Nation

Buying a home in England: prices and purchase tax

Average prices of the UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry, Registers of Scotland, Land & Property Services and ONS), July 2026, all property types. 685,291 sales over the latest twelve months with complete volumes.

In short

In July 2026, the average price of a home in England was £293,479, +1.1% over twelve months (8% above the UK average). At that price, a home mover pays £4,674 in Stamp Duty Land Tax, plus £150 of HM Land Registry fee.

Calculate for England

If you buy

Stamp Duty Land Tax and registration in England

Rates of HMRC, set at the average price in England (July 2026). Change any field: the amounts are recalculated instantly.

Rates appliedstandard rates
Stamp Duty Land Tax£4,674
Share of the price1.59%
HM Land Registry fee (online application)£150
Total, tax and registration£4,824
Return and payment14 days

Residential purchase by an individual. Not included: conveyancer, survey and lender fees (no official scale). No mortgage figure: Payotte has no official UK mortgage rate to apply. All the rates and sources.

If you sell

Capital Gains Tax on the sale

Your main home, lived in for all the time you owned it: no tax (Private Residence Relief). A second home or a buy-to-let: Capital Gains Tax, same rates in all four nations.

Gain£75,509
Taxable after the £3,000 allowance£72,509
Rate24%
Capital Gains Tax£17,402

Report and pay within 60 days of completion. Assumes no other gains this tax year and the whole £3,000 allowance unused (2026 to 2027).

Default example: bought at the average price in England in July 2016 (£217,970), sold at the July 2026 average (£293,479), UK House Price Index. Rates for 2026 to 2027: 24% for higher and additional rate taxpayers; for basic rate taxpayers, 18% on the part of the gain that fits in the £37,700 basic Income Tax band once added to taxable income (income minus Personal Allowance), 24% above (HMRC). Gain = sale price − purchase price − costs of buying, selling and improving; Payotte does not estimate those costs (no official scale). GOV.UK: Capital Gains Tax rates · Tax when you sell your home.

The questions, answered

What is the average house price in England?

The average price of a home in England was £293,479 in July 2026, +1.1% over twelve months (UK House Price Index).

How much does a flat or a house cost in England?

In July 2026, the average price in England was £474,626 for a detached house, £292,024 for a semi-detached house, £247,081 for a terraced house, £217,362 for a flat (UK House Price Index).

What do first-time buyers pay in England?

First-time buyers paid £245,515 on average in England in July 2026, against £293,479 for all buyers (UK House Price Index).

Have house prices gone up in England?

The average price in England went from £217,970 in July 2016 to £293,479 in July 2026, a change of +34.6%; +1.1% over the last twelve months (UK House Price Index).

How much Stamp Duty Land Tax on an average-priced home in England?

On £293,479, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) comes to £4,674 for a home mover, £0 for a first-time buyer and £19,348 for an additional property, at the rates in force in England.

How much tax when you sell a home in England?

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, at the same rates in all four nations: 24% for a higher or additional rate taxpayer and 18% for a basic rate taxpayer on the part of the gain within the basic Income Tax band, on the gain above the £3,000 tax-free allowance (2026 to 2027). Bought at the average price in England in July 2016 (£217,970) and sold at the July 2026 average (£293,479), the gain of £75,509 costs a higher rate taxpayer £17,402, before deducting the costs of buying, selling and improving. The tax is reported and paid within 60 days of completion (HMRC).

How many homes sell in England?

685,291 sales in England were registered from May 2025 to April 2026, the latest twelve months with complete volumes (UK House Price Index).

Prices by property type, July 2026

TypeAverage priceUK
Detached£474,626£444,936
Semi-detached£292,024£278,555
Terraced£247,081£231,945
Flat or maisonette£217,362£192,704
All types£293,479£272,611
First-time buyers£245,515—

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, July of each year

YearAverage priceChange on the year before
2016£217,970—
2017£227,919+4.6%
2018£234,127+2.7%
2019£234,587+0.2%
2020£239,080+1.9%
2021£250,545+4.8%
2022£286,526+14.4%
2023£284,246-0.8%
2024£284,105-0%
2025£290,212+2.1%
2026£293,479+1.1%

Areas covered in England

Sources