Data from Land Registry, ONS, Bank of England
Compare with another area →Key indicators for buyers
The South East market is moderately favourable for buyers. Affordability has improved from a peak of 11.1x in 2021 to 9.6x today. Rising rents (£1,409/mo, +3.4%) mean the cost of waiting is real.
Average sale prices · HM Land Registry / UK HPI
House price ÷ median earnings · ONS data
A home in South East costs 9.6x the local median salary — stretched, improving from a peak of 11.1x in 2021.
Average monthly rent · ONS Private Rental Index
Average monthly rent in South East is £1,409, up 3.4% year-on-year. Rents have risen consistently over the past five years.
2yr fixed · 75% LTV · 25yr term · BoE avg. rate
Based on the average South East price of £379,532 with a 25% deposit (£95k), a 2-year fixed mortgage at 3.97% costs around £1,498 per month.
Monthly cost comparison based on current data
Monthly mortgage payments (£1,498) are £89 more than renting (£1,409). However, buying requires an upfront deposit of £95k — it would take around 10 years to recoup that cost compared to renting and investing the difference.
Data sources (all free & public): HM Land Registry Price Paid Data & UK House Price Index · ONS Housing Affordability Ratios · ONS Private Rental Index · Bank of England Quoted Household Interest Rates · HMRC Monthly Property Transactions
Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2021. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The average property in South East sells for £379,532, down slightly (0.5%) over the past year. Prices have grown from around £64k in the mid-1990s.