What is the property market doing in early 2025?
The housing market in the South East of England has experienced notable fluctuations in recent years, influenced by economic factors, policy changes, and shifting buyer preferences. As of late 2024, the region’s property landscape presents a complex picture of price adjustments, transaction volumes, and evolving market dynamics.
Current Market Overview
As of December 2024, the average property price in the South East stands at £437,000, with a median price of £366,000. Over the past year, there has been a decline of approximately £13,800 (3%) in average property values. Newly built properties command a higher average price of £465,000, compared to £436,000 for established homes. Transaction volumes have also declined, with 94,300 property sales recorded—a 19.8% drop (equivalent to 25,000 fewer transactions) compared to the previous year.
A breakdown by property type shows a fairly even distribution
The most active price bracket for sales has been £300,000 to £400,000, accounting for 24.5% of transactions.
- Detached houses – 26.7% of sales
- Semi-detached houses – 25.8%
- Terraced houses – 25.9%
- Flats – 21.7%
This balanced demand highlights the continued appeal of various property types across the region.
Ashford: A Growing Market
Ashford continues establishing itself as a key growth area in the South East, offering a blend of strong transport links, affordability, and lifestyle appeal. The average property price in Ashford currently stands at £380,000, which is 13% below the South East regional average, making it an attractive option for both first-time buyers and investors.
Recent trends indicate a surge in demand for village properties surrounding Ashford, with particular villages seeing above-average increased interest from buyers seeking a balance between rural living and accessibility. This shift is largely driven by the continued rise in remote and hybrid working, allowing more people to relocate outside of urban centres while maintaining easy access to London via Ashford International Station’s high-speed rail links.
Here at Hobbs Parker, we have experienced a fantastic start to the year, agreeing at least a sale a day from the end of the mince pie and tinsel-wrapped holiday break. Typically, sale prices are within a percentage or two of guide prices, and the balance of demand vs supply is more equal than in 2024. We see this as an opportune moment for buyers to act before a potential price increase in the spring and summer and for motivated sellers to capitalise on the positive sentiment and strong results being achieved.
Market Trends and Predictions for 2025
Despite recent price adjustments, forecasts suggest a recovery and moderate price growth in 2025. Savills predicts a 17.6% price increase in the South East from 2025 to 2029—slightly below the national average but indicative of steady appreciation. Key factors influencing the market include:
- Falling mortgage rates, which should boost buyer confidence.
- Wage growth outpacing inflation, improving affordability.
- Continued demand for village and commuter belt properties, particularly around Ashford and other well-connected areas.
While affordability challenges persist, particularly in higher-priced areas like Surrey and Berkshire, more affordable markets such as Ashford and its surrounding villages remain well-positioned for growth.
In summary, with Ashford’s affordability and growing appeal, combined with the increasing desirability of village locations, the outlook for 2025 is cautiously optimistic. Of course, there could be a better time to buy or sell, but now looks pretty good from where I’m sat…
Case Study in Egerton
A great example of how the market is performing is Henshaw Place, a new homes development in Egerton that we are currently marketing. In just the last four weeks, we have agreed three sales, leaving only two homes remaining—a clear sign of continued demand for high-quality homes in desirable village locations.
If you’d like to gain more insight into what the housing market has to offer this year—or if you’re curious about how your specific village or location is performing—we’d love for you to join us at our Open Event on Saturday, 1st March 2025, from 10 am to 2 pm at Henshaw Place.
On the day, I’ll be joined by two senior members of the Hobbs Parker team, Cherry Godfrey and Adam Howell, both of whom know your local market inside out—feel free to put them to the test! It will be a relaxed opportunity to chat, ask questions, and take a look around the development.
Plus, we’d love to see you for a natter and a glass of fizz.
Do let me know if you’re planning to pop by — I’d hate to run out of nibbles and fizz!
Making the most of your property
Would you like us to send you a quick email when we publish our next article?
These will include tips and advice on how to maximise your enjoyment and return on investment from you property.
Other Recent Articles
View all
What is the property market doing in early 2025?
Keeping up to speed with the property market is critical if you are thinking of moving.
Find out more
Navigating the New Rules Around Holiday Lets
Holiday and short-term letting has been a popular option for property owners looking to generate an income from second homes and investment properties. Whilst it’s always been somewhat labour intensive, the returns have often been […]
Find out more
Historic Property Auction Particulars -- Mersham 1878
These have been hanging on the wall in our boardroom for as long as I can remember. I recently happened to ‘bump into’ two of the current owners of the cottages when I gave a […]
Find out more
Livestock, land and property prices in 1972
Our Annual Report from 1972 includes prices and expert views from our former partners for livestock, residential, agricultural and investment property in the South East.
Find out more
Stunning photos of Mersham in the winter
Thank you to Stuart Rodda for allowing us to use his stunning photos taken recently whilst walking his dog in the fields close to Mersham.
Find out more
Autumn Statement: A cautious sigh of relief for the housing market
The news from Downing Street has been pretty grim for the last few months. But, I broadly welcome the news for the housing market following the Chancellor’s announcement in the House of Commons earlier today. […]
Find out more
Should I put my house on the market before Christmas?
We get asked this every year in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This year’s answer might surprise you.
Find out more
Gold award from our clients
Our estate agents team have been awarded Gold for the Best Agent in Ashford by allAgents.co.uk
Find out more
Should I buy a house in a Conservation Area?
There are some wonderful properties in the Conservation Areas in Kent and East Sussex but buyers need to make sure they understand the strict planning rules designed to preserve the character of these locations.
Find out more
How I nearly made a pig's ear of selling my own house
Have you ever asked for advice and then ignored it? I guess we all have. Hobbs Parker was founded by my great-great-great-grandfather in 1850. My Dad worked here for 42 years and I’ve been working […]
Find out more
Wye - Kent's Super Village
So what is it about the village of Wye that creates it’s extraordinary reputation? Unlike many villages in my part of Kent that are equally as pretty and have local facilities, it has a selection […]
Find out more
Millie Green - A Review of Ashford
The Kentish town of Ashford is known for many things: the International Station, the Designer Outlet and a plethora of secondary schools. These are all great assets to the town, but at Hobbs Parker we […]
Find out more
Very small ski chalet for sale!
It's tempting to take snowing photos of your home when selling it. But is this a good idea?
Find out more
How many Ashfords are there in the UK?
Our website contains a database of all the villages, towns and cities in the UK. We combined this data with Google Maps to created this map of all the Ashfords in the UK. Note: There […]
Find out more
The 50 Most Popular Villages
Our website is very busy — every day up to 6,000 people visit our website. Many are researching the ideal location for their next home and spend some time reading about the towns and villages […]
Find out more
Tips to help you establish a great Wild Garden
If you’ve been watching TV nature and gardening programmes lately, you’ll have seen a lot of interest in wild gardens. There are many advantages to wild gardens: they cover the ground in a beautiful mix […]
Find out more
Tips for buyers and sellers when dealing with properties from a bygone era
The first clue upon arrival is the general look of neglect. Tired net curtains hanging at the windows, peeling paintwork, stains from a leaking gutter, a rusty gate opening on to an entrance path overgrown […]
Find out more
Bucking the national property 'downturn'
It is true that we agree lots of sales, even when many properties appear to be sticking but I can tell you it doesn’t come easily and not without a lot of hard work. When […]
Find out more
Why 2019 is the right time to invest in Ashford
“If you have ever wished you’d invested somewhere that has regenerated, you will know that you are already too late.” These are the words of Alex Davies, Managing Director for Hobbs Parker Estate Agents, an […]
Find out more
Listed Buildings Advice
The market for period property is booming and the older the house or cottage, the more likely it is to be listed. By listing a property, it celebrates a building’s special architectural and historic features […]
Find out more
Will your second home also be your pension?
Recent research suggests that the level of income people aspire to retire on each year has increased from £35,000 to £42,000 yet this would require a pension pot of more than £1 million. Evidence shows […]
Find out more
Will solar panels increase the value of my home?
As the weather gets colder and darker, and the heating and lights stay on longer, there’s one thing I can predict with even more certainty than the Queen’s Speech broadcasting on Christmas Day. The arrival […]
Find out more
Why do kitchens sell houses?
The party is in the kitchen! When we have a party at our house my wife and I spend hours making our living room look nice and then most of the evening trying to get […]
Find out more