With both Rightmove and Zoopla reporting resilience in the UK housing market despite global uncertainty, read on to discover more about the housing market trends being seen nationally and in our regions of Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.
In Brief
Nationally the market has seen –
- The housing market remained steady in April despite higher mortgage rates due to global uncertainty.¹
- Average new seller asking prices rose by 0.8% (+£2,929) in April to £373,971. This is consistent with February and March, but is below the long-term average for April.¹
- The average two‑year fixed rate has risen to 5.42%, from 4.25% before the start of the war in Iran, adding a monthly average of around £235 to a typical new mortgage*.¹
- Buyer demand in April was down 7% compared to the same period in 2025 when the market was particularly strong due to the stamp duty increase.¹
- Average earnings are still up by 3.9% annually, while asking prices for properties are down 0.9% year-on-year.¹
- Homes are taking just 1 day longer to sell than last year.²
- Homes are selling as fast as last year across more than half of UK regions, despite higher mortgage rates.²
- Buyer demand rebounds after Easter to its highest level since the Middle East conflict began.²
- House price inflation steady at 1.3%, supported by sales agreed.²
- Sales agreed are holding up, running 3% lower than last year.²
In terms of the Welsh property market –
- The average house price in Wales is now £274,007, up 3% over the last month, and up 1.9% year on year¹.
- The average number of days for a Welsh property to find a buyer has dropped significantly to 79¹.
¹Source – Rightmove
²Source – Zoopla
*Data provided by specialist mortgage technology provider Podium Solutions. The data covers 95% of mortgage lending, to exclude specialist lenders.
National Overview
Here is our monthly overview of the trends that Rightmove and Zoopla – two of the biggest names in the property market – have been seeing over the last month.
Rightmove’s Insights –
Rightmove says that with mortgage rates elevated due to the war in Iran, price growth is strongest in those areas less exposed to higher borrowing costs. It says that places such as Scotland, which have lower asking prices and a faster home-buying process, are supporting price growth in the region.
However, rising mortgage rates and the high number of homes on the market mean that for the majority of the market competitive pricing is vital for sellers looking to secure a spring sale.
It adds that while some buyers are feeling cautious, home movers are showing resilience – at least for now. Many buyers are enjoying rising wages, more flexible borrowing and, with so much choice on the market, lower prices – all of which are helping affordability.
Zoopla’s Insights –
According to Zoopla, homes are taking only one day longer to sell than they did last year – underlining the fact that movers are getting on with it. And while demand has rebounded after the Easter lull, market conditions do vary across the country.
With mortgage rates up over the last two months, due to the war in the Middle East, consumer confidence is down, but house sales are continuing and the ‘time to sell’ is the same as last year or lower across over half the regions of the UK.
It also says that sales agreed are holding up well, at just 3% below last year, and while buyer enquiries are down 2% on last year there has been a rebound since Easter – they are now at the highest level since the start of the conflict.
It adds that the ceasefire and some lenders reducing mortgage rates have resulted in serious buyers pressing ahead with their home buying journey. And with 5% more homes for sale than a year ago, this is a mark of strong selling intent and enhanced buyer choice.
Regional Insight from Cardigan Bay Properties
We specialise in the property market in West Wales and monitor developments here throughout the year to give you the best, most accurate advice. We cover the key regions of Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, and this month Helen Worrall, one of our founders, outlines the key trends we’ve seen through April 2026. If you’d like to find out more please get in touch.
Despite the global uncertainty, our sales were up almost 100% in April, compared to April 2025, underlining the continued confidence that exists among movers in West Wales.
New property instructions were also well up year on year (54%) and the number of buyers registering with us also increased by nearly 50% compared to April 2025 figures.
Valuations remained steady through the month, and while viewings fell very slightly (down 5%), it has been an incredibly busy month, with continued demand for properties across our regions.
Your Regional Insights
Please note that each month these figures are two to three months behind due to the Land Registry taking longer to register new sales, so this report shows figures from July 2019 (pre-Covid pandemic) to February 2026.
CEREDIGION
Across the region of Ceredigion the average property price increased slightly in February 2026 – up to £252,306 from £250,900 in January – with all of the different property types reporting growth.
Looking at the yearly percentage change, Ceredigion saw a major increase with property prices on average up 11.4%. The biggest increases over the year have been seen for semi-detached properties (up 12.4%); terraced properties (up 11.7%); detached properties (up 11%) and flats (up 8.6%).
The monthly percentage change however is less – just 0.6%, with detached properties seeing the biggest increase of the month – up 0.8%; followed by semi-detached properties (up 0.5%); flats (up 0.4%) and terraced properties (up 0.2%).
View the full Ceredigion report.
PEMBROKESHIRE
Pembrokeshire also saw an increase in the average price this month – up to £221,682 from £216,464 in January 2026. Again, the price increase was seen across all property types.
The average yearly percentage price increase was up 1.4%, however prices for flats were actually down 1.8%, compared to a 2.4% increase for semi-detached properties, a 1.8% increase for terraced properties and a 1.1% increase for detached properties.
The monthly percentage change was up across the board – up 2.4% on average, with all property types experiencing an increase of between 2.2% and 2.6%.
View the full Pembrokeshire report.
CARMARTHENSHIRE
In Carmarthenshire the average property price increased to £196,199 – up from £194,901 in February 2026.
Looking at the yearly percentage change, the average property price in Carmarthenshire was up 4.3%, with the biggest increase seen for semi-detached properties (up 5.3%), followed by terraced properties (up 4.5%); detached properties (up 3.4%) and flats (up 0.6%).
The monthly percentage change was also positive – up 0.7% on average, with semi-detached properties again performing best (up 0.8%).
View the full Carmarthenshire report.
CURRENT UK HOUSE PRICE INDEX
* As of February 2026, the average house price in the UK is £267,957, and the index stands at 102.7. Property prices have risen by 0.1% compared to the previous month, and risen by 1.2% compared to the previous year.
*Details provided by the Land Registry. For more information on the House Price Index please CLICK HERE
Please note that the stats provided by the UK House Price Index are live and constantly evolving.
The information here is for guidance only. We always try to ensure that the information we provide is accurate at the time of publishing. The fast moving nature of the property market means that some information may be out of date when you read this article so please do your own research. We accept no responsibility or liability for any decisions you make based on this information.