buyers to continue negotiating harder and sellers to become increasingly realistic about what their property is actually worth.

My prediction for York this autumn

If I had to sum up the York market as we enter the final months of 2026, I would describe it as:

Stable, competitive and price-sensitive.

I expect modest movement in property values rather than significant price inflation.

I expect good-quality, correctly priced properties to continue to sell.

I expect properties that are overpriced to take considerably longer to sell.

And I expect the lettings market to remain extremely competitive because of the shortage of available rental property.

Most importantly, I think the remainder of 2026 will reinforce something that we have always believed at Hudson Moody:

Good estate agency isn't about telling people what they want to hear. It's about giving honest advice based on what is actually happening in the market.

For sellers, that means getting the price right.

For buyers, it means understanding what represents good value.

And for landlords, it means understanding both the opportunities and the increasing responsibilities that come with owning rental property.

The York market isn't booming.

It isn't collapsing either.

It is simply becoming a more mature market  and, in my opinion, that creates opportunities for people who are prepared to take good advice, understand the numbers and make sensible decisions.

From all of us at Hudson Moody, we look forward to seeing what the autumn market brings.